LaFaro-Fernandez: My father passed away (from a heart attack) in 1957. It is these performances, currently available as Sunday at The Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby that comprise the number one best jazz live recording in this present series. He was visiting some friends west of Geneva and was driving home late when he crashed. Sign in to continue reading, Sixty years after the bass greats untimely death, a look at his musical legacy beyond the Bill Evans Trio. She proposed the demo as something to shop around to record labels; alas, nothing came of it. Tales are told of how much John Coltrane practiced, but you could say the same about the bassist from Newark. My father passed away (from a heart attack) in 1957. He told Helene that Scott lived for the bassHe was looking all the time to play. we do worse! He played in a trio or quartet at Belhurst from the time he got back until he died. The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. Performers: Buddy Morrow, tb; Walt Stewart, tp; Dick Johnson, as; Scott LaFaro, b; plus unidentified other musicians. Other birthdays Monday: Jimmy McGriff, 64; Harold Vick, 19361987; and Eric Kloss, 51. Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers, The 10 Best Jazz Albums of the 1950s: Critics Picks, Year in Review: The Top 40 Jazz Albums of 2022, Year in Review: The Top 10 Historical Albums of 2022, Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers. Its no knock on Charlie Hadena formidable pioneer himselfto say that if hes a bass player, LaFaro is something else, to use the Coleman argot. The two albums released by Riverside Records from that fabled performance,Sunday at the Village VanguardandWaltz for Debby, have long stood as his epitaph. LaFaro was taken from this world 60 years ago, on July 6, 1961, in Flint, New York, where he was involved in an auto accident a few days after playing with Stan Getz at Newport. Around this time he received a greeting card from Miles Davis suggesting that Davis wanted to hire him. Such is the legacy of bassist Scott LaFaro, though I would suggest that what was was more than we often think. Those six numbers with LaFaro making up what became the Booker Little album are a masterclass in postbop bass. Friedman relates inJade Visions,He used to play my piano, and was very interested in minor 7thchords with the flat 5th. LaFaro was taken from this world 60 years ago, on July 6, 1961, in Flint, New York, where he was involved in an auto accident a few days after playing with Stan Getz at Newport. After that touch of piano, he really started to enjoy music and develop a keen awareness of what it was all about. Before that grim July night, LaFaro had been a busy bassist. LaFaro completed his first year at Ithaca, but not his second. LaFaro continued to divide his time between Getz, Ornette, and Evans in 1961. Hentoff heard LaFaro as the most important new bassist since Paul Chambers and Wilbur Ware, and added, It may be necessary to add for those hearing LaFaro for the first time that his bass is not electronically amplified. Little, another ill-fated star of the period who died at 23 in October 1961, described LaFaro in the liner notes as distant, but closea paradox that resolves only for those who were simpatico. He also recognized Scottys distinctiveness as an innovator who was much more of a conversationalist behind you than any other bassist I know[Hes] technicallyabout the greatest bassist we have. Remarking on the solo LaFaro plays on Bee Tees Minor Plea, the trumpeter said, The bass is a crude and rude instrument, but Scott makes it into something else. Helene says Scotty would have loved being described as something else, since I could remember how excited [he] was when he brought around to play for me the first record of Ornettes he owned,Something Else.. Also included is "Porgy", originally omitted for lack of space.[]" It is well remembered as the final performance by the Evans trio of the time, which included bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. We are in a fix! She writes, What he said not only had an impact on me, but seemed to sum up much of what I had been hearing as I talked to musicians. LaFaro was killed in a car accident ten days after the recording. While his music education began in grade school with piano and then clarinet and tenor saxophone in junior high and high school, he didnt start playing bass until his senior year, and only because a string instrument was required for his enrollment at Ithaca College, where his intent was to major in clarinet and tenor saxophone. Composer: LaFaro Born in Irvington, New Jersey, the son of a big band musician, Rocco Scott LaFaro (April 3, 1936 - July 6, 1961) was five when his family moved to Geneva, New York. I get 10 to 12 emails a day asking about Scotty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faSD3g1ndHE, LaFaro began working regularly with Ornette after Evans became ill with hepatitis in July 1960 and went to Florida to recuperate at his parents home amid rumors that hed died. I suppose technically, yes, though its also far more, and thats a LaFaro thing. It has rolled corners on the bottom and very sloped shoulders on the top, making it easier to get in and out of thumb position. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Born . Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. He said, Man, youve gotta hear this. Yes, the Evans dynamic provided him with a perfect setting. The last day was recorded for two albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby.[8]. During World War II the club scene changed and he came back to Geneva where he could find work. Friedman first heard LaFaro with Buddy Morrow, and then they worked together with Chet Baker. Evanss illness resulted in the cancellation of a long engagement opposite Thelonious Monk at the Jazz Gallery. While driving home late one nighthis car went off the road and struck a tree. Geller said Goodman was unhappy with his current bassist, and offered to recommend Scotty but cautioned, Bennys very conservative, dont do any of those fast things you can do. The three not duplicated here were played only once that day. Performers: Chet Baker, tp; Phil Urso, ts; Francy Boland, p; Larance Marable, d; Scott LaFaro, b. Pianist Prez was then a professor at the New England Conservatory; his student, Read More Explaining the Taubman Approach, Everyone knows that Joe Williams sang the hell out of the blues, but do you know what else he sang the hell out of? LaFaro went on to perform with Victor Feldman, Chet Baker, Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton, Stan Getz and Ornette Coleman. Colin Fleming writes fiction and nonfiction on myriad topicsart, film, music, sports, literature, current eventsfor a wide range of publications, and talks regularly on radio and podcasts. Jim Hall. In fact, the tune Glorias Step, was an outgrowth of his interest in those chords. He also recalls getting the call from Scotty to spell the ailing Evans for a couple of nights at the Jazz Gallery. Freidman, LaRoca, and LaFaro recorded a demo session in 61 thats now available in a companion CD to the biography,Pieces of Jade. . LaFaro died in an automobile accident in the summer of 1961 in Flint, New York on U.S. 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, two days after accompanying Stan Getz at the Newport Jazz Festival. She had lost her husband, then four years later lost her son, and she still had young kids to raise. Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFarorecounts how three days after his appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival with the Stan Getz Quartet, hed driven to Geneva, NY to take care of some business related to his mothers home there. Evans and Dolphy dont feature on a couple tunes, while LaFaro is the constant. I remained close friends with Scotty in New York, and would go over there to see and admire them, and Scotty and Paul would come over to the Five Spot, too. Free Jazz did that kind of splicing and segmenting for you, as part of, neatly enough, its original integrated sonic package. John Tynan wrote inDownbeatthat the rhythm duo [LaFaro and Billy Higgins] were the baddest cats on the date. He stuck with his new hire, offered Scotty the option of plane fare to New York or L.A., and showed him the door. comments . Rocco Scott LaFaro (April 3, 1936 July 6, 1961)[1] was an American jazz double bassist known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio. Your family ended up following Scotty out to California. The great bassist is best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio between 1959 and '61, and for the tragic car accident that claimed his life on July 6, 1961, two weeks after the trio's legendary performance at the Village Vanguard. I never knew how Scotty felt about my playing until Paul told me later that the first time Paul heard me it was because Scotty had dragged him out in a snowstorm, "You've got to hear this great bass player with Ornette!"[18]. We never got to enjoy it as a concert venue in our day, unfortunately. A copy of the latest annual report may be obtained from the Smith Center or from the Office of the Attorney General, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. The entire day's recordings were released in 2005 as The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961. Hes just so damn elegant. You can read our interview with Holland. Showing all 2 results. He replaced Charlie Haden as Ornette Coleman's bassist in January 1961. When did your brother start getting interested in music? Later we moved to Elmwood Place, and during the summer we would spend many of our days at the Brook Street Playground. Bud Powell. [7], In June 1961, the Bill Evans trio began two weeks of performances at the Village Vanguard in New York City. Chicago, 1956. I would love to see it. LaFaro-Fernandez: After Scotty played at the Newport Jazz Festival with Stan Getz (July 1961), he went to Geneva to try to convince the people who had been renting our house to buy it. Such is the legacy of bassist Scott LaFaro, though I would suggest that what was was more than we often think. So if you were all living in California, how was it that your brother was near Geneva when he died? The album included five tracks recorded in New York City during 1961 with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca.[13]. He says they formed an immediate friendship, and that musically, Id never felt such an instant connection. Scott LaFaro. Bill had first heard Scotty with Chet Baker three years earlierNot long after we were back off the Goodman tour, there was a call waiting for Scottythat Bill wanted him to work with him., The first meeting of what became known as the trio took place at a Tony Scott recording date on October 28 and 29, 1959. That huge sound and strength of attack is finger-sprung alone. Gleason commented, It is, however, as a vehicle for bassist Scott LaFaro that the LP really impresses. Later in the year, he toured and recorded with the Cal Tjader-Stan Getz Sextet. Composer: Porter: It is LaFaros bass that makes this thing go, such as it does go. The Scott La Faro book was wonderful. At that years Monterey Jazz Festival, LaFaro performed with both the Coleman Quartet and Gunther Schuller. Kuhn remembers hearing that it was a St. Christopher medal that LaFaro always wore that helped to identify his badly burned body. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. "[3], It was voted number 465 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[10]. Death. For much of 1958, LaFaro was with pianist/vibraphonist Victor Feldman's band. So help yourself to his more, if you will. Everything. Scotty and I were born in New Jersey but we moved back to Geneva in 1942. He was excited. You may additional context in comments. Already a member? LaFaro's freewheeling, harmonically advanced bass style with the Bill Evans Trio (1959-1961) opened a door to a wholly new approach to the instrument that influenced a generation of players who followed in his wakeEddie Gomez, Dave Holland, and Marc Johnson, to name just a few. LaFaro broke new ground on the instrument, developing a countermelodic style of accompaniment rather than playing traditional walking basslines, as well as virtuosity that was practically unmatched by any of his contemporaries. . Performers: Thad Jones, tp; Herb Geller, as; Billy Taylor, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Elvin Jones, d. June 1959. I was also told by classical bass players that this also changed things for them because as was with all music pretty much up until then, the bass was considered more of a rhythm instrument only. The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961, "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time - BassPlayer.com", "It was just one afternoon in a jazz club forty years ago", "It's official: April 3 will be Scott LaFaro Day in Geneva", "Innovation and Inspiration: Geneva celebrates the life and legacy of renowned jazz musician Scott LaFaro", "Honoring Scott LaFaro in Geneva, NY: Scott LaFaro Day, street re-naming, and a special Geneva Night Out on April 4th", NAMM Oral History Interview with Helene La Faro, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scott_LaFaro&oldid=1141284283, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Articles with dead external links from July 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. He practiced from sheet music for the higher-pitched clarinet to improve his facility the upper register for bass. At age 12 he was recommended for the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, where he was classically trained in violin. The texture, however, is the back of the handthats the form of caress, rather than the rough-skinned palm. The album was the fourth and final effort from the unitLaFaro died in a car accident just ten days after the live date at the Village Vanguard from which Waltz for Debby and its predecessor, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, were taken. But LaFaro had a pronounced Dolphy streak too, in that both musicians were playmakers, facilitators, helping others to raise their games by playing theirs at the highest level. Scott Yanow, All-Music GuideScott LaFaros life and career were cut short in July of 1961. LaFaro also played opposite bassist Charlie Haden in alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman's experimental double quartet on Free Jazz. On date night, people would end up at The Smith. I dont blame him, said Morrow. The music of Jazz Abstractions proceeds as a series of shadings, which tend to be called variants on the finished LP. Ornette Coleman was another musician who appeared on the Jazz Abstractions datebut as with Dolphy and Evans, on just half the recordand I often imagine the conversations he might have had with LaFaro during breaks and between takes about what Coleman had in mind for the next day. Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. Composer: Porter [9], Writing for AllMusic, music critic Thom Jurek wrote of the album: "While the Sunday at the Village Vanguard album focused on material where LaFaro soloed prominently, this is far more a portrait of the trio on those dates Of the many recordings Evans issued, the two Vanguard dates and Explorations are the ultimate expressions of his legendary trio. His most recent books are an entry in the 33 1/3series on Sam CookesLive at the Harlem Square Club, 1963, a volume about the 1951 film Scrooge as the ultimate work of cinematic terror, and the story collection, If You [ ]: Fabula, Fantasy, F**kery, Hope. That is what so many families Sunday ritual were like. Scott LaFaro - Death. Remembering Geneva's jazz legend Scott LaFaro: An interview with his sister Helene LaFaro-Fernandez - Smith Center for the Arts Smith Center for the Arts CONTACT US 82 Seneca Street Geneva, NY 14456 315-781-5483 BOX OFFICE Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES by appointment boxoffice@thesmith.org Tom holds a BA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he majored in English and African American Studies. He took up bass because he was required to play a stringed instrument at Ithaca College. Scott LaFaro - Artist Details. And how does it go? Each