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North Texas Lives of Musicians Series
Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro
Winner of the Best Book of 2009, Jazz Division, sponsored by AllAboutJazz-New York, 2009.
Selected for "The Best of the Best" from University Presses, ALA Conference, 2010.
Winner of the 2010 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research in Jazz, 2010.
Jade Visions is the first biography of one of the twentieth century's most influential jazz musicians, bassist Scott LaFaro. Best known for his landmark recordings with Bill Evans, LaFaro played bass a mere seven years before his life and career were tragically cut short by an automobile accident when he was only 25 years old. Told by his sister, this book uniquely combines family history with insight into LaFaro's music by well-known jazz experts and musicians Gene Lees, Don Thompson, Jeff Campbell, Phil Palombi, Chuck Ralston, Barrie Kolstein, and Robert Wooley. Those interested in Bill Evans, the history of jazz, and the lives of working musicians of the time will appreciate this exploration of LaFaro’s life and music as well as the feeling they’ve been invited into the family circle as an intimate.
Selected for "The Best of the Best" from University Presses, ALA Conference, 2010.
Winner of the 2010 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research in Jazz, 2010.
Jade Visions is the first biography of one of the twentieth century's most influential jazz musicians, bassist Scott LaFaro. Best known for his landmark recordings with Bill Evans, LaFaro played bass a mere seven years before his life and career were tragically cut short by an automobile accident when he was only 25 years old. Told by his sister, this book uniquely combines family history with insight into LaFaro's music by well-known jazz experts and musicians Gene Lees, Don Thompson, Jeff Campbell, Phil Palombi, Chuck Ralston, Barrie Kolstein, and Robert Wooley. Those interested in Bill Evans, the history of jazz, and the lives of working musicians of the time will appreciate this exploration of LaFaro’s life and music as well as the feeling they’ve been invited into the family circle as an intimate.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 6, 2024
Great mix of personal insight from LaFaro's sister, friends, acquaintances, and people influenced by this amazing bassist and overall brilliant musician. You get first hand accounts from people he played with, fellow bassists, critics, music theory experts, and so on. Almost everyone that followed him in the Evans trio weighs in. Ornette speaks of his relationship. It's really everything you want in this kind of biography.
January 2, 2017
Wonderful insight into the tragically short lived life of master bassist Scott Lafaro. I have to admit I have a weakness for biographies of the less mainstream Jazz innovators. I really enjoyed finding about LaFaro's family and how driven Scotty was constantly practicing and trying the limits of his instrument, not unlike John Coltrane to some extent. I have been on a big Bill Evans kick the the last few months and I will listen to his sessions with Scott LaFaro with bigger ears and more appreciation plus check some of his other recordings.
May 18, 2020
If you are a jazz fan this is a must read bio. Scott LaFaro, killed at age twenty five by car accident in 1961, was the jazz bass innovator. This book, written by his sister tells his story in "hero worship" style. His association with Bill Evans as part of the famous trio was his professional high point.
My favorite sections are the discography, and detailed description of his bass technique. I enjoyed this book very much.
My favorite sections are the discography, and detailed description of his bass technique. I enjoyed this book very much.
November 27, 2013
A really nicely pieced- together book of information about one of the giants in the field. LaFaro fans will certainly enjoy this, and will learn a lot. Not exactly beautifully written, but that's also part of its charm. I would recommend this to any jazz fan who is a fan of the Bill Evans trio. Certainly every jazz bassist should have a go at it.
February 26, 2022
This is a sweet, heartfelt portrait of an immense talent, gone too soon. I loved the insight to both LaFaro’s life as well as the heady portrait of the Los Angeles jazz scene of the late fifties. The first part of the book is a lovely portrait of the artist, and the second part is an essential explanation of his importance to the innovative jazz movement that he was a part of, and a thorough discography. Very highly recommended for any fans of music in general, and especially for those, like myself, just beginning to grasp the intricate magic of great jazz.
December 28, 2020
Scott LaFaro will best be remembered for Sunday Night at the Village Vanguard as bassist in the Bill Evans Trio. His personality and courageous artistic vision come right through in those recordings. It's all you really need to know about Scott. However, if you're a Bill Evans fan this book is a fun read nonetheless.
September 12, 2020
This is not so much a review of Jade Visions as it is a chance for me to say some stuff about Scott LaFaro, whose life and work have really intrigued me recently. I have given the book a five star rating here because it fills a void: there is no other existing Scott LaFaro bio to my knowledge. Yet much of it, unfortunately, is poorly written.
Scott LaFaro was an influential jazz bassist who died in an automobile accident in 1961 at the age of 25, and is best remembered as a member of the first Bill Evans Trio. Jade Visions is not the detailed biography I assumed it would be when I got it via interlibrary loan a few months ago. There are plenty of biographical details, but perhaps because it was written by LaFaro’s sister, it feels more like a remembrance.
While the authorship is credited to Helen LaFaro Fernandez, there are other hands in the book. Most of these are seen in the 100+ pages of appendices and other back matter. These contributions range from people who knew “Scotty” to the luthier who restored his 1825 Prescott bass, severely damaged in the crash that killed him.
My interest in Scott LaFaro revived last fall (2019), in a case of one thing leading to another, and another after that. There’s a guy in France who writes guitar transcriptions and makes them available to his Patreon supporters, of which I am one. He sent around a link to “Waltz for Debby,” the Bill Evans tune, and I got totally hooked on its very cool chord changes.
“Waltz for Debby” is probably Evans’s best-known tune. He wrote it in the early 1950s, and several years later the writer Gene Lees added lyrics, which were in the loss-of-innocence vein. Tony Bennett recorded the song a couple of times. His 1975 version, with Evans on piano, brings tears to my eyes. (An earlier version, not so much.)
