Criss-Cross

by Thelonious Monk

Criss-Cross cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 1963
  • Label: Columbia
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 21:12
  • Community rating: 4.55/5 from 5 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

A brilliant re-interpretation of his own 1951 masterpiece, this album showcases the unique chemistry of Monk's classic 1960s quartet. Charlie Rouse's tenor saxophone acts as the perfect foil for Monk's angular composition, while the rhythm section provides a relaxed, confident swing. It demonstrates how Monk's timelessly modern compositions could be explored anew within a more settled, swinging framework.

Genres

Descriptors: piano, classic, witty, syncopated, idiosyncratic

Tracklist

  1. Hackensack (4:12)
  2. Tea for Two (3:46)
  3. Criss-Cross (4:52)
  4. Eronel (4:29)
  5. Rhythm-A-Ning (3:53)

Credits

  • Thelonious Monk - primary artist, piano, written-by
  • John Ore - bass
  • Frankie Dunlop - drums
  • Nica De Koenigswarter - liner notes
  • Sandy Speiser - photography by
  • Teo Macero - producer
  • Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone
  • Irving Caesar - written-by
  • Vincent Youmans - written-by
  • Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields - written-by
  • Pannonica de Koenigswarter - liner notes

More from Thelonious Monk: full discography