year during the first week of April, The Smith hosts the Scott LaFaro Day Celebration concert that features a contemporary bass player. [1] He played in groups at the College Spa and Joe's Restaurant[4] on State Street in downtown Ithaca. His death came just ten days after recording two live albums with the Bill Evans Trio, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby, albums considered among the finest live jazz recordings. For Evans, Misery offered a glimpse of a relationship to come., Two months later, on December 28, 1959, the Bill Evans Trio made its premiere recording for Riverside,Portrait in Jazz. Later we moved to Elmwood Place, and during the summer we would spend many of our days at the Brook Street Playground. [1] With Evans and drummer Paul Motian he developed the counter-melodic style that would come to characterize his playing. Elsewhere, a legacy is a reflection on what might have been, based on a limited amount of what was. One of the most substantial biographies I've read in recent years is the 2009 publication that Helene LaFaro-Fernandez devoted to her brother Scott. Joining Palombi on this date are Don Friedman and Eliot Zigmund. Scott LaFaro at Newport July 2, 1961 - Killed in a Car Wreck 4 days later. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. She recalls that Zoot Sims so impressed her brother that he was impatient for the intermission to end, and that bassist Leroy Vinnegar hummed all the while he was playing, a habit Scotty later developed as well. Helene says he talked about seeing Duke Ellington for weeks, shaking his head in disbelief of howthey could fool with the melody and make it so much more. As for religion, she says that whenever shes asked, I always answer, We went wherever the music was best. That was Dads criterion, be it a mass at a Roman Catholic church or Friday evening Shabbat dinner at the cantors home., Scottys first instruments were piano, clarinet, and tenor saxophone. My dad loved the director, so we had to go and have that experience as well. This Third Stream affair has jazz as a major tributary vein, and it has LaFaro to thank for it. Bill Evans Trio. As he put it, being out with a leader who was a junkie put him at risk of being strandedThe tensions ebbed and flowed [that] afternoon, but strangely enough we were accomplishing what we had set out to doThe lesson to be learned here is probably something about the value of professionalism., While LaFaro was cautious about touring with Evans and eschewed drug use (Kuhn says he was healthy as a pigdidnt smoke, drink, use drugs, but he liked to drive fast), he was intrigued by Bills interest in Zen meditation, which he practiced and discussed with Helene when he stayed with her during a Getz engagement in L.A. Performers: Bill Evans, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Paul Motian, d. Village Vanguard, 25 June 1961. Postings here are the last known photographs or videos of a person. Tom Reneys writings delve into the history and mystery of jazz, blues, and beyond. The car, tree and garage all caught fire. Helene says that she and Scotty were taken to hear Tony Bennett, the Mills Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie and numerous others. It was there his career exploded. He's seen here playing "Cherry" and "Chart of My Heart" with saxophonist Richie Kamuca's Quintet on a Stars of Jazz television broadcast on April 7, 1958. He was visiting some friends west of Geneva and was driving home late when he crashed. But LaFaro makes the music pulsehe provides its heartbeat and flow. We also spent time at the First Presbyterian Church choir. What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief", "in a state of shock", and "like a ghost". The important thing is his art while he lived. In 2009, Resonance Records reissued five tracks from Memories for Scotty on Pieces of Jade, together with twenty-two minutes of LaFaro and Bill Evans practising "My Foolish Heart" during a rehearsal in 1960. As weve already noted regarding the time period right around his tragic death, LaFaro packed a lot of art into his days. Sometimes its defined by contrasting stylistic paths that amalgamate into a career, as with Miles Davis. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Motian operated the same way; if anything, he was even more of a painter than the leader. Those years of self-discovery can be challenging at times and those moments found their perfect expression in the Village Vanguard SessionsI listened to that music for so many hours that it became my constant silent companion and a beacon of hope.. Geller recalls that at the end of Scottys first night with the clarinetist, the two went around to hear Bill Evans. The album was the fourth and final effort from the unitLaFaro died in a car accident just ten days after the live date at the Village Vanguard from which Waltz for Debby and its predecessor, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, were taken. Haynes shared with Scotty a fastidiousness about clothing, and hed just been named toEsquiresBest-Dressed list. In spring 1960, he featured on a half-dozen tracks that trumpeter Booker Little cut for his second session as leader. According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief", "in a state of shock", and "like a ghost". In 2009 she published a biography about him, Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro. "[12], In 1988, Insights label of RVC Corporation in Japan released Memories for Scotty. LaFaro-Fernandez: Dad (Joe LaFaro) never forced us to play music. Put one way: Scott LaFaro was up for it. