2008.07.07
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Removed in memoriam banner
posted on 47th anniversary of the death of Scott LaFaro:
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In Memoriam -- this date
Thursday 6 July 1961, 47 years ago today Sunday 6 July 2008
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2008 05.17
Posted here 2007.10.03,
last update to this page.
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Since I now have more
website storage capacity with Yahoo Geocities I have added a third
video clip of Scotty from the April
1958 KABC-TV 'Stars of Jazz' show featuring the Richie Kamuca Quintet.
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I am still sorting
through my household property for my SLF files. Many updates remain to
be done once I re-establish my SLF baseline.
2008 05.17
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I learned Sunday 2008 03.30 in
conversation with Helene (LaFaro) Fernandez that this site was not
accessible!
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Today I checked both my
bank account statements for the last few months and also my Yahoo
GeoCities billing reports and sure enough YGC discontinued my 'Plus'
services, evidently, because of a change in bank card account number.
SO, I called YGC billing today and talked with Customer Service
Representative 'Mylene in Sunnyvale and all is back to normal.
So, a special Thank You
goes out to
Mylene at Yahoo in Sunnyvale,
California for making this site available again to all interested in
knowing more about Scotty.
Thanks, Mylene!!!
2008.03.31
I learned yesterday Sunday 03.30
in conversation with Helene LaFaro-Fernandez that this site was not
accessible! I checked both my Wachovia bank account and my
Geocities billing reports and sure enough YGC discontinued my 'Plus'
services. Evidently, because of a change in card account number.
SO, I called YGC billing today and talked with Customer Service
Representative 'Mylene in Sunnyvale and all is back to normal
Below is the 'Recent' entry:
(posted on 12
June 2006 the most recent comments prior to the one above)
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I've not
added anything of earth-shaking substance to this site since this past December.
I have made several minor corrections and emendations, however, to its content
over the past six months. Thus the need to refresh these pages.
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In the
near future I plan to revise the audio and video clips, lengthening these
substantially. The fact that Yahoo Geocities has granted me much greater
storage (2 GBs) than the initial 25 MBs I had to confine these pages to early on
means I have the capability to load the 'My Foolish Heart' rehearsal clip in its
entirety. The same goes for the two 'Stars of Jazz' video clips.
2005 06.06 -- Deleted following
Geocities trouble note from first SLF-BFJB page:
NOTE: My SLF-BJB web site was 'out of
service' from Wed 28 Sep thru Sun 02 Oct 05. Last Wed I updated several of
its pages and *poof* nothing could be accessed. When I searched Google for
"Scott LaFaro" my SLF-BJB site appeared at the top of the retrieval list, but
when I clicked on it, I got the message, "Sorry, the page you requested cannot
be found." After several e-mail messages to and from Yahoo Geo-Cities, host for
the site, all was back in service Mon 03 Oct 05. Problem seems to have been
systemic and not just with this particular web site. My 'Thanks' to the
engineers and gremlins at Geocities for getting SLF-BJB back to normal.
2005 06.06
Deleted the 'Chronology
-- Complete' page and all hyper links to and from -- page became
unwieldy to update.
2004 08.02
Deleted
discographical entries:
Assorted Flavors of
Pacific Jazz and At Ukiah
At Ukiah. Stan Kenton
Orchestra. [Compact Disc] ["Made in England" UK : Status
Records ; 1990] STCD 109. Recorded at Ukiah, CA, County Fair Building, 26
February 1959. 1 sound disc : digital ; 4 and
3/4 in. Total play time: 74:44.
Alternate titles: Stan Kenton at Ukiah
1959. Kenton at Ukiah.
Note: Mr. Steven D. Harris, author of Kenton Kronicles, and an
authority on the discography of Stan Kenton, has informed me that based upon
his research and documentation, the bassist on this Kenton recording At
Ukiah! is one Red Kelly and not Scott LaFaro.
Accordingly, I have removed this recording from my LaFaro discography and
placed it on my Update page (under deletions) for future
reference.
