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Jazz Legends
Scott LaFaro Bass Born on April 3, 1936 in Newark, New Jersey Died on July 6, 1961 in Flint, New York Back To Jazz Legends Index He never recorded as a leader, appeared on less than twenty albums, and had just two regular gigs, the most famous for barely a year. Yet Scott LaFaro is probably the most influential bassist of the past 50 years. He took the bass away from its role as a strict timekeeper, and made it a more melodic instrument. Plucking his notes from the strings’ underside, he produced more volume than had been possible. He concentrated on the instrument’s high end, for a sound that was, in the words of critic Joe Goldberg, "as though he were playing a large guitar." It was when LaFaro joined his group that Bill Evans devised his theory of "simultaneous composition" – a style that not only influenced all subsequent Bill Evans trios, but also affected the trio format as a whole. Possibly no other musician has made such impact on his instrument at such a young age. Rocco Scott LaFaro was born in New Jersey in 1936; the family moved to Geneva, New York when he was five. Scott’s father was a violinist who had played for Paul Whiteman and the Dorsey Brothers; in Geneva he was the leader of a supper-club band. At the age of ten, LaFaro began piano lessons; when he entered high school in 1950, he was playing tenor sax and bass clarinet. Playing in the school band, he asked bassist Gail Brown if he could see her instrument. She taught Scott the chord positions, but he remained with the sax … until a basketball injury in 1953 hurt his embouchure. Later that year he heard Leroy Vinnegar play in a local club; this revived his interest in the bass. By the time he graduated in 1954, LaFaro was already playing the area nightclubs, sometimes on tenor, sometimes on bass. After a short stay at Ithaca College, Scott joined the band of Buddy Morrow, and remained with him until September of 1956. A few weeks later he joined up with Chet Baker, where he started a friendship with the drummer Larance Marable. "I found out so much from Larance, a lot of it just from playing with him." When the Chet Baker group played New York in early 1957, Scott’s playing impressed Victor Feldman; about a year later, LaFaro would play on Feldman’s first American album. When he left Baker, Scott moved to Los Angeles and studied with Herb Geller for several months. ("I couldn’t find enough work, and besides, I definitely needed the practice.") His fortune turned in 1958: his performance on the album The Arrival of Victor Feldman led to sessions with Hampton Hawes and Stan Getz. He spent a short time with Paul Bley (it was the first time Scott played with Ornette Coleman) and sat in with Thelonious Monk on a couple of occasions. By the time he joined Bill Evans in late 1959, LaFaro was improvising at all times – not just on his solos. Evans listened closely, reacted to Scott, who responded in kind … an approach was born. If this gig established the reputation of Scott LaFaro, it also enhanced the standing of Bill Evans. Scott first recorded with Evans on the various-artists album Dedications; their first full album together was Portrait in Jazz. Ornette Coleman used him for his 1960 album Ornette!; two days later he was in the studio with Evans, making the eloquent Explorations. He also got the chance to play a live date with John Coltrane, on a day when Steve Davis was late to the club. The following year was Scott’s busiest, juggling the projects of Getz, Evans, and Ornette. On June of 1961 the Evans trio had a memorable week at New York’s Village Vanguard; the final day of the engagement, June 25th, was taped in its entirety. On July 3, he played Newport with Stan Getz; it would be the final performance of Scott LaFaro. On July 5 he visited his mother in Geneva, and stayed until it was very late. He was invited to spend the night, but said no; he had to get back to New York. In the early hours of July 6, Frank Ottley and Scott LaFaro died when Scott’s car left the road, hit a tree, and caught fire. Bill Evans was so distraught he did not perform publicly for nearly a year; LaFaro’s bass style has been adopted by Eddie Gomez and many musicians since. People who influenced him: Leroy Vinnegar People whom he influenced: Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez, Charlie Haden, Dave Holland Played with: Chet Baker, Paul Bley, Willie Bobo, Conte Candoli, Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, Buddy DeFranco, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Victor Feldman, Tommy Flanagan, Herb Geller, Stan Getz, Jimmy Giuffre, Vince Guaraldi, Charlie Haden, Hampton Hawes, Roy Haynes, Billy Higgins, Freddie Hubbard, Elvin Jones, Hank Jones, Thad Jones, Richie Kamuca, Wynton Kelly, Barney Kessel, Steve Kuhn, Harold Land, Mel Lewis, Booker Little, Thelonious Monk, Paul Motian, Marty Paich, Frank Rosolino, Bobby Timmons, Cal Tjader Quotes by Scott LaFaro: "I don’t like to look back, because the whole point in jazz is doing it now." Quotes about Scott LaFaro: Recommended Reading: Martin Williams, "Introducing Scott LaFaro", The Jazz Review, August 1960. Recommended Recordings: As sideman: Ornette Coleman – Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation by the Ornette Coleman Double Quartet (Atlantic, 1961) Not the first free-jazz recording, but the one which named the genre, and established the style. Scott plays on the left speaker with Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, and Billy Higgins; Coleman’s regular group is on the right speaker. Everyone plays wildly, without changes or meter – within a structured (yet simple) framework. A major influence on the jazz avant-garde, from John Coltrane to Albert Ayler. Bill Evans – Explorations (Riverside, 1960) With a faster pace than usual for him, Evans excels, on the second album with his classic trio. He sounds like he’s racing on "Beautiful Love", trying to get all his ideas stated; "Israel" is forceful, compact, and poignant. The presence of LaFaro seemed to make Evans work harder. Bill Evans – Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Riverside, 1961) Choice excerpts from Scott’s final recording; he would die about two weeks later. Tunes were selected to highlight the bass – as a result, there’s less piano than most albums by Evans. Some of LaFaro’s best solos are here: a lovely bounce on "Alice in Wonderland", the breezy joy of "Gloria’s Step", and the slow drone of "Jade Visions", Scott’s own composition. Bill Evans – Waltz for Debby (Riverside, 1961) Something of a ballad album, this has the remaining tracks from the Village Vanguard session. Scott has some solos, but the main attraction is Evans, with some of the slowest, most beautiful piano you have ever heard. Highlights include "Detour Ahead" (in two lovely takes), the first full-length version of "Waltz for Debby", and "Some Other Time", which is the basis for "Peace Piece". If you’ve never heard Bill Evans, this would be a great introduction. Victor Feldman – The Arrival of Victor Feldman (Contemporary, 1958) Feldman, best known as a pianist, here spends much of his time on the vibes. "Waltz" has a breathless spiral of notes, and "Chasing Shadows" has a good dose of blue piano. (Orrin Keepnews once compared Feldman to Wynton Kelly.) LaFaro sounds more conventional than his later efforts, but is starting to stretch – check out his solo on "S’posin’". Stan Getz – Stan Getz/Cal Tjader Sextet (Fantasy, 1958) A light-hearted swing session, Stan plays strongly on Latin-flavored backgrounds. Vince Guaraldi is the pianist, and leads them through "Ginza Samba", a ten-minute jam session. It’s hardly earth-shattering, but it makes for great listening. Hampton Hawes – Bird Song (Original Jazz Classics, 2000) Hiding in a tape box for 40 years, this trio session was apparently made on the same date as For Real! Scott is heard more prominently here, mixing with Hawes on a great program of standards. The album also includes a different trio session with Paul Chambers and Larance Marable. Hampton Hawes – For Real! (Contemporary, 1959) Hawes’ first album with a horn would be his last for five years, until John Kennedy pardoned him from a drug sentence. On tenor is Harold Land, a forceful and underrated voice; highlights are an explosive version of "Crazeology" and a tender "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams". Back To Jazz Legends Index |