The Tampa Bay Fingerstyle Guitar Guild hosts a Tribute/Fundraiser for Sal DiTroia this Tuesday to honor the late session guitarist while raising money for his family to help with the unexpected expenses they incurred after his death in June. Few people are aware of DiTroia's behind-the-scenes finger-picking. His composition credits include The Monkees' "I'm a Believer," Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer" and "Scarborough Fair," the score of the wedding scene in The Godfather, pretty much all of Dionne Warwick's hits, various projects with Burt Bacharach and plenty else. In 2005, DiTroia recorded his first and only solo album, Lost in the Music, a collection of lovely acoustic melodies that call to mind rambling country roads and languid Sunday mornings. DiTroia was one of the original founders of the Tampa Bay Fingerstyle Guitar Guild and played various gigs around the Bay area until his untimely passing at age 66. The fundraiser in his honor features live performances by DiTroia comrades and current guild members Sam Pacetti, Gale Trippsmith, Jeff Arthur and Radio Reset. Tues., Aug. 28, 8 p.m., Skipper's Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa, $10, 813-975-0777, skipperssmokehouse.com.
This article appears in Aug 22-28, 2007.