Scott LaFaro

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rocco Scott LaFaro (born April 3, 1936 in Newark , New Jersey , † July 6, 1961 in Flint (New York) near Geneva , New York ) is considered one of the most innovative and influential American bassists in jazz history.

Life and work

LaFaro grew up in a musical family, his father played in many big bands. He began playing the piano in elementary school, learned bass clarinet in junior high school , and then switched to tenor saxophone in high school . In the summer before entering college to study music, he took double bass lessons because a string instrument was a must for music teachers. After three months he decided to focus on the bass.

LaFaro quit his studies to play in Buddy Morrow's Big Band. After a nationwide tour, he left the band in Los Angeles to try his luck in the local music scene. He quickly acquired the reputation of one of the best young bass players. In 1959 he joined the trio of Bill Evans after appearances with the likes of Chet Baker , Percy Heath , Victor Feldman , Stan Kenton and Benny Goodman . During this time she also worked with Ornette Coleman .

LaFaro died in a car accident in Flint, near Geneva, New York, two days after joining Stan Getz at the Newport Festival and less than two weeks after the landmark footage from the Village Vanguard with Bill Evans. The recordings were released as Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby .

In his short career, Scott LaFaro became one of the most influential bassists in jazz history, primarily through his playing in the Bill Evans Trio. In place of the classic walking bass , he put a much freer game that can be described as a kind of counter-melody to the game of Bill Evans.

LaFaro played with virtuoso technique, often going into the higher registers of the instrument for long solos, and often choosing to play counter melodies rather than traditional walking bass lines.

Together with the drummer Paul Motian , the trio playing was given a new direction, based on equality of instruments, instead of the sole accompaniment of the pianist by the two other participants, as Erroll Garner did . According to bassist Dave Holland , LaFaro has made the bass the fourth melody part of a quartet. From a technical point of view, LaFaro also became the benchmark for the following generation of bass players.

Scott LaFaro's bass part in the first version of "Gloria's Step" with the Bill Evans Trio (1961), immediately following the theme.
Scott LaFaro's bass part in the same place in the second version of the same piece

In 2015 it was announced that LaFaro in Geneva would be commemorated with a life-size monument.

Discographic notes

literature

  • Helene Lafaro-Fernandez: Jade Music - the life and music of Scott LaFaro , University of North Texas Press 2009

Web links

References and comments

  1. ↑ Own translation by LaFaro played with virtuosic technique, often soaring up to the upper register of the bass for long solos, and often opting to play countermelody instead of a traditional walking bass line. from Christopher Meeder: Jazz - The basics , Routledge, New York, 2008, pages 203 and 204; online on Google Book Search
  2. ↑ Dave Holland: "The bass has become something like the fourth melody voice in the quartet. Wasn't Scott LaFaro the major reason for that?" ; quoted from Joachim Ernst Berendt: The Jazz Book - From Ragtime to Fusion and beyond , Lawrence Hill Books, 1982, page 261; German edition: The Great Jazz Book - From New Orleans to Jazz Rock , Fischer, 1982, page 324
  3. ↑ http://www.fltimes.com/arts_and_entertainment/article_098ddf5c-db43-11e4-b344-4b8615afe3a0.html?mode=jqm
personal data
SURNAME LaFaro, Scott
ALTERNATIVE NAMES LaFaro, Rocco Scott (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American bass player
DATE OF BIRTH April 3, 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH Newark , New Jersey
DATE OF DEATH July 6, 1961
Place of death Flint near Geneva , New York