Although he had an extensive career, tenor saxophonist
Charlie Rouse is best remembered for his decade (1960-1970) as a member of the
Thelonious Monk Quartet. It is only right that the last time that he picked up his horn was for a
Monk tribute concert. This historic event, originally released by Landmark and reissued with one extra selection on a 1997 32 Jazz CD, finds
Rouse in prime form despite the fact that he had just seven weeks to live (before passing on from lung cancer). The date was special from the start, with producer
Orrin Keepnews getting
Rouse to say a few words to the audience about his time with
Monk. There are renditions of "Nutty" and "Ruby, My Dear" that match
Rouse with pianist
George Cables, bassist Jeff Chambers and drummer Ralph Penland; "Blue Monk" has
Jessica Williams sitting in quite effectively on piano; the "new" rendition of "In Walked Bud" showcases vibraphonist
Buddy Montgomery in a quartet with
Cables, Chambers, and Penland; and, for "'Round Midnight" and "Epistrophy" (Thelonious' closing theme, which also closed the career of
Charlie Rouse), the tenorman and quartet are joined by trumpeter
Don Cherry. A historic occasion that resulted in near-classic music; highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow