Grammy Award-Winning Bassist Phil Palombi Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Legendary Scott LaFaro’s Passing

RE: Person I Knew is a tribute to bass legend Scott LaFaro, who died tragically in a car accident 50 years ago this year at the age of 25. Phil Palombi plays the EXACT bass that made Scotty a legend on the Bill Evans Trio, Live at the Village Vanguard Sessions!

Joining Palombi on this date are Don Friedman and Eliot Zigmund. Keeping with the theme of the tribute, Eliot’s connection would be his time in the Bill Evans trio, though with Eddie Gomez on bass. Don, however, has a long history with Scott as musical partner and even roommate!

It is important to note that this is no pick-up band. The trio has played together for many years, and the duo of Eliot and Don goes back longer than Phil has been alive. Joining the trio on this date is Scott LaFaro’s 1825 Abraham Prescott bass. It is the very bass that Scott played for the last four years of his life- the bass that he played on the recordings Waltz for Debby and Sunday at the Village Vanguard.

“Phil Palombi has crafted the rare tribute that shows how a past master has inspired him, without trying to follow in his footsteps.”  —Ken Dryden, NYC Jazz Record Review

Joining him on the date are:

DON FRIEDMAN, who recorded his first record as a leader for Riverside in 1961. Since then, he has performed with artists such as Pepper Adams, Ornette Coleman, Charles Lloyd, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson, Clark Terry, and Scott LaFaro, just to name a few.
Eliot Zigmund, who has had a jazz career spanning 40 years. He has performed with a wide variety of artists including Michel Petrucciani, Vince Guaraldi, Jim Hall, Stan Getz, and Fred Hersch. Most notable, however, was his tenure with the Bill Evans trio, which included bass great Eddie Gomez.