The jazz bassist who revolutionized rhythm by abandoning the walking line
In short: Before 1960, the double bass was largely a metronome for the band. Scott LaFaro shattered that role, treating the instrument as a melodic voice. His radical approach was so influential that his sudden death at age 25 was said to have set the instrument back ten years.
LaFaro's primary contribution to jazz was the development of a countermelodic style of accompaniment. While his contemporaries typically played traditional 'walking' basslines to keep time, LaFaro worked with pianist Bill Evans and drummer Paul Motian to create a trio of three equal voices. In this framework, the musicians collaborated on a singular musical idea, often performing without any single musician explicitly keeping the beat. This 'emancipation' of the bass introduced diverse possibilities that were previously thought impossible for the instrument. His technical virtuosity was bolstered by rigorous practice and unique training. After learning the bass at age 18, he studied with Red Mitchell, who taught him to pluck strings independently with both his index and middle fingers. To improve his facility with the upper register, LaFaro even practiced from sheet music intended for the higher-pitched clarinet.
He also spent hours transcribing the solos of Sonny Rollins into bass clef to study their phrasing. LaFaro's career was cut short by a fatal automobile accident on July 6, 1961, just four days after performing at the Newport Jazz Festival. The impact was profound: Bill Evans was reportedly left in a state of shock and stopped performing for several months, while legendary bassist Ray Brown lamented that the loss would set the instrument back a decade. Today, his legacy is preserved through his 1825 Abraham Prescott bass—noted for its marvelous sustaining quality—and his status as a top-ranked jazz bassist of all time.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Scott LaFaro
- Also: Wikidata — Scott LaFaro · CC0
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