Terell Stafford
Trumpet Solo on
'Round Midnight

About

Terell Stafford's trumpet solo is the sole improvisation on this interpretation of Thelonious Monk's iconic composition. Taking a quarter chorus of the 32-bar AABA form in B-flat at a contemplative 56 BPM, Stafford delivers a poignant statement that honors the song's meditative character. As a guest artist on the album, Stafford brings his warm tone and lyrical phrasing to one of the most recorded compositions in jazz history, his restrained approach perfectly suited to the ballad's slow, searching quality.

Terell Stafford was 55 to 56 years old at the time.