Pieces of jade
| Pieces of jade | ||||
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| Studio album by Scott LaFaro | ||||
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| Label (s) | Resonance Records | |||
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CD |
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Title (number) |
8th |
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running time |
1:13:38 |
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Pieces of Jade is a jazz album by Scott LaFaro , recorded in New York City in 1961 and released on Resonance Records on September 8, 2009 .
background
Bassist Scott LaFaro was killed in a car accident on July 6, 1961, aged just 25, while driving home after performing at the Newport Jazz Festival . Before his death, he had already made a name for himself with the groundbreaking trio of pianist Bill Evans , which also included drummer Paul Motian . This group was immortalized by their 1961 Village Vanguard recordings , released by Riverside Records that same year . These live dates set the standard for piano trios, wrote Larry Taylor. "The playing [of the three musicians] merges seamlessly, with each player having ample opportunity to stand out".
With Pieces of Jade , the label Resonance presented previously unavailable material by the musician; In 1961 five recordings were made in New York City, on which LaFaro can be heard with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca . The repertoire of the sessions consists of a mixture of standards and two takes of an original by Friedman. LaRoca can be heard on three standards, "I Hear a Rhapsody", " On Green Dolphin Street " and Dizzy Gillespie's bop anthem " Woody'n'You ", along with two variations of Friedman's original ballad "Sacre Bleu". The program ends with Friedman's moving solo piece "Memories for Scotty", which was recorded in 1985. There is also a 22-minute recording from an extensive rehearsal session with LaFaro and Bill Evans while they were preparing their later version of "My Foolish Heart".
Also included is a 13 minute interview with Evans from 1966 reflecting on LaFaro, his life and his talent. In the excerpt from a 1966 radio interview with Evans conducted by executive producer George Klabin at the WKCR studio in New York, in which the pianist recalls the bassist whom he described as "a constant inspiration to me." He remembers starting the trio with LaFaro and Motian and how their talents quickly blended and developed with one another in a very natural way. "On our first record, which was recorded with the trio after five weeks, you hear a kind of interplay and things that still surprise today." Evans gives further insights into the Village Vanguard performances in 1961 and discusses the merits of a real group that grows together musically in a sympathetic way. He says: “The music exists on a level that is not on the level of the perception of the musicians themselves. It exists on a deeper level of unconscious abilities. ”Evans also analyzed what made LaFaro so unique. The pianist says he had to advise LaFaro to control himself, to hold back. He would have tried to say too much when he improvised. "He has had so much to say in his short life, it is very fortunate that he can add another inclusion to his legacy."
Together with the Scott LaFaro album Pieces of Jade , the LaFaro biography Jade Visions (UNT Press), written by his sister Helene LaFaro-Fernandez, was released.
Track list
- Scott LaFaro - Pieces of Jade (Resonance HCD-2005)
- I Hear a Rhapsody (George Fragos, Jack Baker, Dick Gasparre) 6:17
- Sacre Bléu (take 1) (Friedman) 6:11
- On Green Dolphin Street ( Bronisław Kaper , Ned Washington) 6:36
- Sacre Bléu (take 2) (Friedman) 6:18
- Woody'n You (Gillespie) 5:38
- My Foolish Heart ( Victor Young , Ned Washington ) 22:44
- Interview With Bill Evans By George Klabin 1966 13:39
- Memories for Scotty (Friedman) 6:23
reception
The album received almost consistently positive reviews when it was released; Ron Hart said in Pop Matters that Pieces of Jade offers a rare glimpse into LaFaro's creative process through this eight track collection of previously unreleased material. "Every fan of jazz bass must invest in this indispensable dissertation on one of the true masters of the craft."
Larry Taylor wrote in All About Jazz , “LaFaro's greatness is restored here as it once again excels in trio format. In this context, it is possible to appreciate LaFaro's ability to improvise and the full bass as he rhythmically marches through Friedman's Sacre Bleu and frames his lively solo on Green Dolphin Street. ”The pleasant surprise of this record was Friedman. In this early recording, “his sparkling genius is consistently visible.” Certainly influenced by Evans, “Friedman also shows a pleasant inclination for the block chords of Red Garland as in 'Sacre Bleu'. His rapid pace can also be experienced, especially when he interprets Dizzy Gillespie's' Woody'n 'You' with LaRoca. The rehearsal tape with Evans is certainly interesting, but impaired by a mutilated sound. Evans' interview with George Klabin is more informative. "
Bill Milkowski wrote in 2013 in The Absolute Sound, five of the archive pieces, originally recorded in 1961 with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca, showed LaFaro's "rich, woody tone and a steady, incorruptible pulse to accompany". In this intimate setting, the trio swing “elegantly and with restraint. LaFaro plays some incredible solos, especially in 'On Green Dolphin Street' and the second version of 'Sacre Bleu', which highlight his melodic ingenuity along with his uncanny speed and ability on the instrument. His ability to spontaneously and effortlessly deposit contrapuntal ideas against the flow of each piece characterizes him as a revolutionary companion in a piano trio environment. "
The author also points out that the “real treat for LaFaro completists” is a 22-minute exercise book with Bill Evans, in which the two kindred spirits find their way around on the great ballad “My Foolish Heart”. It is a fascinating glimpse into the creative process when we can hear them pause several times to discuss their respective approaches to the melody. Another attraction is the interview excerpt with Evans.
Michael G. Nastos awarded the album four (out of 5) stars at Allmusic and wrote: "This recording is nothing less than a miracle and an event in the annals of jazz." In the tracks with Friedman, the bass from LaFaro is clear in the production mix to be heard and assert itself as an unmistakable voice. “His solid, resonant quarter notes strike these rhythms like no other. But it's Friedman, a brilliant jazz musician who shines mightily that day and trumps Evans in many ways when it comes to chops, inventions and bop energy. His fingers move on 'I Hear a Rhapsody' worn by LaFaro, while in 'On Green Dolphin Street' it can flow through unclaimed lines, where its extrapolated lines combine innovation with subtlety. ”In the two versions of the Friedman original "Sacre Bléu" immerses "the pianist deeply into the pure melody with slightly deconstructed shades and sounding piano chords, followed by classic LaFaro bass solos."
The version of “Woody'n You” was “another furious, high-speed bop with almost no discarded note,” Nastos continued, “while La Roca pushes forward, the group pushes and LaFaro and Friedman challenges, like him and other bop -based drummers can do this. "Friedman's solo piano piece" Memories for Scotty "is" an elegant elegy or a requiem for the long-dead bassist in muted tones, depicting venerable memories and the attitude that he sorely misses. " Nastos, however, to the recordings with Bill Evans; "My Foolish Heart" is only included for historical reasons, but this curiosity is "boring" with its duration of almost 23 minutes and not well received. More illuminating is George Klabin's 1966 interview with Bill Evans. Considering that this appeared about 50 years after LaFaro's death in a car accident at the age of 25 and his career only lasted seven years, open up with the recordings "a rare window into the soul of Scott LaFaro", apart from his great sessions with Bill Evans.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Larry Taylor: Scott LaFaro: Pieces of Jade. All About Jazz, September 3, 2009, accessed March 21, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c d Bill Milkowski: Scott LaFaro: Pieces of Jade. The Absolute Sound, August 1, 2013, accessed March 21, 2019 .
- ↑ Ron Hart: Scott LaFaro: Pieces of Jade. Pop Matters, December 6, 2009, accessed March 21, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Review of the album Pieces of Jade by Michael G. Nastos on Allmusic (English). Retrieved March 21, 2019.