Thrill Jockey Records calls Jack Rose “the most profound exponent of acoustic guitar playing of his generation.”

Rose was loved and respected by many fans and musicians; he put on a sublime live show, had a great personality, and was apparently a master chef. Thrill Jockey plans to celebrate his life — as well as the posthumous release of his last album, Luck In The Valley, on Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 7:00pm.

The Chicago label, long known for supporting under-appreciated and experimental musicians, had signed Rose just months before he died at age 38 on December 5. Some of Dr. Ragtime‘s friends will perfom at the benefit, including Thurston Moore, Paul Flaherty, Chris Corsano, and members of his first band, Pelt. You can purchase tickets here.

Rose was also an avid record collector with a vast knowledge of pre-WWII American music. Luck in the Valley contains seven original compositions, as well as three new arrangements of the classic pre-war songs “St. Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy, “Everybody Ought to Pray Sometime” by Dennis Crumpton and Robert Summers, and “West Coast Blues” by Blind Blake.

According to Thrill Jockey,

Like all pre-war recordings and all of Rose’s releases, Luck in the Valley was recorded live. Rose stated, “I wanted the songs to have an immediacy and spontaneity as they were being recorded. All the musicians chosen for the record know how to play the songs without overworking the material.”

The album title refers to the old red light section of St. Louis and was a code for procuring the services of a prostitute. Said Rose, “I read about it on some liner notes to a reissue of pre-war St. Louis recordings and I liked the ring of it.”

Luck in the Valley will be released on February 23rd. For a sample, check out “Woodpiles on the Side of the Road” (MP3).