Performers:
- Frank Huggins, trumpet
- Bud Brisbois, trumpet
- Rolf Ericson, trumpet
- Joe Burnett, trumpet
- Roger Middleton, trumpet
- Archie Le Coque. trombone
- Kent Larsen, trombone
- Jimmy Knepper, trombone
- Jim Amlotte, bass trombone
- Bill Smiley, bass trombone
- Lennie Niehaus, alto sax
- Bill Trujillo, tenor sax
- John Bonnie, tenor sax
- Billy Root, baritone sax
- Sture Swenson, baritone sax
- Stan Kenton, piano
- Scott LaFaro, bass
[sic, in rect�, Red Kelly]
- Jerry McKenzie, drums
Program:
- How Deep is the Ocean -- arr, S. Kenton --
SK, p; Ericson, tp
- Walking Shoes -- arr, Gerry Mulligan --
Larson, tb; Trujillo, ts; Root, bs; Ericson, tp
- The Nearness of You -- arr, Johnny Richards
-- Trujillo, ts; Niehaus, as
- Lullaby of Broadway -- arr, L. Niehaus --
Archie LeCoque, tb
- Where or When -- arr, G. Mulligan -- SK, p
- The End of a Love Affair -- arr, SK -- SK, p
- On the Street Where You Live -- arr, L.
Niehaus -- Ericson, m-tp
- The Way You Look Tonight, arr, J. Richards
-- Trujillo, ts; Larson, tb;
Root, bs; Huggins, m-tp
- Jersey Bounce -- arr, Gene Roland -- SK, p;
Root, bs; LaFaro, b
- My Funny Valentine -- arr, B. Holman; Root,
bs
- Tenderly -- arr, B. Holman -- Root, bs
- That Old Feeling -- arr, L. Niehaus --
Larson, tb
- More Than You Know -- arr, SK -- SK, p;
Ericson, tp
- I Remember You -- arr, B. Holman -- Niehaus,
as; Ericson, tp
- When I Fall in Love -- arr, L. Niehaus --
Ericson, tp; Bonnie, ts
- They Didn't Believe Me -- arr, Joe Occia --
Huggins, tp
- So in Love -- arr, L. Niehaus
-- Niehaus, as; Ericson, tp
- All of You -- arr, L. Niehaus -- Ericson, tp
- Closing Medley
- Eager Beaver -- arr, SK -- SK, p
- Painted Rhythm, arr, SK -- SK, p; Brisbois,
tp
- Dynaflow -- arr, SK -- SK, p
- Opus in Chartreuse -- arr, G. Roland --
SK, p
- Jump For Joe -- arr, G. Roland -- SK, p;
Brisbois, tp
- Artistry in Rhythm -- arr, SK
Excerpts from program liner notes:
"Those familiar with Capitol's [Capitol Records]
Live at the Tropicana album will know what to expect from this CD, as the
Ukiah date was made only three weeks later. Even then some personnel changes had taken place, with the impressive young
tenor player John Bonnie replacing an ailing Bill Perkins; Jimmy Knepper
coming in on trombone; new on bass was the outstanding Scott
LaFaro
[sic in rect� Red Kelly]
(heard to advantage on 'Jersey Bounce'); and Jerry McKenzie replaced on
drums by -- Jerry McKenzie. Believe it or not, there were two drummers
with identical names, and both played for Stan Kenton. Which was
the better man is for the listener to decide."
2004 08.02
Deleted
discographical entries:
Assorted Flavors of
Pacific Jazz and At Ukiah
Assorted
Flavors of Pacific Jazz: Hi-Fi Sampler Hollywood,
CA: Pacific Jazz Enterprises: Pacific Jazz Enterprises, 1956.
HFS-1 "A Hi-Fi Sampler" 1 sound disc : analog, 33 1/3 rpm, mono ; 12 in.
Richard Bock, Production; Narrative Copy, Woody Woodward; Packaging, William
Claxton and Will MacFarland. Recording is narrated by Frank Evans.
Note: Ms. Helene LaFaro-Fernandez
recalls her brother Scott telling her that he performed with Chet Baker on one
of the selections on this Pacific Jazz compilation. (in
conversation, 1997).
Mr. Royston Edwards,
bassist and fan of Scott LaFaro, reports however, that his research into who
played bass on the various recordings that comprised this album, revealed the
following bassists: Jimmy Bond, Carson Smith, Monty Budwig, and either
Red Mitchell or Joe Mondragon, but not Scott LaFaro. (E-mail, Edwards to
Ralston, 1 September 2002)
Based upon this initial
analysis, I have chosen to remove this recording from my LaFaro discography
and place this information here in the 'Deletions' section until further
recording documentation is found.
Performers: None listed.
