Thelonious Monk at Salle Pleyel (1954)
Photo by Marcel Fleiss
Bebop pioneer Thelonious Monks piano playing may have been too eccentric for some listeners, but his compositions are universally admired. Criss Cross demonstrates Monks superior craftsmanship as a composer of miniature instrumental works. Although it follows the common song form of AABA, the A section comes in two thematic parts and the B section, rather than introducing an expected contrasting melody, utilizes as its basis the A themes in reverse order. And Monks improvisation develops the thematic material even further. As a result, the piece exhibits the continuity and cohesiveness characteristic of all well-structured compositions