Scott LaFaro
Pieces Of Jade
Resonance Records
www.ResonanceRecords.org
By George W. Harris

Depending on your knowledge of jazz, you have either a) never heard of
the bassist who died in a 1961 car accident at the tender age of 25, or
b) are obsessed with finding anything that he might have played on,
since Bill Evans’ 2 Village Vanguard recordings (with LaFaro and
drummer Paul Motian) are on your desert island list.

Being of the latter group, this set of previously unreleased recordings
of the legendary bassist is like a glass of cool water to a parched
throat. LaFaro was only on a handful of recording sessions, most
notably Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz release and the four releases with
Evans, all of which are legendary.

This disc’s centerpiece is a 1961 session with pianist Don Friedman and
drummer Pete LaRocca, who make some beautiful music with LaFaro on some
standards and originals. Friedman’s work is similar to Evans, while
LaFaro gets plenty of space to deliver some wonderfully sonoric solos
on “Sacre Bleu” and “Green Dolphin Street.” Along with these previously
unreleased tapes is a 22 minute rehearsal between LaFaro and Evans from
1960 as they fascinatingly work out variations of “My Foolish Heart.”
You feel like the proverbial fly on the wall here; they go over various
solo possibilities with informal elegance. A 1966 interview with Evans
probes into his insights on his friend, while the disc closes with a
solo performance dedicated to LaFaro by Friedman. This is not for those
who’ve never heard of LaFaro before, but if you have, run run RUN out
and find it!