Scott LaFaro: Chronology 1960
(Bill Evans   Booker Little   Gunther Schuller   Ornette Coleman)

Date

Place

Event

1960 (aet. 24)

 Wed 20 Jan?

Reviewed by John McLellan, “Le Jazz Hot is Often Cool” in The Boston Traveler, January 21, 1960. (In Leslie Gourse, Straight, No Chaser: The Life and Genius of Thelonious Monk. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997, p.178.)
 

 Sat 30 Jan

". . . Indeed, the M.J.Q., which followed the opening group -- a trio led by the remarkable pianist Bill Evans, who nearly got warmed up in his two numbers before being shooed off by Symphony Sid [master of ceremonies] -- turned in a stunning performance. . . ." (Whitney Balliet, The New Yorker, February 6, 1960), p. 124.
 

(New York Times, Friday, 29 January 1960, p. 17)
--color added for emphasis--
 

 Tue 02 thru  Sun 21 Feb

"Bill Evans, formerly pianist with the Miles Davis Sextet, and twice winner of the Downbeat Critics Poll, opens with his own trio this Tuesday at the Jazz Workshop." (San Francisco Chronicle, Sat., January 30, 1960, p. 9)

"Bill Evans, with Paul Motian, drums, and Scott LaFaro, bass, followed the Mastersounds into the Jazz Workshop and was himself followed, on Feb. 23, by J. J. Johnson's group . . ." (Down Beat, 17 March 1960, p. 50)

(San Francisco Chronicle, Sat 30 January 1960, p. 8)
 

 Sat 12 Mar

"Things will take a turn for the better on Thursday, March 10, when Count Basie, king of these marches, brings his resolute band back to town." (The New Yorker , 5 March 60, p. ? ['Goings On About Town' section]) Presumably Bill Evans was the alternate group that also began a two-week engagement this Thursday.

"[Birdland] an underground river that almost visibly steams as it races along. On the banks are perched Count Basie and his doughty men-at-arms, all in an upbeat state of mind, not to mention Bill Evans, a pianist who may be of considerable importance to the cause of progress."  (The New Yorker ,12 March 1960, p. 8)

"Count Basie's big and bumptious band, which rarely loses a game on its home ground, which this is, and the trio of Bill Evans, who has the makings of a fine pianist, have their farewell picnic on Wednesday, March 23." (The New Yorker, 19 March 1960, p. 8)

Performed during the first of four 'live'-performance, recorded, radio broadcasts from Birdland with Bill Evans and Paul Motian. Recording:  The 1960 Birdland Sessions. The Legendary Bill Evans Trio. [Compact Disc] [Switzerland?] Cool N' Blue Records, 1992. C&B-CD 106. 1 sound disc : digital ; 4 and 3/4 in. Compilation of previously-issued LP recordings of radio-broadcast `live' performances at the New York jazz club, Birdland. Master of ceremonies is 'Symphony' Sid Torin. Recorded session dates are March 12, March 19, April 30, and May 7, 1960.

Note:  5th Anniversary of the death of Charlie Parker (12 Mar 55)

"Goings on About Town"  from The New Yorker, 12 March 1960:

Arpeggio, 144 E 52 St -- Ernestine Anderson
Basin St. East, 137 E 48 St -- Peggy Lee ; Ray Bryant 3
Birdland, 1678 B'way at 52 St -- Count Basie ; Bill Evans 3
Eddie Condon's 330 E 56 St -- Buck Clayton, Mousie Alexander
Five Spot, 5 Cooper Sq -- Kenny Dorham 5 ; Roy Haynes 3
Half Note, 289 Hudson St -- Lennie Tristano 5
Hickory House, 144 W 52 St -- D. Mitchell / W. Ruff 2
Jazz Gallery, 80 St. Mark's Pl -- Horace Silver 5 ; Max Roach 5
Jimmy Ryan's, 53 W 52 St -- Wilbur and Sidney de Paris
Metropole, 7th Ave S at 48 St -- Dizzy Gillespie 5 ; Red Allen 6
Showplace, 146 W. 4 St -- Charles Mingus 5
Village Gate, 185 Thompson St -- H. Belafonte Folk Singers
Village Vanguard 178 Seventh Ave S -- Miriam Makeba
 

Sunday 03 April

LaFaro's 24th birthday anniversary

 Wed 13 and Fri 15 Apr

 Thu 28 Apr
thru
Wed 11 May

"[Birdland] The most compulsive underground movement on Broadway. The quintets of Buddy Rich, who beats the drums for the sheer pleasure (everyone's) of it, and Art Blakey leave on Wednesday, April 27; the next day, Dinah Washington's voice , Bill Evans' accomplished piano (he has a trio), and sundry others take over." (The New Yorker, 23 April 1960, p. 12)

"[Birdland] The young faithful at their devotions. The muezzins of the moment are Dinah Washington (songs for the restless midnight), Bill Evans' trio (music for moderns), and the John Handy III quintet. As of Thursday, May 12, the muezzins will be Horace Silver's [quintet] and Johnny Smith's [trio]" (The New Yorker, 7 May 1960, p. 8)
 

 Mon 16 May

 (Village Voice 4 May 1960, p.7)

Performed with the ensemble premiering "three works by Gunther Schuller . . . at a concert in the spring of 1960 [at Circle in the Square, 117 Bleecker Street]. The critical reception accorded them [by Whitney Balliett, The New Yorker (May 28, 1960), p. 117-119; John S. Wilson, New York Times (May 17, 1960), p.44] was exceptional." (John Lewis, program notes, Jazz Abstractions (Atlantic 1365). Note: Music created for this album was performed at the Circle in the Square for a concert in the 'Jazz Profiles' series by Charles Schwartz. (Gunther Schuller, program notes, 'Jazz Abstractions' (Atlantic 1365); Martin Williams, "Two Reviews of 'Third Stream' Music," in his Jazz Panorama, p. 302.)
 

