Phil Palombi Plays Scott LaFaro's Bass

I was granted the IMMENSE honor of the temporary loan of Scott LaFaro's actual 1825 Prescott bass that he used in the last three or four years of his life. I am going to use it to record a tribute CD in his honor.

The CD, which I'm recording on December 6-8, 2010, will feature Don Friedman on piano and Eliot Zigmund on drums. Please check my YouTube page (Bassphil) for more videos as I post them, as well as my personal website for the recording info:

www.philpalombi.com

I'm planning on creating a little documentary about this event. With the exception of Marc Johnson, who had the bass for a few days to record two tracks on a great Eliane Elias CD (A tribute to Bill Evans), this will be the first time that Scott's bass has been used for a full length recording since his untimely death in 1961.

Don't worry, the following videos will be shot with a MUCH better video camera. This little quicky was shot with my iPhone....

Thanks for watching!

-Phil

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Scott
• LaFaro
• Lafaro's
• bass
• phil
• palombi
• jazz
• prescott

[jazzflea]

I see! I love the sound of it, might have to order a set!!! I so envy you for the opportunity to even touch let alone play that bass. Anyway, can I buy one of your book of transcribed solos and songs of Scott??

[Bassphil]

@jazzflea

Yes, you can buy the books off of my website. The address is listed in the description of the video.

Thanks for checking out my odyssey! I have a lot more footage to post as soon as I have some time :-)

[Bassphil]

jazzflea- they're Kolstein strings, which are a perlon core with a steel wrapping. Barrie Kolstein felt that they're probably the closest string to what Scott was using. They sounded and felt great on the instrument.

[Bassphil]

Thanks guys! Yeah, it's pretty eye opening. This whole event in my life has been a humbling experience.

[doctordeluca]

A great story. Phil's love of jazz stems directly from the historic live recordings of the Trio, circa '61, shortly before La Faro's untimely death. The DB survived and eventually came to Phil who plays it with the love it deserves, and who transcribed La Faro's work; a musical mitzvah!

Read full story in an interview with Phil by Jazz Inside, Nov '11 issue available for free online - jazznewswire[dot]com(slash)jaz­z-music-magazine-download-nove­mber-2011-issue-free-jazz-insi­de/ - Thank You Phil!

[andrewatwill]

Love it!

You deserve it - your book is a magnificent testimony to a magnificent bassist

:-)

[thebassbass]

@brewermfnyc you do know this bass is a busetto outline and not a gamba, hints it has busetto corners not gamba

[jazzflea]

Sounds great! So curious what kind of strings you have on it????

[emilioguarino]

YES man! Congrats!

[brewermfnyc]

Hey! That looks a lot like your Big Bertha bass - those same gamba corners. Can't wait to hear it.