Many people feel that saxophonist Charlie Rouse was the perfect foil for Thelonious Monk. His sound had a fullness and a haunting quality that perfectly complimented Monk’s angular and often humorous compositions. I met Charlie several years before this conversation took place. I had been writing lyrics to jazz compositions and, through producer Michael Cuscuna, had come across a song titled “Little Sherry” that Charlie had written and recorded for Blue Note years back, but which, for some reason, had never been released. After I had refreshed Charlie’s memory about this tune (he had apparently stopped playing it long ago), I asked him who the song had been written for, the “Little Sherry” in the title. I had envisioned, perhaps, one of the more outstanding jazz fans from years past. He told me Sherry was his grand-daughter. Charlie was one of the hippest grandfathers ever, and his years with Monk only made him more so.and, through producer Michael Cuscuna, had come across a song titled “Little Sherry” that Charlie had written and recorded for Blue Note years back, but which, for some reason, had never been released. After I had refreshed Charlie’s memory about this tune (he had apparently stopped playing it long ago), I asked him who the song had been written for, the “Little Sherry” in the title. I had envisioned, perhaps, one of the more outstanding jazz fans from years past. He told me Sherry was his grand-daughter. Charlie was one of the hippest grandfathers ever, and his years with Monk only made him more so.