Title: Thelonious Monk – Criss-Cross

Year/Genre: 1963, Jazz

Matrix #: CS 8838

Condition: VG+++

Description:
Released in 1963 on Columbia, Criss-Cross was recorded during Monk’s mid-career resurgence, after he had finally gained wider recognition following years of being considered an outsider in the bebop movement. Featuring his classic quartet with Charlie Rouse, John Ore, and Frankie Dunlop, the record captured Monk’s angular piano style in polished studio form at a time when Columbia was introducing him to a broader audience. Coming at the height of the civil rights era, Monk’s growing prominence reflected both his persistence as a Black avant-garde artist and jazz’s evolving role in American cultural identity.