Jazz Times
02/17/12
Phil Palombi
Re: Person I Knew: A Tribute To Scott LaFaro
Le Goat
By Bill Milkowski
Commemorating 50 years since the legendary bassist’s untimely passing, Phil Palombi plays the restored 1825 Prescott upright that once belonged to Scott LaFaro. Joined by one-time Bill Evans drummer Eliot Zigmund and veteran pianist Don Friedman, he performs two Evans staples, “Turn Out the Stars” and the title track, as well as a number of thoughtful originals. Palombi’s exceptional facility and musical depth is showcased on three unaccompanied pieces and a stirring duet with Zigmund on LaFaro’s signature tune, “Gloria’s Step.” On Friedman’s melancholy “Memories of Scotty” and Palombi’s “Trepidation,” the trio exhibits the same kind of interactive flair that characterized the Evans trio with LaFaro and Paul Motian on the legendary Sunday at the Village Vanguard.
