Scott LaFaro (April 3, 1936 – July 6, 1961) was an influential American jaz… Read Full Bio ↴Scott LaFaro (April 3, 1936 – July 6, 1961) was an influential American jazz double bassist, perhaps best known for his seminal work with the Bill Evans Trio.
Born in Irvington, New Jersey, Rocco Scott LaFaro grew up in a musical family (his father played in many big bands). His family moved to his parents' hometown of Geneva, New York when Scott was five years old. He started on piano while in elementary school, began on the bass clarinet in junior high school, changing to tenor saxophone when he entered high school. He took up the double bass at 18, in the summer before he entered college, when he learned a string instrument was required for music education majors. About three months into his studies at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, LaFaro decided to concentrate on bass. He often played in groups at the College Spa and Joe's Restaurant on State Street in downtown Ithaca.
He entered college to study music but left during the early weeks of his sophomore year, when he joined Buddy Morrow and his big band. He left that organization in Los Angeles after a cross-country tour and decided to try his luck in the Los Angeles music scene. There, he quickly found work and became known as one of the best of the young bassists. In 1959, after many gigs with such luminaries as Chet Baker, Victor Feldman, Stan Kenton, Cal Tjader, and Benny Goodman, LaFaro joined Bill Evans, who had recently left the Miles Davis Sextet. It was with Evans and drummer Paul Motian that LaFaro developed and expanded the counter-melodic style that would come to characterize his playing. LaFaro replaced Charlie Haden as Ornette Coleman's bassist in January, 1961.
LaFaro played a double bass made in 1825 in Concord, New Hampshire by Abraham Prescott. 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. 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.
In 2009, the University of North Texas Press published Jade Visions, a biography of LaFaro by his sister Helene LaFaro-Fernandez. It includes an extensive discography of his recorded work.
In 2009, Resonance Records released Pieces of Jade, the first album released featuring LaFaro as a bandleader. The album includes five selections recorded in New York City during 1961 that showcase LaFaro with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca, as well as 22 minutes of LaFaro and Bill Evans practicing "My Foolish Heart" in late 1960 during a rehearsal.
LaFaro died in an automobile accident in the summer of 1961 in Flint, New York on U.S. Route 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, two days after accompanying Stan Getz at the Newport Jazz Festival. 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.
LaFaro's death took an enormous emotional toll on Bill Evans, who was, according to drummer Paul Motian, "numb with grief," "in a state of shock," and "like a ghost" after LaFaro's death. Evans, according to Motian, would play "I Loves You Porgy", a song with which he and LaFaro became synonymous, almost obsessively, but always as a solo piece. Evans also went on hiatus after LaFaro's death for a period of several months. 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.
Although his performing career lasted only six years, LaFaro's innovative approach to the bass redefined jazz playing, bringing an "emancipation" introducing "so many diverse possibilities as would have been thought impossible for the bass only a short time before", and inspiring a generation of bassists who followed him.
Discography:
Pieces of Jade, Resonance Records
-With Ornette Coleman
Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation (Atlantic, 1961)
Ornette! (Atlantic, 1962)
The Art of the Improvisers (Atlantic, 1970)
Twins (Atlantic, 1971)
-With Bill Evans
Portrait in Jazz (Riverside, 1960)
Explorations (Riverside, 1961)
Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Riverside, 1961)
Waltz for Debby (Riverside, 1962)
-With Booker Little
Booker Little (Time, 1961)
-With Hampton Hawes
For Real (Contemporary, 1958)
-With Victor Feldman
The Arrival of Victor Feldman (Contemporary Records, 1958)
Latinsville! (Contemporary, 1958)
-With Stan Getz and Cal Tjader
Stan Getz with Cal Tjader (Fantasy, 1958)
-With Pat Moran
Pat Moran Trio (Bethlehem Records, 1957)
-With Tony Scott
Sung Heroes (Sunnyside, 1959)
-With John Lewis
Jazz Abstractions (Atlantic, 1960)
Born in Irvington, New Jersey, Rocco Scott LaFaro grew up in a musical family (his father played in many big bands). His family moved to his parents' hometown of Geneva, New York when Scott was five years old. He started on piano while in elementary school, began on the bass clarinet in junior high school, changing to tenor saxophone when he entered high school. He took up the double bass at 18, in the summer before he entered college, when he learned a string instrument was required for music education majors. About three months into his studies at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, LaFaro decided to concentrate on bass. He often played in groups at the College Spa and Joe's Restaurant on State Street in downtown Ithaca.
