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From: wjhe@hlexa.UUCP (Bill Hery)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Scott LaFaro
Message-ID: <4166@hlexa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 10:22:01 EST
Article-I.D.: hlexa.4166
Posted: Wed Apr 17 10:22:01 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Apr-85 03:59:14 EST
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Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Short Hills, NJ
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> Scott LaFaro - bass.
> With what groups did he play?
> In what records does he appear?
> You might give other details as well, such as style,
> relevant autobiographical facts and so on.
> 
His best known records are with the Bill Evans Trio, of which he was a regular
member from 1959 until his untimely death (in an auto accident) in 1961.  
The 4 lp's they made were released under Bill Evans' name on 
Reverside Records:

	Portrait in Jazz
	Exploration
	Sunday at the Village Vanguard
	Waltz for Debbie

He was a prime innovator in moving the bass from primarily a time keeping
role (even in solos) into a more varied melodic and harmonic role; others
involved in that at the time were Charles Mingus and Charlie Haden (with
Ornette Coleman's group).

The records with Evans are among the most beautiful Evans has recorded--
the interplay between Evans' lyrical piano style and LaFaro's bass 
improvisations is often striking, particularly on the last two albums
which were recorded a few weeks before his death.

In a very different vein, LaFaro was also on Ornette Coleman's 'Free Jazz'
album.  In that album, there are two complete quartets: Coleman's
regular qartet (Coleman (alto sax), Don Cherry (trumpet), Cahrlie Haden (bass),
and Ed Blackwell (drums)), and a second quartet consisting of Eric Dolphy,
Freddie Hubbard, Scott LaFaro and Billy Higgins (hopefully I remembered
them all correctly...).  The entire album is one 40 minute piece--a
totally 'free' simultaneous improvisation by all eight musicians.

Bill Hery
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