The album title says it all. At the end of 1966, Brubeck had advised the quartet that he would be retiring a year hence to “spend more time with his family” and to compose. This previously unreleased concert performance (staged for a charity) marked the quartet's last official appearance (save for a 1976 reunion tour) and has only recently emerged from Brubeck's own archive. Producer Russell Gloyd talks of rummaging about in Brubeck's store room and coming across a cache of tape boxes, among them this mono recording. Brubeck no longer remembers how it came about except to say that it was not a Columbia recording (the holiday season hiatus prevented that). Now somewhat cleaned up, it's released for the first time by Columbia, Brubeck's original partner label. Knowing it to be their final meeting, Brubeck recalls “we had nothing to prove. Let's go out and have some fun” and fun they had, their efforts well caught over this double CD. If much of the repertoire repeats earlier triumphs (‘Take Five’ is the final track) then so be it. After all as Gloyd points out, 1967 had been a strenuous year for the quartet, with tours of Canada, Mexico and Europe plus over 100 US concerts so one might expect a sense of release, of anticipating closure.

The atmosphere is almost playful at times, this epitomised by Brubeck's splashy introduction to ‘Swanee River’, which opens the second disc, Desmond nibbling away at the theme er Wright's pitter-patter bass and Morello's impactive drums. Aside from Brubeck's own approach which can veer from a crisp, boppish attack to a thumping farrago of notes and chords via an almost Garner-esque behindthe-beat workout, it's the wonderfully lithe swing that Wright and Morello generate coupled with the frail beauty of Desmond's sound that so pleases the ear. ‘Swanee’, which lasts over 10 minutes, epitomises the quartet's appeal in its extended interplay, creative plenty and joy in performance. ‘St Louis Blues’ receives similarly generous attention and it's fair to record that ‘Take Five’ sounds pleasingly fresh and positive, the crowd clearly relishing every note. So should you.