Scott LaFaro

Rocco Scott LaFaro(April 3, 1936 – July 6, 1961)was an Americanjazzdouble bassist known for his work with theBill EvansTrio. 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. Despite his short career and death at the age of 25, he remains one of the most influential jazz bassists, and was ranked number 16 onBass Playermagazine's top 100 bass players of all time.

Scott LaFaro
LaFaro in 1958
Background information
Birth name	Rocco Scott LaFaro
Born	(1936-04-03)April 3, 1936 Newark, New Jersey,U.S.
Died	July 6, 1961(1961-07-06)(aged 25) Seneca, New York,U.S.
Genres	Jazz bebop cool jazz modal jazz free jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Double bass
Years active	1955–1961
Labels	Riverside Atlantic
Formerly of	The Bill Evans Trio
Website	www.scottlafaro.com

Early life

LaFaro was born inNewark, New Jersey,the son of a big band musician. He was five when his family moved toGeneva, New York.He started playing piano in elementary school, bass clarinet in middle school, and tenor saxophone when he entered high school.He took up double bass at 18 before entering college because learning a string instrument was required of music education majors. After three months atIthaca College,he concentrated on bass.He played in groups at the College Spa and Joe's Restauranton State Street in downtown Ithaca.

Career

Beginning in 1955, he was a member of theBuddy Morrowbig band.He left that organization to work in Los Angeles. LaFaro spent most of his days practicing his instrument. He practiced from sheet music for the higher-pitched clarinet to improve his facility with the upper register for bass. Fellow bassistRed Mitchelltaught him how to pluck strings with both the index and middle fingers independently. For much of 1958, LaFaro was with pianist/vibraphonistVictor Feldman's band.

In 1959, after working with trumpeterChet Baker,bandleaderStan Kenton,vibraphonistCal Tjader,and clarinetistBenny Goodman,LaFaro returned east and joinedBill Evans,who had recently left theMiles DavisSextet.With Evans and drummerPaul Motianhe developed the counter-melodic style that would come to characterize his playing. 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.

By late 1960, LaFaro was in demand as a bassist. He replacedCharlie HadenasOrnette Coleman's bassist in January 1961.For a time, Haden and LaFaro shared an apartment. He also played in Stan Getz's band between jobs with the Bill Evans trio. Around this time he received a greeting card from Miles Davis suggesting that Davis wanted to hire him.

In June 1961, the Bill Evans trio began two weeks of performances at theVillage Vanguardin New York City. The trio attracted attention for its style. The last day was recorded for two albums,Sunday at the Village VanguardandWaltz for Debby.

Death

LaFaro died in an automobile accident on July 6, 1961, inSeneca, New York,onU.S. Route 20betweenGenevaandCanandaigua,four days after accompanying Stan Getz at theNewport Jazz Festival.According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief," "in a state of shock," and "like a ghost."Obsessively, he played "I Loves You, Porgy,"a tune that had become synonymous with him and LaFaro. Evans stopped performing for several months.

Evans said that LaFaro had been "one of the most, if notthemost outstanding talents in jazz. "Legendary bassistRay Brownadded, "This was one of the most talented youngsters I've seen come up in a long time. For his age, he really had it covered.... It's a shame, really a shame. It's going to set the instrument back ten years." Motian noted, "We were supposed to make a record date with Miles [Davis]: the trio, Bill, myself and Scott.... We were talking to Miles about it, it was all set up, and then Scott got killed and the whole thing got forgotten."

Instruments

LaFaro started his professional career playing a German-made Mittenwalddouble bass,but it was stolen in the spring of 1958.

Shortly after, he acquired a bass made in 1825 inConcord, New Hampshire,byAbraham Prescott.The top of the instrument is a three-piece plate of slab-cutfir;the back is a two-piece plate of moderatelyflamed maplewith anebonyinlay at the center joint; the sides are made of matchingmaple.It has rolled corners on the bottom and very sloped shoulders on the top, making it easier to get in and out ofthumb position.LaFaro continued to play this bass until his death. 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.

Bill Evans said of LaFaro's Prescott bass: "It had a marvelous sustaining and resonating quality. 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."

In 2008, Evans's final bassist,Marc Johnson,played LaFaro's bass on an Evans tribute album recorded by Johnson's wife,Eliane Elias,titledSomething for You: Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans.

Posthumously released items

In 1988, Insights label of RVC Corporation in Japan releasedMemories for Scotty.The album included five tracks recorded in New York City during 1961 with pianistDon Friedmanand drummerPete LaRoca.

In 2009,Resonance Recordsreissued five tracks fromMemories for ScottyonPieces of Jade,together with twenty-two minutes of LaFaro and Bill Evans practising "My Foolish Heart"during a rehearsal in 1960. Also in 2009, Helene LaFaro-Fernandez' biography of her brother Scott, titledJade Visions,was published by theUniversity of North Texas Press,with an extensive discography.

Honors

On March 5, 2014, the Geneva, New York City Council approved making April 3 Scott LaFaro Day.On April 4, 2014, a ceremony to rename a downtown street Scott LaFaro Drive took place.

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."

BassistCharlie Hadenrecalled:

When I was in L.A., Scotty LaFaro and I roomed together. He would practice for hours: he had all theseSonny Rollinssolos he had written out in bass clef! I remained close friends with Scotty in New York, and would go over there to see and admire them, and Scotty andPaulwould come over to theFive Spot,too. When Scotty was killed at age 25 (I was 24), I was devastated—I couldn't play for months. 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 withOrnette!"

Discography

As co-leader

• 1960withSteve Kuhn,Pete La Roca(PJL, 2005) – recorded in 1960

As sideman

WithOrnette Coleman

• Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation(Atlantic,1961)
• Ornette!(Atlantic, 1962)
• The Art of the Improvisers(Atlantic, 1970) – recorded in 1959-60
• Twins(Atlantic, 1971) – recorded in 1959-61

WithBill Evans

• Portrait in Jazz(Riverside,1960)
• Explorations(Riverside, 1961)
• Sunday at the Village Vanguard(Riverside, 1961)
• Waltz for Debby(Riverside, 1962) – recorded in 1961
• The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961(Riverside, 2005) – recorded in 1961
• The 1960 Birdland Sessions(Fresh Sound,2005) – recorded in 1960

WithVictor Feldman

• The Arrival of Victor Feldman(Contemporary,1958)
• Latinsville!(Contemporary, 1960)

WithDon Friedman

• Memories for Scotty(Insights, 1988) – five tracks reissued onPieces of Jade(Resonance,2009)

WithStan GetzandCal Tjader

• Cal Tjader-Stan Getz Sextet(Fantasy,1958)

WithHampton Hawes

• For Real!(Contemporary,1961) – recorded in 1958

WithBooker Little

• Booker Little(Time,1961)

WithPat Moran McCoy

• This Is Pat Moran(Audio Fidelity,1958) – recorded in 1957

WithMarty Paich

• The Broadway Bit(Warner Bros.,1959)

WithGunther Schuller

• Jazz Abstractions(Atlantic, 1960)

WithTony Scott

• Sung Heroes(Sunnyside,1959)

Further reading

• LaFaro-Fernandez, Helene; Ralston, Chuck; Campbell, Jeffrey R.; Palombi, Phil (2009).Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro.Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press.ISBN9781574412734.

External links

• A biography atJazz Improvmagazine with recommended recordings
• Discography
• Learning from Scott LaFaro
• Helene La Faro InterviewatNAMM Oral History Collection(January 18, 2007)
• Scott LaFaroatFind a Grave