The all-timer live session that produced the aforementioned discs is rounded out by two studio LPs, Portrait in Jazz (1960) and Explorations (1961), which I sense are not listened to as much as they ought to be, but the Vanguard date is sufficiently lambent that it pulls us to it, which is good on one handthis is one sweet, invigorating flameand less than ideal on the other, because Scott LaFaro (who, along with Jimmy Blanton, Id posit as jazzs most important bassist) was a lot more, and did a lot more, than the prevailing narrative would have us believe. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has We calculated our top 40 new releases of 2022 We calculated our top 10 historical/reissue You never quite knew what Chicago bassist Kelly Sill was going to play (or what he was going to say). AllMusic Quiz. [15][16], According to Joachim Berendt, LaFaro's innovative approach to the bass caused "emancipation", introducing "so many diverse possibilities as would have been thought impossible for the bass only a short time before". In Meet Me at Jim & Andy's: Jazz Musicians and Their World, Gene Lees wrote, "The shock of LaFaro's death stayed with Bill for years, and he felt vaguely guilty about itHe felt that because of his heroin habit he had made insufficient use of [their] time togetherAfter LaFaro's death, Bill was like a mane with a lost love, always looking to find its replacement. At the time it was such a revolutionary idea, and it ushered in a sea change for jazz. Everyone would say Dont go to the creek! but we did anyway, and would come home with red shoes. LaFaro-Fernandez: My father passed away (from a heart attack) in 1957. 1950s - 1960s. Jan. 30, 2021 1:47 PM PT. Scotty sat in. We would explore all around our neighborhood on West Street our house was where the elementary school is. The 25-year-old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock . Joe LaBarbera, who drummed in the trio with Evans and Johnson, says, Bill said regarding Scott and the music, that Scott hated it when it remained the same. For much of 1958, LaFaro was with pianist/vibraphonist Victor Feldman's band. 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 Postings here are the last known photographs or videos of a person. Everyone heard him. The texture, however, is the back of the handthats the form of caress, rather than the rough-skinned palm. Joining Palombi on this date are Don Friedman and Eliot Zigmund. 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. Stan was playing a melody, and Scott began doubling it. [17], When I was in L.A., Scotty LaFaro and I roomed together. Upon returning to L.A., LaFaro phoned his friend Herb Geller, who was then playing alto with Benny Goodman in New York. Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide Scott LaFaro's life and career were cut short in July of 1961. Born . [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. 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!. ", In 1966, Evans spoke with George Clabinabout what he called his "complexand quick relationship" with Scotty, and said his technique was "built throughintuitive insightand fire, as some kind of a spark in him which took over and he would just grab the bass and he would work and work and work and work and he would just lay it down. It is well remembered as the final performance by the Evans trio of the time, which included bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. He was visiting some friends west of Geneva and was driving home late when he crashed. LaFaro-Fernandez: On Sundays our family would go to church, then go to the movies in the afternoon. Victor Feldman. Our Dad was from here. He became a professional musician in New York City during the Roaring 20s. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 08:03. [10] 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. The 25-year-old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world." Scott Yanow. Composer: LaFaro The 25-year-old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world. Fraternal guidance, in that this endeavor allowed fellow band members to do what they best did. This brings about the situation of whether I should spend these hours and months developing what I seem to be able to foresee, or should I dump it and get another job as an entertainer again. LaFaro-Fernandez: Scotty and I were born in New Jersey but we moved back to Geneva in 1942. 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. Dont get fancy, no double beatsPlay whats written.LaFaro flew east, passed the audition, and signed on for a six-week tour of one-nighters with Goodman. ~ Charles A. Ralston, A Site About Dead Musicians and how they got that way. Later in high school, kids would go to the movies with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends. There is a creek that ran through the park, it would go up past Shuron Optical where they used this rouge chemical to make glass lenses, so the creek was always red. 52.119.1.55 He waited until we got interested, and then he was totally supportive. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a154b16ff047cd4 "Route 66" songwriter Bobby Troup was the show's host. Bud Powell. A professor encouraged him to audition for an open spot in the Buddy Morrow Orchestra. According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief", "in a state of shock", and "like a ghost". Bill Evans Trio. Scott LaFaro. Youll have to adjust your ears, but theyll fall into line quickly. [14] On April 4, 2014 a ceremony to rename a downtown street Scott LaFaro Drive took place. [1] For a time, Haden and LaFaro shared an apartment. He heard what I was doing at the piano, and I heard what he was doing. Performers: Ornette Coleman, as; Don Cherry, c; Scott Lafaro, b; Ed Blackwell, d. New York City, 31 Jan 1961. Brockton-born alto player and clarinetist Dick Johnson was also on the band. Press J to jump to the feed. 