But “Waltz for Debby” is essentially an instrumental. The Bill Evans Trio recorded it as such in a now-legendary date at the Village Vanguard in June 1961, ten days before LaFaro was killed. LaFaro’s bass lines flow like oil.
“He had a lyrical sensibility that reached its pinnacle in his work with ... Bill Evans,” Gene Lees writes in the intro to Jade Visions.
Evans, of course, also recognized LaFaro’s abilities, which the bassist had not fully harnessed when he and Evans first met. “He was a marvelous player and talent,” Evans said, “but it was bubbling out of him almost like a gusher. Ideas were rolling out on top of each other; he could barely handle it.”
LaFaro himself felt his playing was contrary to prevailing standards. “My ideas are so different from what is generally acceptable nowadays,” he told The Jazz Review in 1960, “that I sometimes wonder if I am a jazz musician. I remember that Bill and I used to reassure each other some nights kiddingly that we really were jazz musicians.”
In addition to Bill Evans, Scott Lafaro also played, during his brief career, with such luminaries as Dr. Billy Taylor, Hank and Thad Jones, and even Benny Goodman. He also played on Ornette Coleman's landmark Free Jazz album, which featured a double quartet. Ornette later named a tune “The Alchemy of Scott LaFaro.”
While it may not be the biography I anticipated, there is still much value in Jade Visions. It is indeed a pity that LaFaro died so young, and in view of that, it is remarkable how great his influence has been. He completed only two compositions: the titular “Jade Visions,” and “Gloria’s Step.” Both were recorded by the trio that June night in 1961. “Gloria’s Step” is probably the better known of the two, and is widely performed to this day. Even I have fiddled with the chords. My favorite versions, apart from the trio’s, include a bass and guitar duet with Miroslav Vitous and Bireli Lagrene, and Cyrus Chestnut on his 2015 album A Million Colors In Your Mind. There are plenty of others.
Scott LaFaro was an influential jazz bassist who died in an automobile accident in 1961 at the age of 25, and is best remembered as a member of the first Bill Evans Trio. Jade Visions is not the detailed biography I assumed it would be when I got it via interlibrary loan a few months ago. There are plenty of biographical details, but perhaps because it was written by LaFaro’s sister, it feels more like a remembrance.
While the authorship is credited to Helen LaFaro Fernandez, there are other hands in the book. Most of these are seen in the 100+ pages of appendices and other back matter. These contributions range from people who knew “Scotty” to the luthier who restored his 1825 Prescott bass, severely damaged in the crash that killed him.
My interest in Scott LaFaro revived last fall (2019), in a case of one thing leading to another, and another after that. There’s a guy in France who writes guitar transcriptions and makes them available to his Patreon supporters, of which I am one. He sent around a link to “Waltz for Debby,” the Bill Evans tune, and I got totally hooked on its very cool chord changes.
“Waltz for Debby” is probably Evans’s best-known tune. He wrote it in the early 1950s, and several years later the writer Gene Lees added lyrics, which were in the loss-of-innocence vein. Tony Bennett recorded the song a couple of times. His 1975 version, with Evans on piano, brings tears to my eyes. (An earlier version, not so much.)
But “Waltz for Debby” is essentially an instrumental. The Bill Evans Trio recorded it as such in a now-legendary date at the Village Vanguard in June 1961, ten days before LaFaro was killed. LaFaro’s bass lines flow like oil.
“He had a lyrical sensibility that reached its pinnacle in his work with ... Bill Evans,” Gene Lees writes in the intro to Jade Visions.
Evans, of course, also recognized LaFaro’s abilities, which the bassist had not fully harnessed when he and Evans first met. “He was a marvelous player and talent,” Evans said, “but it was bubbling out of him almost like a gusher. Ideas were rolling out on top of each other; he could barely handle it.”
LaFaro himself felt his playing was contrary to prevailing standards. “My ideas are so different from what is generally acceptable nowadays,” he told The Jazz Review in 1960, “that I sometimes wonder if I am a jazz musician. I remember that Bill and I used to reassure each other some nights kiddingly that we really were jazz musicians.”
In addition to Bill Evans, Scott Lafaro also played, during his brief career, with such luminaries as Dr. Billy Taylor, Hank and Thad Jones, and even Benny Goodman. He also played on Ornette Coleman's landmark Free Jazz album, which featured a double quartet. Ornette later named a tune “The Alchemy of Scott LaFaro.”
While it may not be the biography I anticipated, there is still much value in Jade Visions. It is indeed a pity that LaFaro died so young, and in view of that, it is remarkable how great his influence has been. He completed only two compositions: the titular “Jade Visions,” and “Gloria’s Step.” Both were recorded by the trio that June night in 1961. “Gloria’s Step” is probably the better known of the two, and is widely performed to this day. Even I have fiddled with the chords. My favorite versions, apart from the trio’s, include a bass and guitar duet with Miroslav Vitous and Bireli Lagrene, and Cyrus Chestnut on his 2015 album A Million Colors In Your Mind. There are plenty of others.
December 28, 2009
This book is not very well-written. There are a few typos...probably because it just came out.
However, if you are a jazz bassist, the material is essential and very interesting. The analysis of LaFaro's music is well-done by competent musicians, with scores and transcriptions to enhance understanding.
If you are not a jazz bassist, but interested in the history of jazz, this book is also well worth the purchase.
However, if you are a jazz bassist, the material is essential and very interesting. The analysis of LaFaro's music is well-done by competent musicians, with scores and transcriptions to enhance understanding.
If you are not a jazz bassist, but interested in the history of jazz, this book is also well worth the purchase.
May 21, 2014
Great insight and information is provided here for anyone interested in Scott LaFaro's life and musical experience. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews