Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro

Chapter 13. His Music I

155 •฀ ChapTer 13 • hIs musIc I Scott had only begun composing in his final year and left only two completed compositions:“Gloria’s Step” and “JadeVisions .” I have been asked about the titles of both and did mention in an earlier chapter the meaning behind “Gloria’s Step.” He didn’t tell me, and I haven’t uncovered since, his exact reasoning for the title of “JadeVisions.” It could have been from its Oriental flavor musically or from his interest in Eastern religions and culture or even tied into the jade stone itself. (In the last year of his life, Scotty did wear a small jade fish on a gold chain around his neck.) Jade signifies love, virtue, fidelity, humility, and generosity . It is thought to help one live in harmony with the laws of nature and is the symbolic link between man and the spiritual world. Confucius opined on its link to music. There may have been many reasons for his choice. Gloria told me that Scotty had been writing a lot those last months. As mentioned before, he had talked with Jerome Robbins about working together on something for bass and ballet. But if he had begun writing for that, it, along with his other work in progress, was lost in the fire of the auto accident.There are some small snippets of things he wrote that he jotted in his notebook of tunes he was playing with Bill. After Chuck Israels replaced Scott in the Evans trio, Gloria gave him this notebook. Chuck said he felt “that Gloria was making a gesture of friend- 156  JadeVisions:The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro ship and some kind of acceptance of my work with Bill when she gave me Scotty’s notebook, as well as recognizing that Scotty had some sense of common purpose with me in the short time that we knew each other.I took it as a kind and thoughtful gesture on her part.” Chuck kindly made a complete copy of the notebook to give to the family, remarking that “It’s nice to have it as a reminder that this was a real person who worked hard on his music and needed to make notes to himself just like the rest of us.” Scotty’s notations from one of his notebooks for“I Fall in Love Too Easily” by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn are reprinted here: His Music I  157 And here is a snippet of a tune of his own that Scotty was working on: About Scotty’s two completed compositions, Chuck Israels notes: “The interesting things about ‘Gloria’s Step’ are the unusual form and phrase lengths. Both of Scotty’s recorded compositions [with Bill] indicate a fine sensibility and a gift for musical invention. It is interesting that those two pieces (‘Gloria’s Step’ and ‘JadeVisions’) are so personal and unusual in nature that they receive few performances by others.As far as his bass playing was concerned, Scotty had already risen far beyond the position of being ‘promising.’ He was so technically ambitious that he raised the bar for everyone. No one since Jimmy Blanton had set such a high standard.” Eddie Gomez said regarding “Gloria’s Step”: “I’ve played it a lot.With Bill and the trio, and on my own, and recently with Chick Corea. I always loved that composition. It’s really a look into the future at that point in time because it’s in asymmetrical 158  JadeVisions:The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro form and harmonically it just moves in a very totally different, unique way. It’s wonderful writing and it’s visionary writing and it’s as contemporary as it gets.” Scotty’s two compositions have been mentioned by Victor Verney in his review of Peter Pettinger’s book Bill Evans:How My Heart Sings,and Keith Shadwick in his book,Bill Evans:Everything Happens to Me—A Musical Biography. Verney noted: “Bill Evans’ own ‘Waltz For Debby’ is possibly the single most likeable jazz song ever recorded.‘Gloria’s Step’(a Scott LaFaro composition) is one of the most memorable.‘JadeVisions’(also a LaFaro composition ) is a jumping off point for so much piano-based jazz that has followed in the past forty years.” Regarding“Gloria’s Step,”Shadwick writes: “The tune swings contentedly through a major-minor verse and bridge pattern.” And of “Jade Visions”: “Its...