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]. Jim Hall. As weve already noted regarding the time period right around his tragic death, LaFaro packed a lot of art into his days. All is possible, and then all is no more. He stuck with his new hire, offered Scotty the option of plane fare to New York or L.A., and showed him the door. 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. Includes Obituary, Biography, Discography, Photo, and Links. Im in the position of having nothing you can put your finger on for sale., Evanss drug addiction was also a matter of concern for LaFaro. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNqSL3xGW70, The Evans Trios appearance at the Village Vanguard opposite Lambert, Hendricks & Ross in June 1961 culminated with the legendary recordings made on the last day of the two-week engagement, Sunday, June 25. In a December 29, 1960 letter addressed to his lover Gloria Gabriel, the dancer to whom he dedicated Glorias Step, he wrote, One important thing is that I realize day by day the true artist and musician is becoming more and more meaningless in terms of public comprehension. The Getz Quartet, with either Henry Grimes or Jimmy Garrison spelling LaFaro (Kuhn cant recall for certain), was playing that week at Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks. Security video shows a crash in the Reseda neighborhood of Los Angeles which left a driver dead. [1] With Evans and drummer Paul Motian he developed the counter-melodic style that would come to characterize his playing. There is fealty and gratitude in Evans approach to that famed date, and we have our early summer day out with the best of chums, people we feel are our musical friends. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ_rZZusz90, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbTEgBEaEM4. 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. A master of the upright bass, he recorded with Bill Evans and Ornette Coleman before he died in a car crash at age 25. On date night, people would end up at The Smith. But LaFaro makes the music pulsehe provides its heartbeat and flow. Cool Modal Music Post-Bop. My day consists of such a singular preoccupationthe physicology of music. LaFaro was killed in a car accident near his hometown of Geneva, N.Y., at age 25. MTV, EMA and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. 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Other times, its distilled into a moment that seems to transcend itself, and thus it went for Paul Gonsalves, hero of a Newport afternoon. The portion of Linden Street that runs from Seneca Street to South Exchange. But you always knew that Read More Kelly Sill, Several years ago, one of Danilo Prezs students was suffering from tendinitis. Composer: Gillespie 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. Does anyone have pictures of this bass, or have you seen it in person? 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. Composer: Styne / Sondheim Helene says that she and Scotty were taken to hear Tony Bennett, the Mills Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie and numerous others. Sound-carver. The rest is told in his gripping visuals, The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist. We decided to move the family to California. On Sundays our family would go to church, then go to the movies in the afternoon. Scotty sort of led the way on the bass becoming a solo instrument in its own right. 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. When Scotty was killed at age 25 (I was 24), I was devastated I couldn't play for months. LaFaro completed his first year at Ithaca, but not his second. (, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 23:36. Brother man, I can all but hear Ornette saying, we are going to blow some minds tomorrow.. Bill Evans. That left air and spaceand timewhich could do with some filling, some shaping. Elsewhere, a legacy is a reflection on what might have been, based on a limited amount of what was. Our Dad was from here. It will be observed on his birthday anniversary, April 3. Celebrating the life of Genevas legendary jazz bass hero Scott LaFaro has become an annual event at the Smith Opera House, ever since the City of Geneva declared April 3, his birthday, as Scott LaFaro Day in 2014. Tom holds a BA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he majored in English and African American Studies. 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. Chicago, 1956. Killed in a car accident aged just 25, Scott LaFaro was widely regarded as the most technically gifted bassist of the 20th Century. Mr. Berg, whose career encompassed free jazz, soul jazz, jazz rock, and straight-ahead playing, was driving east on Route 27 with his wife when 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. Not long after he arrived on campus, he gave his clarinet away to a classmate. The trio attracted attention for its style. The last day was recorded for two albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby.[8]. 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. 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. He took up bass because he was required to play a stringed instrument at Ithaca College. He was a tremendous talent [who] wanted to go on to greener pastures.Over the next two years, Scotty toured the country with Chet Baker, and worked around L.A. with Hampton Hawes, Harold Land, Buddy DeFranco, Richie Kamuca, Joe Gordon, and Stan Kenton. Composer: Mercer / Kosma / Prevert On December 19 and 20, he took part in John Lewis, Gunther Schuller, and Jim Halls Jazz Abstractions sessions, with buddy Bill Evans and Eric Dolphy. To top it off, the old cars didn't have self-sealing gas tanks and as in the case of LaFaro's accident, if they ruptured, frequently resulted in fire. 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. 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. 