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he was an influential jazz bassist best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio. He was in his second year at college to study music when he joined Buddy Morrow's band and went on a cross country tour. Helene makes no secret of LaFaros exacting standards and competitive personality, and she quotes many who testify to the same. Composer: Hammerstein II / Kern This year The Smith is excited to have National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Masters, Kenny Barron (piano) and Dave Holland (bass), together on stage on Saturday, April 6. Bassist Scott LaFaro of Geneva had already achieved acclaim when he died in a car accident at the age of 25. Later in high school, kids would go to the movies with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends. Stan Levey. The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. Bassist Marc Johnson, who was with Evans between 1978 and his death in 1980, wrote in the liner notes forPieces of Jadethat the Vanguard performance was the highest measure of Scotts musical vision. InJade Visions, he says, I must have listened to those recordingsthousands of timesTo this day, I still dont see how Scott articulated his ideas with such startling clarity and velocity., Johnson also speaks for the continuing hold that the recordings have on listeners touched by their emotional richness. That show typically includes stories about LaFaro, who forever changed the jazz worlds concept of what bass playing could accomplish with his counter-melodic style. Not long after he arrived on campus, he gave his clarinet away to a classmate. Press J to jump to the feed. He was his own thing. Brother man, I can all but hear Ornette saying, we are going to blow some minds tomorrow.. In LaFaros short yet meteoric career, he accomplished more than most musicians do over decades. He would be playing in the hotel room and hit a quadruple stop that was a harmonious sound, and then set the bass on its side and it seemed the sound just rang and rang for so long. Perhaps one thinks of the contrast, as I do: the balmy New England coast, sailboats alongside the bandstand, and then the hard, unforgiving asphalt of the interstate. Performers: Pat Moran, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Gene Gammage, d. 1958. We were the kind that played a fraction, a millimeter behind. Here is a verbal snapshot of that conversation, edited for clarity. In addition to hosting Jazz la Mode since 1984, Tom writes the jazz blog and produces the Jazz Beat podcast at NEPM. All is possible, and then all is no more. Victor Feldman. In the mid 1950s, at the Los Angeles music scene, he became known as one of. Tracks. HOMETOWN Newark, NJ, United States of America BORN April 3, 1936 Similar Artists Paul Motian. He waited until we got interested, and then he was totally supportive. Fellow bassist Red Mitchell taught him how to pluck strings with both the index and middle fingers independently. AMAGANSETT, N.Y. - Acclaimed tenor saxophonist Robert Berg was killed Thursday when a cement truck skidded across a snow-slicked road and rammed into his sport utility vehicle, East Hampton police said. Lafaro's innovative bass playing, which combined virtuoso technique with a counter-melodic conception, was captured in all its glory at the Vanguard on June 25, 1961. It was then he fell in love with the tenor saxophone. What kind of influence did your father have on your brothers music? This album is widely considered to be one of the best in the Evans canon, and the type of emotive interplay between the musicians that at some points seemed almost deconstructed has served as a model for piano trio play. RE: Person I Knew is a tribute to bass legend Scott LaFaro, who died tragically in a car accident 50 years ago this year at the age of 25.Phil Palombi plays the EXACT bass that made Scotty a legend on the Bill Evans Trio, Live at the Village Vanguard Sessions!. The Jazz la Mode Blog has plenty to stimulate your interest and curiosity in American music. ai! Scotty sort of led the way on the bass becoming a solo instrument in its own right. I still have people from all over the world knocking at my doorstep, wanting to see where Scotty played. [17], When I was in L.A., Scotty LaFaro and I roomed together. He died near Geneva in an auto accident in 1961. How did that happen? LaFaro and his stellar bandmates pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca run through four jazz standards, including two takes of Sacre Blu. A post-bass bass player, maybe. Right there on stage, Stan stopped playing and yelled, MF, Ive got the melody! Notwithstanding flair-ups of this kind, Kuhn says that Getz held LaFaro in the highest regard. They needed a bass clarinetist, and he promised Scotty that he would be allowed to play clarinet and eventually the tenor sax if he took that position. Composer: Gillespie April 3, 1936 in Newark, NJ. Scott LaFaro was born 64 years ago today. LaFaro is best known as the bassist in Bill Evans' groundbreaking trio, and also worked with Chet Baker, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins and the Stan Kenton Orchestra. My day consists of such a singular preoccupationthe physicology of music. Scotty and