Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro

Scott LaFaro Discography

249 scott laFaro dIscograPhY by Chuck Ralston This discography places in chronological order public, commercially released recordings on which Scott LaFaro performed . For the most part, information has been compiled from “liner notes”printed on the container (the jacket or sleeve) accompanying long-play (LP) vinyl recordings, as well as from program booklets and inserts that accompany most compact disc (CD) digital recordings. I have included, however, information from other publications to make clearer a recording date,identities of performers ,instrumentation,and related issues.Many recording companies, more focused on getting product to market, neglected to include details about recording session dates, performers, instrumentation, program content (compositions, tunes, alternate takes), initial release dates, re-issue dates, compilations, and so on. The order herein is first by recording date, rather than by release or publication date, grouped by year recorded. Re-issued recordings are listed right after the bibliographic description of the original recording. If a recording was not released soon after the actual recording date, but much later (in some cases decades later) I have placed it in chronological order by actual date of the recording. For example, West Coast Days, recorded in 1958, is listed in year 1958 although it was first released in 1992 in CD 250  JadeVisions:The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro format. One recording session that LaFaro worked with pianist Paul Bley in Los Angeles has never been released and therefore is not included. Some other recordings that LaFaro may have performed on (e.g., with Benny Goodman, Barney Kessel, or Frank Sinatra) have not yet been verified. An Addendum at the end lists recordings that erroneously include LaFaro as bassist. 1. Shorty-Tunes: Buddy Morrow and His Orchestra Chicago: Standard Radio Transcription Services, Inc. [No date, 1956?] ST-1039. 1 sound disc; analog, 33 1/3 rpm, monophonic; 12 in. Performers: Buddy Morrow, trombone and leader Others are not identified Program: Side A (ST-1039-A) 1. Day by Day (A. Stordahl-P.Weston-S. Kahn) 1:09 2. Don’t Worry About Me (Marty Robbins) 1:09 3.They Didn’t Believe Me (J. Kern-H. Reynolds) 1:28 4. Little Girl Blue (Rodgers-Hart) 1:26 5. If There’s Someone Lovelier ThanYou (Dietz-Schwartz) 1:07 Side B (ST-1039-B) 1. Somebody Somewhere (Frank Loesser) 1:45 2. Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)1:02 3. My Blue Heaven (Donaldson-Whiting) 1:07 4.April in Paris (V. Duke-Y. Harburg) 1:25 5. Main Title (Molly-O) (I. Berlin)1:34 Note: Helene LaFaro-Fernandez recalls her brother Scotty telling her that he performed with the Buddy Morrow Orchestra on this “air Scott LaFaro Discography  251 check” recording. This information is from her personal copy of this recording’s circular “hole” label. 2. GoldenTrombone: Buddy Morrow and His Orchestra Featuring Buddy Morrow. Especially arranged by Walt Stewart [with] alto solos by Dick Johnson. Chicago: Mercury Record Corp., 1956? MG-20221. 1 sound disc; analog, 33 1/3 rpm, monophonic; 12 in. Container cover title: Buddy Morrow and His GoldenTrombone. Performers: Buddy Morrow, trombone and leader Dick Johnson, alto saxophone Walt Stewart, trumpet Others are not identified Program: Side A (MG-20221-A) 1. I’ll Close My Eyes (Buddy Kaye-Billy Reid) 2.With a Song in My Heart (Rodgers-Hart) 3.There Will Never Be AnotherYou (Harry Warren-Mack Gordon) 4.This Is Autumn (Walt Stuart) 5. My Foolish Heart (VictorYoung-Ned Washington) 6.You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To (Cole Porter) Side B (MG-20221-B) 1.With the Wind and the Rain inYour Hair (Jack Lawrence-Clara Edwards) 2. Portrait of Jennie (J. Russel Robinson-Gordon Burdge) 3. Symphony (Lawrence-Stone) 4. Cerise (Walt Stuart) 5. Laura (David Raksin-Johnny Mercer) 6.The Song IsYou (Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II) 252  JadeVisions:The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro Note:Although this recording has not appeared in any previous listing of recordings on which Scott LaFaro has performed, it is included here because it is highly probable that LaFaro was a member of the Morrow band at the time. Moreover, Mark Carlsen, bassist, luthier, teacher, and a member of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vintage 1981–1984), has shared with me his recollection of discussions about LaFaro with fellow band member, Linwood Blaisdell, trumpeter, and Morrow himself. Both Morrow and Blaisdell recalled LaFaro as the bassist on this recording . In addition...