He entered college to study music but left during the early weeks of his sophomore year, when he joined Buddy Morrow and his big band. He left that organization in Los Angeles after a cross-country tour and decided to try his luck in the Los Angeles music scene. There, he quickly found work and became known as one of the best of the young bassists. In 1959, after many gigs with such luminaries as Chet Baker, Victor Feldman, Stan Kenton, Cal Tjader, and Benny Goodman, LaFaro joined Bill Evans, who had recently left the Miles Davis Sextet. It was with Evans and drummer Paul Motian that LaFaro developed and expanded the counter-melodic style that would come to characterize his playing. LaFaro replaced Charlie Haden as Ornette Coleman's bassist in January, 1961.
LaFaro played a double bass made in 1825 in Concord, New Hampshire by Abraham Prescott. 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. 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.
In 2009, the University of North Texas Press published Jade Visions, a biography of LaFaro by his sister Helene LaFaro-Fernandez. It includes an extensive discography of his recorded work.
In 2009, Resonance Records released Pieces of Jade, the first album released featuring LaFaro as a bandleader. The album includes five selections recorded in New York City during 1961 that showcase LaFaro with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca, as well as 22 minutes of LaFaro and Bill Evans practicing "My Foolish Heart" in late 1960 during a rehearsal.
LaFaro died in an automobile accident in the summer of 1961 in Flint, New York on U.S. Route 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, two days after accompanying Stan Getz at the Newport Jazz Festival. 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.
LaFaro's death took an enormous emotional toll on Bill Evans, who was, according to drummer Paul Motian, "numb with grief," "in a state of shock," and "like a ghost" after LaFaro's death. Evans, according to Motian, would play "I Loves You Porgy", a song with which he and LaFaro became synonymous, almost obsessively, but always as a solo piece. Evans also went on hiatus after LaFaro's death for a period of several months. 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.
Although his performing career lasted only six years, LaFaro's innovative approach to the bass redefined jazz playing, bringing an "emancipation" introducing "so many diverse possibilities as would have been thought impossible for the bass only a short time before", and inspiring a generation of bassists who followed him.
Discography:
Pieces of Jade, Resonance Records
-With Ornette Coleman
Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation (Atlantic, 1961)
Ornette! (Atlantic, 1962)
The Art of the Improvisers (Atlantic, 1970)
Twins (Atlantic, 1971)
-With Bill Evans
Portrait in Jazz (Riverside, 1960)
Explorations (Riverside, 1961)
Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Riverside, 1961)
Waltz for Debby (Riverside, 1962)
-With Booker Little
Booker Little (Time, 1961)
-With Hampton Hawes
For Real (Contemporary, 1958)
-With Victor Feldman
The Arrival of Victor Feldman (Contemporary Records, 1958)
Latinsville! (Contemporary, 1958)
-With Stan Getz and Cal Tjader
Stan Getz with Cal Tjader (Fantasy, 1958)
-With Pat Moran
Pat Moran Trio (Bethlehem Records, 1957)
-With Tony Scott
Sung Heroes (Sunnyside, 1959)
-With John Lewis
Jazz Abstractions (Atlantic, 1960)
Blue in Green
Scott LaFaro Lyrics
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Mike Spex
Continued ——Who wrote it debate :
The album says Bill n Miles
Sounds like two friends arguing over a song they did together but the song sounds nothing like it.