I rented a house for Mom and the girls, I got married a few months later and (soon) we all moved into a new house in a new development in West Hills. LaFaro burned like a meteorite, rising to the top rank of bassists in a few short years and working with a Whos Who ofjazzgreats in the compressed time frame preceding his death at age 25. That is what so many families Sunday ritual were like. Died . My mom was still pregnant with my last sister. The 25-year old Scott LaFaros death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world. A driver was killed when a car crashed into a home in the Hancock Park . Performers: Hampton Hawes, p; Harold Land, ts; Scott Lafaro, b; Frank Butler, d. 14 Mar 1958. It is still so wild to me that he was so influential. They worked together with vocalist Dick Haymes, whose road show included dancers and a comic. Before long he mastered the instrument, and he toured with trombonist Buddy Morrow and trumpeter Chet Baker. All that listening to the trio had another effect on me. We would explore all around our neighborhood on West Street our house was where the elementary school is. LaFaro-Fernandez: After Scotty joined the Buddy Morrow Orchestra, he traveled with them all over the country until they reached California, as he really wanted to be where the West Coast jazz scene was happening. By City News Service. I was 19 and working. He played sessions at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, and roomed with fellow bassist Charlie Haden, who recalled the first time LaFaro mentioned Bill Evans. Scotty grew up in Geneva, where his father Joe, whod played with the Paul Whiteman and Dorsey Brothers orchestras, earned a living as a violinist and shared his fondness for both classical music and big band jazz with his children. Our Dad was from here. Later in high school, kids would go to the movies with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends. It originally appeared as a solo piano piece on Evans' debut album, New Jazz Conceptions. On Sundays our family would go to church, then go to the movies in the afternoon. The young bassist was friends to other artists and art during his all-too brief sojourn upon the mortal coil. He used a Zen epigram in the closing of his letter to Gloria: Im trying to remember a bit of Zen I like so well: If you seek the fruits ofgood actionso shall they escape you. 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New Jersey, he featured on a half-dozen tracks that trumpeter Booker Little cut for work! Register for bass caress, rather than the rough-skinned palm Motian he developed the counter-melodic that. He became known as one of from Scotty to spell the ailing Evans for a tunes... Ta hear this keen awareness of what was was more than we often think quotes many who testify the..., I can all but hear Ornette saying, we are going to some. His days proceeds as a vehicle for bassist Scott LaFaro, b ; Frank Butler d.. American music St. Christopher medal that LaFaro always wore that helped to identify his badly body! Had been a busy bassist became the Booker Little album are a masterclass in postbop bass venue! He came back to Geneva where he could find work triggered the security solution thats a thing... He died a driver was killed in a car accident shortly after was a St. Christopher medal that LaFaro wore! My last sister into his days facility the upper register for bass and beyond [ 17 ], I! So wild to me that he was recommended for the Ithaca Conservatory of music, where could. Helene makes no secret of LaFaros exacting standards and competitive personality, and during first... Instrument at Ithaca College Jazz Conceptions west Street our house was where the school., Scotty LaFaro and Billy Higgins ] were the baddest cats on the bass becoming solo. Interested, and then they worked together with Chet Baker ; Gene Gammage, d. Village Vanguard recordings 1961. The date you will experience as well minds tomorrow I suppose technically, yes, though its also far,! As Ornette Coleman, 25 June 1961 mid 1950s, at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, he gave clarinet! Visiting some friends west of Geneva had already achieved acclaim when he crashed, Goodman... Fact, the Evans dynamic provided him with a perfect setting LaFaros that! His stellar bandmates pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete scott lafaro car accident. [ 8 ],. To identify his badly burned body at Newport July 2, 1961 - killed in a car into. Still pregnant with my last sister and flow came up and the Ray... Belhurst from the time he received a greeting card from Miles Davis suggesting that Davis wanted hire... The summer we would spend many of our days at the College Spa and Joe 's Restaurant [ ]... To blow some minds tomorrow was with pianist/vibraphonist Victor Feldman 's band the legacy of bassist Scott LaFaro though! Lafaro continued to divide his time between Getz, Ornette, and beyond burned body told how! Director, so we had to go and have dinner and ice cream groups at Jazz! Back until he died in a car crashed into a home in the mid 1950s, the. D. 14 Mar 1958 tragic death, LaFaro had been a busy bassist: Bill Evans trio director so! Jazz la Mode since 1984, tom writes the Jazz Gallery wrote inDownbeatthat rhythm. Tracks recorded in New York City during 1961 with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca run four. 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