 Tue 26 Jul
thru
 Sun 07 Aug

"Pianist Bill EVANS, who recently signed a personal management pact with Monte Kay, was taken seriously ill with hepatitis while working at the Jazz Gallery with his trio. He was forced to cancel a booking at Birdland and went to Florida to recuperate at his parents' home."  (Downbeat, 29 September 1960, p. 63)

(Village Voice, 28 July 1960, p. 9)

 Fri 19 thru
  Sun 21 Aug

LaFaro's presence is not confirmed, but is likely following the early termination of the engagement of the Bill Evans Trio earlier in August at the Jazz Gallery.

(New York Times, Sunday, 21 Aug 60, Sec. 2, p. 4)

 Sun 28 Aug

"This week's First Quaker City jazz Festival at Connie Mack Stadium . . . [a three-day fest] opens Friday [26 August] at 8 P.M. in the Lehigh Avenue ball park and continues through Sunday.

[Sunday's line-up: Four Freshmen, Cannonball Adderley, Jack Teagarden, Gloria Lynne, Dizzy Gillespie, Chico Hamilton, Herbie Mann Sextet, Fred Katz Trio, Nat Adderley, Ornette Coleman]

(Philadelphia Sunday Bulletin, 21 August 1960, Sec 5, p. 6)
 

 Tue 13 thru Sun 18 Sep?

(Detroit Free Press, Wed., 14 September 1960, p. 29)
 

 Sat 24 and  Sun 25 Sep

Performs Saturday afternoon with the Baker String Quartet (Israel Baker, first violin; Ralph Schaefer, second cello; Alvin Dinken, viola; Armand Copra, cello) [and with] Red Mitchell, bass; Jim Hall, guitar; Larry Bunker, drums; and Ornette Coleman, alto saxophone, as special soloist. This ensemble performed two pieces by Gunther Schuller: 'Abstraction' and 'Conversation' under the direction of the composer. Afterward, Ornette Coleman performed with the members of his own quartet. (Ralph J. Gleason, "Monterey: The Afternoons" Down Beat, 27:23 (November 10, 1960), pp 18, 47.

Performs Sunday evening at the Monterey Festival with the Ornette Coleman Quartet. Note:  Actually a trio performance with Coleman and drummer Ed Blackwell, trumpeter Don Cherry absent due to injury to his lip as the result of an altercation with Coleman. (John Tynan, "The Monterey Festival" Down Beat 27:23 (November 10, 1960), pp. 14-17 -- especially p. 17. .

 Tue 27 thru  Sun 09 Oct

LaFaro's participation has not been confirmed but is highly likely following his appearance at the Monterey Jazz Fest the weekend before the start of this gig in San Francisco.
 

(San Francisco Sunday Chronicle, 25 September 1960, p. 20)
 

(San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday, 8 October 1960, p. 8)

 Wed 12 thru Mon 31 Oct
(as scheduled)

Sanbah [bookings] -- Eddie Cano group until Oct. 10; Ornette Coleman Quartet, Oct. 12-31; Ramsey Lewis Trio, Nov. 9-28; Eddie Cano group, Nov. 30-Dec. 12; Shirley Scott, Dec 14-Jan.2". (Downbeat, 'In Person' 13 October 1960, p. 52).

This club, the Sanbah Room, changed its 'jazz policy' as a result of the appearance of the Ornette Coleman Quartet in mid-October 1960. According to notices about who's playing where in Downbeat, the club owner's enthusiasm for jazz bookings went sour during Ornette's gig there due to a minimal gate. There is no indication as to when the club canceled the Coleman quartet. I am assuming the group worked through the first week (Wednesday 12 thru Monday 17 October) of its scheduled three-week engagement.

"It's --30-- [journalistic symbol for 'end' of a written article] for the Sanbah Room. The sole surviving whiskey-selling, all-week jazz spot in Hollywood did an el foldo last month so far as a jazz policy is concerned. Now the marquee reads, 'Dancing Nightly.'  Operators of the room point the finger at the man they claim spelled the end -- Ornette Coleman.  Said a club spokesman, 'He drove the people away.' Meanwhile, Coleman put in a claim at AFM Local 47 for over $2,000 he says the club owes him.  The controversial saxophonist and his group did not finish the engagement." (Downbeat, 'In Person', 22 December 1960, p.60)

(Los Angeles Sentinel, Thursday 6 October 1960, p. C3)

 Mon 24 Oct

John Coltrane, My Favorite Things  recorded.

 Tue 01 thru  Sun 13 Nov

(New York Times, Tuesday, November 1, 1960, p. 47)
 

 Tue 15 thru
  Sun 20 Nov

"Vanguard's top name jazz policy continues with trumpeter Miles Davis. He's making his first U.S. stand after return from a continental tour that got a lot of criticism for his alleged more than cool projection and less than cool playing.  . . . Working with and without Davis are Wynton Kelly, piano; Jimmy Cobb, drums; Paul Chambers, bass; and Sonny Stitt, sax.  Alternating with Davis is brilliant jazz pianist Bill Evans, backed by Paul Motian's drums and Scott LaFaro's spastically exciting bass." (Variety, 23 November 1960, p. 60 -- byline 'Bill')
 

(New York Times, Tuesday, November 15, 1960, p. 46)

Supplemental text in the ad appearing in the Sunday paper:

$1.50 ADM -- NO CABARET TAX

(New York Times, Sunday, 20 Nov 60, Section2, p. X5)
 

 Mon 19 and  Tue 20 Dec

 Wed 21 Dec