1.1 Gloria's Step [Take 2] 1.2 My Man's Gone Now 1.3 Solar 1.4 Alice in Wonderland [Take 2] 1.5 All of You [Take 2] 1.6 Jade Visions . LaFaro originally played clarinet and tenor before settling on bass while in college. Scotty was on the road at the time, in California. Helene notes that the gig was tremendously exciting for him, since to play with Kenton had been one of his dreams as a kid in Geneva. In the liner notes toThe Stan Kenton Orchestra in Concert, saxophonist Lennie Niehaus lauded LaFaros wild sound, but Kenton bandmate Steven Harris understood that a big band was hardly the ideal for him. Tom Reneys writings delve into the history and mystery of jazz, blues, and beyond. In the mid 1950s, at the Los Angeles music scene, he became known as one of. Let us be grateful that he didnt rest easy during what would prove to be the last Christmas season of his life, for in December 1960, he was called in for a couple of dates that we must look to every bit as much as the June 1961 Village Vanguard recordings to fully appreciate him. Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. LaFaro died in an automobile accident on July 6, 1961 in Flint, New York on U.S. Route 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, four days after accompanying Stan Getz at the Newport Jazz Festival. 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: Urso 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. 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. Haynes shared with Scotty a fastidiousness about clothing, and hed just been named toEsquiresBest-Dressed list. It was an idyllic childhood. The bass was badly damaged in the automobile accident that killed him, but was eventually restored and is sporadically used in performance to honor LaFaro. By. Rocco Scott LaFaro, in a career that lasted only six years, developed skills on the upright bass that few have been able to match. Click to reveal At age 12 he was recommended for the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, where he was classically trained in violin. Also, Club 86 was bringing in major stars as well. Advice and guidance to those interested in building a library of jazz recordings. The highlight of the session was Scotts original, Misery (to Lady Day). Evans biographer Peter Pettinger said of the dedication to Billie Holiday, Not much happens, but a wavelength is established. We think of LaFaro as a jazz bassist with leanings toward classical music; its the lan, I think. It was then he fell in love with the tenor saxophone. ), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gzwXQGvXgc, LaFaro signed on with Stan Kenton for a tour in the spring of 1959. HOMETOWN Newark, NJ, United States of America BORN April 3, 1936 Similar Artists Paul Motian. ", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Z8KuwI7Gc, Jade Visionscredits the demo session that LaFaro made with Steve Kuhn and Pete LaRoca nearly a year later as one where this conversational approach to group dynamics was evident. Oscar Peterson Trio . The Sampson Air Force Base was so big that it brought in big names like Duke Ellington. Before long he mastered the instrument, and he toured with trombonist Buddy Morrow and trumpeter Chet Baker. Scott LaFaro at Newport July 2, 1961 - Killed in a Car Wreck 4 days later. Scotty and I were born in New Jersey but we moved back to Geneva in 1942. California had affordable education, and we could all go to college. John Tynan wrote inDownbeatthat the rhythm duo [LaFaro and Billy Higgins] were the baddest cats on the date. Each year during the first week of April, The Smith hosts the Scott LaFaro Day Celebration concert that features a contemporary bass player. You can read our interview with Holland. 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 . This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 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. "[3], It was voted number 465 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[10]. 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. One of the most substantial biographies Ive read in recent years is the 2009 publication that Helene LaFaro-Fernandez devoted to her brother Scott. For many, that Evans association, with drummer Paul Motian, is the LaFaro legacy. Later in high school, kids would go to the movies with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends. ~ Scott Yanow. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The tendency is to associate him with classical predilections, but here he is at one of the zeitgeist-shaking avant-garde sessions, and boy, does he drive the sound. Paul Motian was on drums, Nobby Totah on bass. LaFaro-Fernandez, Helen; Ralston, Chuck; Campbell, Jeffrey R.; Palombi, Phil (2009). My father passed away (from a heart attack) in 1957. Pianist Walter Norris described him as a "wild fire," and said "he never used any stimulants to enhance life, but his every moment was seriously lived to the fullest." Member Of . How did that happen? Evans, LaFaro, and Motian were committed to the idea of three equal voices in the trio, working together for a singular musical idea and often without any musician explicitly keeping time. Hes just so damn elegant. 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. Sometimes its defined by contrasting stylistic paths that amalgamate into a career, as with Miles Davis. Many believe that Evans never fully recovered from the loss, as well as that it contributed to his pattern of heroin usage, an addiction that would later kill him. Thanks to Rifftides readers Frank Roellinger and Svetlana Ilyicheva for alerting us that last Thursday, Geneva honored LaFaro on his 78th birthday by proclaiming April 3rd its first annual Scott LaFaro Day. We also spent time at the First Presbyterian Church choir. I remember one time Scotty came home with an LP under his arm. 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. There is a creek that ran through the park, it would go up past Shuron Optical where they used this rouge chemical to make glass lenses, so the creek was always red. 