Joe Roccisano had only a month to live when
Nonet was recorded on October 9, 1997 -- on November 9, the
Charlie Parker-influenced alto saxman died of a massive heart attack at the age of 58. For
Nonet, his final studio date as a leader,
Roccisano led what his friend
Phil Woods would term a "little big band" -- a nine-piece unit that includes, among others, trombonist
Conrad Herwig, tenor saxophonist
Tim Ries, baritone saxophonist
Jack Stuckey, trumpeter
Greg Gisbert, pianist
Bill Charlap and drummer
Terry Clarke. Enjoyable, if conventional,
Nonet finds
Roccisano sticking with what he did best -- straight-ahead hard bop and familiar jazz and pop standards such as John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Chega de Saudade (No More Blues)." This swan song reminds us that while
Roccisano was never an innovator, he was a warm, likable improviser who always swung. ~ Alex Henderson