This album is a compilation of selections from several LP recordings
produced by Pacific Jazz Records
Following performer list is from e-mail
received from James A. Harrod,
3 August 2004, subject: Assorted Flavors of Pacific Jazz. Mr. Harrod
currently is writing a book on the recording company Pacific Jazz.
KEESTER PARADE:
Harry "Sweets" Edison, Conrad Gozzo (tp) Cy
Touff (b-tp) Richie Kamuca (ts) Matt Utal (bar,as) Russ Freeman (p) Leroy
Vinnegar (b) Chuck Flores (d) Los Angeles, December 4, 1955
BERNIE'S TUNE:
Bernie's tune
Chet Baker (tp) Gerry Mulligan (bar) Bob
Whitlock (b) Chico Hamilton (d) Phil Turetsky's House, Los Angeles, August
16, 1952
CASA DE LUZ:
Shorty Rogers (flhrn) Bud Shank (fl,as) Jimmy
Rowles (p) Harry Babasin (b) Roy Harte (d) Hollywood, CA, March 25, 1954
NO TIES:
Chet Baker (tp) Russ Freeman (p) Carson Smith
(b) Larry Bunker (d) Los Angeles, October 3, 1953
BOCKHANAL:
Chet Baker (tp) Herb Geller (as,ts) Jack
Montrose (ts,arr) Bob Gordon (bar) Russ Freeman (p) Joe Mondragon (b)
Shelly Manne (d) Hollywood, CA, December 14, 1953
GREY DECEMBER:
Chet Baker (tp,vcl) Bud Shank (fl) Russ
Freeman (p) Red Mitchell (b) Bob Neel (d) + string section, Corky Hale
(harp) Ed Lustgarten, Ray Kramer, Eleanor Slatkin, Kurt Reher (cello)
Johnny Mandel, Marty Paich, Frank Campo (string-arr) Los Angeles, February
28, 1955
TOMMYHAWK:
Chet Baker (tp) Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb) Bud
Shank (bar) Russ Freeman (p) Carson Smith (b) Shelly Manne (d) Los
Angeles, September 9, 1954
CARINOSO:
Bud Shank (as,fl) Laurindo Almeida (g) Harry
Babasin (b) Roy Harte (d) Los Angles, April 15, 1954
NOCTURNE FOR FLUTE:
Bud Shank (as,fl) Claude Williamson (p) Don
Prell (b) Chuck Flores (d) Los Angeles, January 25, 1956
A CRUTCH FOR THE CRAB:
Dick Twardzik (p) Carson Smith (b) Peter
Littman (d) Hackensack, N.J., October 27, 1954
2� EAST 3� WEST:
John Lewis (p) Percy Heath (b) Chico Hamilton
(d) Jim Hall (g) Bill Perkins (ts) Los Angeles, February 10, 1956
A NICE DAY:
Buddy Collette (fl,as,ts,cl) Fred Katz (cello)
Jim Hall (g) Carson Smith (b) Chico Hamilton (d) Los Angeles, August 23,
1955
FREE FORM:
Buddy Collette (as,ts,cl,fl) Fred Katz (cello)
Jim Hall (g) Carson Smith (b) Chico Hamilton (d) "Strollers", Long Beach,
CA., August 4 & 5, 1955
Side Two features a cross section of
tunes from (then) recent Pacific Jazz releases:
BERNIE'S TUNE:
Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb) Gerry Mulligan (bar,p)
Red Mitchell (b) Frank Isola (d) Concert "Salle Pleyel", Paris, June 1,
1954
THE MORNING AFTER:
Buddy Collette (fl,as,ts,cl) Fred Katz (cello)
Jim Hall (g) Carson Smith (b) Chico Hamilton (d) Los Angeles, August 23,
1955
LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING:
Chet Baker (tp,vcl) Russ Freeman (p) Carson
Smith (b) Bob Neel (d) Los Angeles, February 15, 1954
NO NO:
Bud Shank (as,fl) Laurindo Almeida (g) Harry
Babasin (b) Roy Harte (d) Los Angles, April 15, 1954
FLUTED COLUMNS:
Bud Shank (fl) Bill Perkins (fl) Hampton Hawes
(p) Red Mitchell (b) Mel Lewis (d) Los Angeles, May 2, 1955
GROOVER WAILIN':
Harry "Sweets" Edison, Conrad Gozzo (tp) Cy
Touff (b-tp) Richie Kamuca (ts) Matt Utal (bar,as) Russ Freeman (p) Leroy
Vinnegar (b) Chuck Flores (d) Los Angeles, December 4, 1955
