You know how some people (and you may be one of them) like to go on YouTube and listen to isolated Beach Boys backing vocals and John Bonham drum parts? He was playing mandolin and violin publicly by age 7. Toggle filters. We never got to enjoy it as a concert venue in our day, unfortunately. Ted Gioia, in his 1997 survey,The History of Jazz, said, "LaFarotook far greater chances, departing markedly from the traditional walking line, instead offering countermelodies and guitar-like phrases. [citation needed], By late 1960, LaFaro was in demand as a bassist. We were like brothers., Six months before the session with Kuhn, LaFaro recorded with trumpeter Booker Little on April 13 and 15. 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. [17], When I was in L.A., Scotty LaFaro and I roomed together. For when Jazz Abstractions wrapped, December 21 dawned, and that meant LaFaroalong with Dolphywas boomeranging back to A&R Studios for the landmark waxing of the legendary, epoch-rattling Free Jazz, with a lineup of Dolphy on bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums in the right channel, and Coleman on alto, Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Billy Higgins on drums, and LaFaro in the left. . May 23, 2021. The entire day's recordings were released in 2005 as The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961. 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. Already a member? In his playing you can hear how happy Evans is to have this helmsman at the back of the boatI think it helped him see better at the front. Scott LaFaro was born 64 years ago today. The last day was recorded for two albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby.[8]. We are in a fix! The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. When we were in junior high school, Godfrey Brown, the head of the high school music department, would come there to recruit for positions they needed to fill in the band and orchestra. Brooklyn, NY The other day at school someone mentioned Red Mitchell taking the bass which was in the car crash that killed Scott LaFaro back to Kolstein's in pieces, and Kolstein, fairly recently, restored it. As weve already noted regarding the time period right around his tragic death, LaFaro packed a lot of art into his days. Stan Levey. "[12], In 1988, Insights label of RVC Corporation in Japan released Memories for Scotty. Mom needed the money. Killed in a car accident aged just 25, Scott LaFaro was widely regarded as the most technically gifted bassist of the 20th Century. Fellow bassist Red Mitchell taught him how to pluck strings with both the index and middle fingers independently. This Third Stream affair has jazz as a major tributary vein, and it has LaFaro to thank for it. LaFaro-Fernandez: Scotty and I were born in New Jersey but we moved back to Geneva in 1942. Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide Scott LaFaro's life and career were cut short in July of 1961. So if you were all living in California, how was it that your brother was near Geneva when he died? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I was 19 and working. Mangione remembersLaFaro calling Baker an American tragedy, and says, Over the years, [Scotts] using the term an American tragedy still strikes me as incredibly ironic and portentous [given what happened] that night., At about 1:45 on the morning of July 6, LaFaro apparently fell asleep at the wheel and veered off Route 5-20, hitting a tree and killing himself and Ottley instantly. Scotty and I were born in New Jersey but we moved back to Geneva in 1942. The two albums released by Riverside Records from that fabled performance,Sunday at the Village VanguardandWaltz for Debby, have long stood as his epitaph. Member Of . He began working in jazz radio in 1977 at WCUW, a community-licensed radio station in Worcester, Massachusetts. LaFaro died in an automobile accident on July 6, 1961, in Seneca, New York, [5] on U.S. Route 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, [9] four days after accompanying Stan Getz at the Newport Jazz Festival. 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. 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. My dad took Scotty to see anyone who came there, or to Syracuse or Rochester. An investigation is underway after two people were killed in a crash involving a big rig along the . Bassist Scott LaFaro of Geneva had already achieved acclaim when he died in a car accident at the age of 25. I suppose technically, yes, though its also far more, and thats a LaFaro thing. 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. He said, Man, youve gotta hear this. As such, the album is a sort of memorial record for him; all of the tracks featured were either written by him, or feature a bass solo performed by him as the centerpiece of the track. The Scott La Faro book was wonderful. Here is a verbal snapshot of that conversation, edited for clarity. 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. [10] Obsessively he played "I Loves You Porgy", a song that had become synonymous with him and LaFaro. Performers: Chet Baker, tp; Phil Urso, ts; Francy Boland, p; Larance Marable, d; Scott LaFaro, b. I remember one time Scotty came home with an LP under his arm. He recorded with pianist Don Friedman as well. Such is the legacy of bassist Scott LaFaro, though I would suggest that what was was more than we often think. He would practice for hours: he had all these Sonny Rollins solos he had written out in bass clef! Sign in to continue reading, Sixty years after the bass greats untimely death, a look at his musical legacy beyond the Bill Evans Trio. The portion of Linden Street that runs from Seneca Street to South Exchange. He took up bass because he was required to play a stringed instrument at Ithaca College. ~ Charles A. Ralston, A Site About Dead Musicians and how they got that way. AllMusic Quiz. Helene makes no secret of LaFaros exacting standards and competitive personality, and she quotes many who testify to the same. It was then he fell in love with the tenor saxophone. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Later we moved to Elmwood Place, and during the summer we would spend many of our days at the Brook Street Playground. The 25-year-old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world." Scott Yanow. He worked from sheet music for the clarinet, with its much higher pitch, to improve his command of the bass upper register. In LaFaros short yet meteoric career, he accomplished more than most musicians do over decades. So help yourself to his more, if you will. It was then he fell in love with the tenor saxophone. LaFaro was killed in a car accident near his hometown of Geneva, N.Y., at age 25. He got his first professional experience playing bass at Belhurst (with my fathers group). Yes, the Evans dynamic provided him with a perfect setting. 