John LaPorta dies

[brownie]

Sad news.

From The New York Times today:

John D. LaPorta, 84, Clarinetist-Composer, Dies

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

SARASOTA, Fla. — John D. LaPorta, a classically trained clarinetist who performed with the stars of early modern jazz before beginning a long teaching and

composing career, died here on Wednesday, his family announced. He was 84.

Mr. LaPorta played and recorded with many prominent jazz musicians, including Kenny Clarke, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich and Miles

Davis. From 1944 to 1946 he was a performer and composer for the Woody Herman Orchestra. He also performed with Leonard Bernstein, Igor Stravinsky,

Leopold Stokowski and the Boston Pops.

Mr. LaPorta composed jazz and classical works in many genres, including film soundtracks, and published some 200 compositions.

Born on April 13, 1920, in Philadelphia, he received a bachelor's degree in music in 1956 and a master's degree in music education in 1957 from the Manhattan

School of Music.

Mr. LaPorta taught at the Berklee College of Music in Boston for more than 35 years and was a founding member of the National Association of Jazz Educators,

now the International Association of Jazz Educators. In 2001 he published an autobiography, "Playing It by Ear" (North Country Distributors).

His survivors include his wife, Virginia; his daughters Donna Marks of Newburyport, Mass.; Karen Burnham of Evans, Ga.; Jeanette McCarthy of Winchester,

Mass.; his son, John Jr., of Beverly, Mass.; a brother, Salvatore; a sister, Rose Vissichelli; and five grandchildren.

Edited May 15, 2004 by brownie

[B. Goren.]

RIP Mr. LaPorta.

Edited May 15, 2004 by B. Goren.

[wesbed]

I've never heard of John LaPorta. Still, the candle from B. Goren. is a nice touch.

[king ubu]

Sad news to start the weekend!

R.I.P.

ubu

[alankin]

LaPorta also recorded with Charles Mingus from 1954-55 & in 1960 and recorded albums as a leader for Debut and Fantasy in the mid-1950s.

[brownie]

His autobiography 'Playing It By Ear' was also recently published by Cadence.

I was looking to get this book. It will part of my next purchase from Cadence.

The recently issued Fantasy album 'Theme and Variations' which gathers two of LaPorta's rare

albums from the fifties was a revelation. It came out as part of the OJC series.

Edited May 15, 2004 by brownie

[Claude]

By coincidence, as I'm discovering this thread and the death of John LaPorta, I'm listening to a November 1948 session by Barry Ulanov and His All Star Metronome Jazzmen, featuring Charlie Parker, Fats Navarro, Lennie Tristano, and John LaPorta on clarinet. The only LaPorta recording in my collection and a CD that I haven't listened to for six years at least.

[mmilovan]

By coincidence, as I'm discovering this thread and the death of John LaPorta, I'm listening to a November 1948 session by  Barry Ulanov and His All Star Metronome Jazzmen, featuring Charlie Parker, Fats Navarro, Lennie Tristano, and John LaPorta on clarinet. The only LaPorta recording in my collection and a CD that I haven't listened to for six years at least.

RIP Mr. LaPorta

SPeaking of that Metronome All Stars I have one take from September 20, 1947. Bird, Dizzy. LaPorta, Max Roach, Ray Brown, Tristano, and Billy Bauer.

If it is the same with what you own it some of the best music ever.

"Tiger Rag" from that session is probably some of the most exciting music ever recorded.

Bop musicans plays traditional!

Edited May 15, 2004 by mmilovan

[robviti]

i had a class with laporta at berklee back in the 70's. it was a joy to hear him talk about the music he obviously loved so much. i remember he'd demonstrate differrent things on his clarinet, and you really got the sense that he was reaching out to you rather than looking down at you. arrivederci insegnante.

[garthsj]

His autobiography 'Playing It By Ear' was also recently published by Cadence.

I was looking to get this book. It will part of my next purchase from Cadence.

The recently issued Fantasy album 'Theme and Variations' which gathers two of LaPorta's rare

albums from the fifties was a revelation. It came out as part of the OJC series.

Brownie ... I am pleased that you have "rediscovered" the music of John Laporta. Like some other musicians we discussed on another thread recently, he is one of those wonderful musicians from the adventurous decade of the fifties whose music was a little ahead of its time. Now through the miracle of "low cost" reissues, an entire new appreciative audience is being created for this unjustly neglected music. In recent years LaPorta continued to make records and release them on his own private label.

A fellow member of the West Coas list sent me this note this morning..... it has useful information.

"I have written an appreciation of La Porta's career with a long discography. As it runs close to 2000 words it is too long to post here - if this is of interest, I suggest you go to www.upstairsjazz.com then "music" and then "Len's Den".

Also, this site of Matt Snyder's is very useful ...

http://users.bestweb.net/~msnyder/clarinet/laporta.htm

JOHN LAPORTA, R.I.P.

[brownie]

garthjs, thanks for providing the links to LaPorta.

Actually, I did not really rediscover LaPorta's music. Always enjoyed his contribution

to a number of Charles Mingus albums. Problem was finding his albums. These were

very rare items. I was glad when Fantasy reissued the 'Theme and Variations' CD.

Another LaPorta album I rediscovered was 'Most Minor' that FreshSounds reissued

a couple of years ago.

[Guest ariceffron]

HE ALSO HAS HIS ON LP JUST REISSUED ON CD ON I BELIEVE PRESTIGE (ITS OJC FOR SURE) AND ITS SOME CRAZY 3RD STREAM ALMOST WITH ALL THESE 30 SECOND INTERLUDES. HE ALSO IS KNOWN TO US HARD BOP NUTS BEACUSE HE WAS ON THOSE 'JAZZ MESSAGE OF HANK MOBLEY' LPS, THATS WHERE I FIRST HEARD HIM, ALTHOUGH THOSE ARE MINOR ALBUMS IN HIS CARREER

[mikeweil]

RIP Mr. Clarinet - always enjoyed your playing.

[JSngry]

A pretty interesting cat. I first heard of him through some student "stage band" charts that he wrote for Alfred Publishing back in the early 1970s. Nothing too remarkable, but they served their purpose well. Around that same time, I picked up the Everest L of the Mingus Period album and noticed the name, There was such a differencebetween what "John LaPorta" was into there and what "John LaPorta" was writing for student jazz ensembles that I wondered if it was the same guy!

Heard him on the Crown Woody Herman "tribute" album, and as a member of Woody's 40s band, and played out a few of his method books back in my student days.

What I found most interesting about him was the tale told in the Warne Marsh bio An Unsung Cat, was how he was studying w/Tristano and was able to essentially tell Lennie to fuck off when Tristano's "mind control" techniques got out of control. Not many people seemed to have been able to do that.

Gotta get that autobiography.

Edited May 16, 2004 by JSngry