Program:
Side One (S-651)
- Keester Parade -- The Cy Touff Octet (by
Johnny Mandel) from PJ-1211
- Bernie's Tune -- The Gerry Mulligan
Quartet (by Bernie Miller ) from PJL-1
- Casa de Luz -- The Bud Shank--Shorty
Rogers Quintet (by S. Rogers) from PJ-1205
- No Ties -- The Chet Baker Quartet (by
Russ Freeman) from PJ-1206
- Bockhanal -- The Chet Baker Ensemble
(by Jack Montrose) from PJ-1206 and JWC-500
- Grey December -- Chet Baker Sings and
Plays (by Frank Campo) from PJ-1202
- Tommyhawk -- The Chet Baker Sextet
(by Johnny Mandel) from PJ-1206
- Carinoso -- The Laurindo Almeida--Bud
Shank Quartet (by A. V. Pixinguinha) from PJ-1204
- Nocturne for Flute -- The Bud Shank
Quartet (by Claude Williamson) from PJ-1215
- A Crutch for the Crab -- The Richard
Twardzik Trio (by Richard Twardzik) from PJ-1212
- 2 Degrees East 3 Degrees West -- The Bill
Perkins Quintet (by John Lewis) from PJ-1217
- A Nice Day -- The Chico Hamilton Quintet
(by Buddy Collette) from PJ-1209
- Free Form -- The Chico Hamilton Quintet
(improvisation) from PJ-1209
- Keester Parade -- The Cy Touff Octet (J.
Mandel) PJ-1211
Side Two (S-650)
- Bernie's Tune -- The Gerry Mulligan
Quartet in Paris (by Bernie Miller) from PJ-1210
- The Morning After -- the Chico Hamilton
Quintet (by C. Hamilton) from PJ-1209
- Look For the Silver Lining -- Chet Baker
Sings (by DeSylva & Kern) from PJL-11
- No No -- The Laurindo Almeida Quartet (by
Romaualdo Peizoto) from PJ-1204
- Fluted Columns -- The Bud Shank--Bill
Perkins Quintet (by B. Shank) from PJ-1205
- Groover Wailin' -- The Cy Touff Octet (by
J. Mandel) from PJ-1211
Jacket rear includes
photographs of the following LPs (clockwise beginning top right corner):
- PJ-1216
Chico Hamilton Quintet in Hi Fi
- PJ-1210
Gerry Mulligan Quartet Paris Concert
- PJ-1213
Bud Shank / Bob Brookmeyer -- Strings & Trombones
- PJ-1208
Jack Montrose Sextet (featuring Bob Gordon, Conte Candoli, Shelly Manne)
- PJ-1209
Chico Hamilton Quintet (featuring Buddy Collette)
- PJ-1211
Cy Touff -- His Octet & Quintet
- PJ-1205
Bud Shank, Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Rowles, Harry Babasin, Roy Harte
- PJ-1214
Arranged by Montrose -- Bob Gordon, Clifford Brown, Zoot Simds, Russ
Freeman, Shelly Manne -- Play the Arrangements of Jack Montrose
- JWC-501 Jazz
West Coast, Vol. 2 ( ... Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Chico Hamilton, Bud
Shank, Bill Perkins, Hampton Hawes, Cy Touff, Richie Kamuca, Claude
Williamson, Buddy Collette, John Lewis, Bob Brookmeyer, Carl Fontana, Russ
Freeman, Shelly Manne, Kenny Drew, JAck Sheldon, Jim Hall, Percy Heath)
- PJ-1204
Laurindo Almeida Quartet (featuring Bud Shank)
- PJ-1207
Gerry Mulligan Quartet
- PJ-1203
Chet Baker Quartet -- Jazz at Ann Arbor
- P-2001
Pacifica: A Quiet Evening with the Mighty Wurlitzer in Hi Fi -- The
Wurlitzer Pipe Organ Played by Bill Thompson
- PJ-1202
Chet Baker Sings and Plays with Bud Shank, Russ Freeman and Strings
- PJ-1212
[illegible -- Richard Twardzik Trio]
- PJ-1215
The Bud Shank Quartet
2002 08.12
[Compact Disc] Berkeley, CA: Contemporary
Records, 1999. Contemporary OJCCD-1035-2 (Original Jazz Classics)
1 sound disc : analog to digital ; 4 and 3/4 in. Produced by Lester Koenig.