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 adored him, and I was thrilled to be able to work with him. Postings here are the last known photographs or videos of a person. 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. Scotty also befriended the pianist-composer Victor Feldman, and recorded with him and drummer Stan Levey in January 1958. He was with Buddy Morrows band (1955-56), toured with Chet Baker (1956-57) and worked during the next few years with Ira Sullivan, Barney Kessel, Cal Tjader and Benny Goodman among others. By City News Service. His death came just ten days after recording two live albums with the Bill Evans Trio, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz . I was 19 and working. When did your brother start getting interested in music? The Jazz la Mode Blog has plenty to stimulate your interest and curiosity in American music. Little was as star-crossed as LaFaro, and hes usually talked about in conjunction with altoist Eric Dolphy as often as LaFaro is with Evans. LaFaro died in an automobile accident on July 6, 1961, in Seneca, New York,[5] on U.S. Route 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua,[9] four days after accompanying Stan Getz at the Newport Jazz Festival. Performers: Bill Evans, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Paul Motian, d. 28 Dec 1958. LaFaro originally played clarinet and tenor before settling on bass while in college. Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. The title track, a musical portrait of Evans' niece, became a staple of his live repertoire in later years. Man, woman decapitated after car slams into big rig on 5 Freeway in San Fernando Valley. 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. Shortly after, their collaboration began. In sum, LaFaro visited Geneva, his home town, spent some time with some local friends, drove one of them to visit a mutual friend, left to return to Geneva, fell asleep at the wheel, hit a tree near Flint, NY, seven miles east of Geneva, and burned to death. The three not duplicated here were played only once that day. In 1959, after working with trumpeter Chet Baker, bandleader Stan Kenton, vibraphonist Cal Tjader,[6] and clarinetist Benny Goodman, LaFaro returned east and joined Bill Evans, who had recently left the Miles Davis Sextet. He was excited. He replaced Charlie Haden as Ornette Coleman's bassist in January 1961. When we were in junior high school, Godfrey Brown, the head of the high school music department, would come there to recruit for positions they needed to fill in the band and orchestra. That is what so many families Sunday ritual were like. One may even ask the question whether it is possible to love jazz and not love Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby, and I dont think youre being a curmudgeon if you stamp a foot and issue an emphatic No, by Jove!. I quit very fast, but he was a natural. Nearly six decades later, Helene LaFaro-Fernandez continues to keep her older brothers flame alive. LaFaro joined the Bill Evans Trio in 1959 and, although he would record with Ornette Coleman (including Free Jazz) and gig with Stan Getz, the bassist is best remembered for his association with Evans, particularly their Village Vanguard recordings of 1961. He felt such a strong passion for the bass that he became obsessed with practicing, spending countless hours in the rehearsal rooms at Ithaca College. 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 trios legendary performance at the Village Vanguard. Composer: Gillespie As was, really, LaFaro. Just about any jazz fan knows that on June 25, the 25-year-old had been in NYC as part of Bill Evans trio at the Village Vanguard, cutting the Sunday live date that will be reissued and repackaged so long as the earth continues to spin. The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. Everyone would say Dont go to the creek! but we did anyway, and would come home with red shoes. Q: Did you and your brother spend time at the Smith Opera House (which was Schines Geneva Theatre back then)? Other birthdays Monday: Jimmy McGriff, 64; Harold Vick, 19361987; and Eric Kloss, 51. Christian said, Scottys playing was the bible for bass playersJimmy Blanton the old testament, Scotty the new., LaFaro spent the evening of July 5 with old friends in Geneva then drove 80 miles west with Frank Ottley to visit another friend in Warsaw who was house-sitting at a place with a good stereo. The Sampson Air Force Base was so big that it brought in big names like Duke Ellington. "[3], It was voted number 465 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[10]. California had affordable education, and we could all go to college. We never got to enjoy it as a concert venue in our day, unfortunately. Steve Kuhn, who felt a brotherly kinship with Scotty and says his sudden death was the first major loss of my life, describes him as very strong-willed. (He also says that LaFaro, who was a fan of Formula One and sports car racing, drove a little too friskily for my taste.) A case in point was LaFaros departure from Kenton, which was precipitated by his displeasure with the bands new drummer, a situation that would repeat itself in 61 when he insisted that Stan Getz replace drummer Pete LaRoca. Providing entertainment, education, and the energizing force that pulls us all together in celebration of great work. 2023 Madavor Media, LLC. Composer: Hawes He was a musician from age 4. Find him on the web at colinfleminglit.com (where he maintains the unique online journal, the Many Moments Moreblog) and on Twitter @colinfleminglit. He remembered that Scotty was dressed up for the Newport appearance. LaFaro-Fernandez, Helen; Ralston, Chuck; Campbell, Jeffrey R.; Palombi, Phil (2009). Cool Modal Music Post-Bop. My father passed away (from a heart attack) in 1957. Tales are told of how much John Coltrane practiced, but you could say the same about the bassist from Newark. While driving home late one night his car went off the road and struck a tree. Scott died instantly and the world lost a talented andinnovative musical voice. At the time it was such a revolutionary idea, and it ushered in a sea change for jazz. Often controversial, always entertaining, JazzTimes is a favorite of musicians and fans alike. 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. jazz bass Another link(Born: April 3, 1936 in Newark, NJ, Died: July 6, 1961 in Geneva, NY)During his tragically short life, Scott LaFaro quickly developed into one of the most advanced bassists around, competing with Charlie Haden and Charles Mingus. Bud Powell. Bassist Scott LaFaro of Geneva had already achieved acclaim when he died in a car accident at the age of 25. He practiced from sheet music for the higher-pitched clarinet to improve his facility the upper register for bass. 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