In Miles autobiography he said that, paraphrasing, “kinda blue” was conceptualized in general but wanted players to improvise.”
"I didn't write out the music for Kind of Blue, but brought in sketches for what everybody was supposed to play because I wanted a lot of spontaneity in the playing. Everything was a first take, which indicates the level everyone was playing on. It was beautiful.”
With that being said it was improvised. Bill wouldn’t of had a song ready n Miles is like ok let’s do that. Doesn’t sound likely.
More likely Miles n Bill had some ideas maybe the song title or chords. Even if it was Bills song brainstormed he offered it to the album so it was made in that vein. So it technically is a collab in the Miles Columbia church.
He didn’t write out all the solos . That’s for sure.
Bill said in an interview
“The truth is I did [write the music]... I don't want to make a federal case out of it, the music exists, and Miles is getting the royalties...."
Can’t lie it does sound like Bills song but part of it was working with Miles and crossing that bridge. The cool jazz laid back after bebop era that defined so much then the Coltrane Quartet . McCoy Tyner
Alex Rigas
Bill Evans Trio
Bill Evans, piano; Scott LaFaro, bass; Paul Motian, drums.
Reeves Sound Studios, NYC, December 28, 1959
Come Rain Or Come Shine (take 5) Riverside RLP 12-315, RLP 1162; Prestige P-24052
Autumn Leaves Riverside RLP 1162
Autumn Leaves (take 9, monaural) Riverside RLP 12-315; Milestone M-47034; Original Jazz Classics OJCCD-088-2; Riverside RCD-30678
Witchcraft Riverside RLP 12-315, RLP 1162
When I Fall In Love -
Peri's Scope Riverside R-45435, RLP 12-315, RLP 1162
What Is This Thing Called Love? -
Spring Is Here Riverside RLP 12-315, RLP 1162
Someday My Prince Will Come -
Blue In Green (take 3) -
same session.
Come Rain Or Come Shine (take 4) Riverside RCD-30678
Blue In Green (take 1) -
Blue In Green (take 2) Original Jazz Classics OJCCD-088-2; Riverside RCD-30678
* Riverside RLP 12-315 Bill Evans Trio - Portrait In Jazz
* Riverside RLP 1162; Original Jazz Classics OJC-088, OJCCD-088-2; Riverside RCD-30678 Bill Evans Trio - Portrait In Jazz
= Milestone M-47034 Bill Evans - Spring Leaves
* Prestige P-24052 Various Artists - Piano Giants
* Riverside R-45435 Bill Evans - What Is This Thing Called Love? / Peri's Scope
gabeuop79
3:00 - 3:25 Bill Evans' transition out of the double-time section back to the original slow feel is absolutely brilliant !!!
Daniel
<3 hermoso
DanO
The definitive version of this song. Everything about it is so deeply felt and beautifully played- but the ascending/descending chords beginning at 4:58 to the end of the tune get to me in a place so deep, it’s indescribable. Wow...
T
Bill Evans magic, he wrote one of the greatest pieces on any Miles Davis album...it just happens to be the biggest selling Jazz album of all time! He was shy, insecure, a"quiet fire" is how Miles described he's playing...he was all that and more. RIP
Luciano Wajman
Bill Evans was really magic! Nowadays we don't see, unfortunately, musicians like him....
Olivia
No matter who wrote it, you can't deny that Bill executed it with the beauty of someone who knew and connected with this song.
宗也中山
Olivia I know the execution!
TakingNone
Both this and the miles Davis version are the most beautiful pieces of music ever recorded to me, and I doubt I’ll hear anything that tops them
Mike Spex
Same. I wouldn’t wanna live without Blue in Green .
Dowlandsecond
This is music at it¨s best. Everything comes to me, love, sorrow, happiness... It really is about being alive and feeling alive, isn¨t it? Fantastic! The beauty in being serious about life and music. Wow...