CD production by Eric Miller. Recorded [ March 1958 ] at Contemporary Studios,
Los Angeles CA. Recording engineer -- Roy DuNann. Digital editing and transfers -- Angel Balestier
and Steve Livingston (May-June 1999, ALB Studios ; Burbank, CA) Mastering, 1999 -- Kirk
Felton (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA). Program notes by Robert Gordon, 1999. "All
selections previously unreleased" Duration: 55:27.
Performers (on tracks 1-7, 9, and 11)
- Hampton Hawes, piano
- Paul Chambers, bass
- Larance [sic, in rect�: Lawrence] Marable, drums
Performers (on tracks 8, 10, and 12)
- Hampton Hawes, piano
- Scott LaFaro, bass [Sic,
in rect� Red Mitchell]
- Frank Butler, drums
Program (by track number):
- Big Foot
- Ray's Idea
- Stella By Starlight
- Blues For Jacque
- I Should Care
- Bird Song
- Yesterdays
- What's New
- Just One of Those Things
- I'll Remember April
- Cheryl
- Blue 'N' Boogie
Excerpts from the program notes by Russell
Gordon:
"The reason these selections [tracks 1 through 7, 9 and
11] were not initially released is, quite frankly, unknown. We can guess that with
three Trio sessions on tape and ready to go, Les Koenig was reluctant to muddy the waters
by issuing an additional set with different personnel."
"The recording date for the remaining selections [8, 10,
and 12] is a bit more problematical. The bassist is obviously Scott LaFaro
[sic, in rect� Red Mitchell], and
since Hamp recorded with Scott LaFaro and Frank Butler on a Harold Land Quartet date (For
Real! -- March 17, 1959), the chances are excellent that these trio performances were
recorded at the same time."
Note: Most discographies credit the For Real!
recording to Hampton Hawes. It is plausible that this recording could have been
attributed as well to Harold Land.
Note: The arco solo on track 10, 'I'll Remember April'
sounds like the melodic playing of Paul Chambers with the technique of Scott LaFaro.
=== === ===
I have removed the above discographic entry for
Hampton Hawes Bird Song. My own reservations, coupled with
those of Mike Davis, co-compiler of a Hampton Hawes discography (Roger Hunter
and Mike Davis, compilers, Hampton Hawes Discography (Manchester,
UK: 1986), have led me to withdraw this entry from my LaFaro discography.
"The bassist who is incorrectly identified as Scott
LaFaro [on the Hampton Hawes CD Bird Song] is in fact, Red
Mitchell. Roger Hunter and I compiled the Hawes discography in
1986. We have contacted Fantasy [Records] about the liner note
errors, which Robert Gordon [their author] has subsequently admitted,
and have also told Fantasy that the title song is also incorrectly
identified. "Bird Song" is a standard 32-bar AABA construction,
whereas 'Bird's Song' -- on the CD -- is actually a 12-bar blues
by Hawes written in tribute to Charlie Parker." (e-mail Mike Davis to
Chuck Ralston, Sunday 17 Feb 2002)
After first listening to Bird
Song, I was skeptical about LaFaro's presence on this Hampton Hawes
release, notwithstanding Robert Gordon's commentary in his liner notes
to the CD. Gordon, himself, supports such reservations with his use of
the word 'problematical' and the phrase 'the chances are excellent' when
discussing whether or not LaFaro is the bassist on the tapes discovered
in the Contemporary vaults after nearly 45 years. Of the three tracks on
Bird Song which purportedly included LaFaro, my comments:
'What's New?' (Track 08) --
the 4-4 pulse is there but I think that LaFaro would have played it more
legato and even a bit back of the gbeat. And the bass solo here is
symmetrical and balanced. LaFaro at the time was bubbling over
(Bill Evans's critical observation), and not as balanced in his approach
to soloing.
'I'll Remember April' (Track 10)
-- the 4-4 pulse is more on top of the beat, but the arco bass solo
immediately made me think of bassist Paul Chambers, who did such
wonderful work on the Miles Davis recordings, Workin', Relaxin',
Steamin', and Cookin'.
'Blue 'n Boogie' (Track 12) --
good tempo, good foundation playing, balanced, but not LaFaro's tone.
TOC
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