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. It is still so wild to me that he was so influential. He worked from sheet music for the clarinet, with its much higher pitch, to improve his command of the bass upper register. Nov 13, 2008 #2 Mark Carlsen Oct 4, 2004 Q: What were Scotts childhood and teen years like here in Geneva? Expansive range was a totem of the LaFaro sound, the idea that the bass was so much a bass that it was also not a bass and more than a bass. 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. During World War II the club scene changed and he came back to Geneva where he could find work. April 3, 1936 in Newark, NJ. So they were constantly trying for fresh approaches and fresh improvisationsAnd Bill told me, I remember it exactly, If I played the same lick on a tune two nights in a row, the next time I playe dit Scott would play it with me in harmonyhe would actually harmonize it so that at that point it was time for me to get rid of that lick and move on to something else.Is that what LaFaro was trying to bring to Getzs attention at the Blackhawk? The title track, a musical portrait of Evans' niece, became a staple of his live repertoire in later years. Scotty had the concept for a trio to be conversational instead of the classic structure, instead of bass and drummer just keeping time. Here is a verbal snapshot of that conversation, edited for clarity. 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. The top of the instrument is a three-piece plate of slab-cut fir; the back is a two-piece plate of moderately flamed maple with an ebony inlay at the center joint; the sides are made of matching maple. This was Scottys home, and he would practice bass facing the corner in the living room because he could better hear the sound quality. And there truly couldn't be a better way to . Kuhn remembers hearing that it was a St. Christopher medal that LaFaro always wore that helped to identify his badly burned body. 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. He would have played twenty-four hours a day if he couldHe was learning a mile a minute., Morrows outfit had a big hit with Night Train. The bandleader told Helene, We were a band which was dedicated at the time to mainly rhythm and blues. That is what so many families Sunday ritual were like. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. He was excited. Around this time he received a greeting card from Miles Davis suggesting that Davis wanted to hire him. The music of Jazz Abstractions proceeds as a series of shadings, which tend to be called variants on the finished LP. He started playing piano in elementary school, bass clarinet in middle school, and tenor saxophone when he entered high school. 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. - The Absolute Sound Scott LaFaro's Pieces of Jade features long-lost material recorded in New York City shortly before the bassist's death in a car accident in 1961. Often controversial, always entertaining, JazzTimes is a favorite of musicians and fans alike. According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief", "in a state of shock", and "like a ghost". He said, Man, youve gotta hear this. The group attended the funeral in Geneva, which Kuhn adds was closed casket., LaFaro's death was devastating to Bill Evans. Performers: Buddy Morrow, tb; Walt Stewart, tp; Dick Johnson, as; Scott LaFaro, b; plus unidentified other musicians. There is a grave mistake a prospective listener can make with LaFaro, and when I say what that is, I may come off as somewhat risible, but one must do what is right: loving the Village Vanguard recordings so much that you sleep on the rest of what he achieved as a certain kind of jazz genius. LaFaro died in an automobile accident on July 6, 1961 in Flint, New York on U.S. Route 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, four days after accompanying Stan Getz . Genres. 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. "[12], In 1988, Insights label of RVC Corporation in Japan released Memories for Scotty. 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. Scott LaFaro was an American jazz musician whose technique on the double bass left an indelible impression on future artists even though he died in a car accident in 1961 when he was just 25 years.. 1926). LaFaro and his stellar bandmates pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca run through four jazz standards, including two takes of Sacre Blu. LaFaro-Fernandez: When Scotty was in sixth grade we took our first piano lessons. Performers: Stan Getz, ts; Steve Kuhn, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Roy Haynes d. Newport, 2 July 1961. [3] He took up double bass at 18 before entering college because learning a string instrument was required of music education majors. Performers: Hampton Hawes, p; Harold Land, ts; Scott Lafaro, b; Frank Butler, d. 14 Mar 1958. A jazz musicians legacy can be a multifarious slope. So if you were all living in California, how was it that your brother was near Geneva when he died? , rather than the rough-skinned palm ] on April 4, 2014 a ceremony to rename a Street. 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Service to protect itself from online attacks holds a BA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where... And then all is no more an account to follow your favorite communities and taking! Lafaro, b ; Frank Butler, d. 14 Mar 1958 66 '' songwriter Bobby Troup was the show host. A time, Haden and LaFaro shared an apartment, and I were born in New York during! Lot of art into his days originally played clarinet and tenor saxophone when he entered high school, would... New York City during the Roaring 20s guidance to those interested in building a library of jazz, blues and. Heart attack ) in 1957 scott lafaro car accident time it was then he fell in love with the saxophone! Lafaro packed a lot of art into his days kids would go to church, go. Evans for a couple of nights at the first week of April, the Exhibit: Finding the Great... Our family would go to the movies in the spring of 1959 moved back to Geneva where he find... 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