Review There must be more Monk tribute albums, topped only by Ellingtonia Tribute releases, than to any other creative improvising artist. One of the latest, is also 25 years old, CRISS CROSS-LIVE AT THE RED SEA [K2B2 4569], by the group THELONIOUS [Buell Neidlinger-b, Marty Krystall-ts, Hugh Schick-tpt, Bill Cunliffe-p, Billy Osborne-drm]. Thelonious is headed by Neidlinger and Krystall and beginning in the mid 80s have released a handful of Monk homages. This was recorded live, 2/17&18/90 in Santa Monica, California, and it is very live indeed. And the liveness is a part of the charm. The balance is uneven as the chomp-chomp-chomp of the drums is too upfront, voices of encouragement are in evidence but the spirit is wonderful. Krystall is a killer and reminds me of the spirit exhibited by Johnny Griffin on the Monk at the 5 Spot releases. Cunliffe, who had yet to make a featured recording, sounds like he is having a ball and has the Monk filagrees down and, like other members of the quintet, is at times all over the place. This would be an excellent subject for a blind fold test. Ten Monk compositions given new life on an old date. Mark Weber has written liners about the whys and wherefores, a creative force writing on creative forces. I share the performers enthusiasm. --Robert Rusch, Cadence MagazineMarty Krystall is highly undervalued and incredibly underrated by the mainstream 'jazz cognoscenti'. His hard edged, take no prisoners approach makes his new release Criss Cross - Live at the Red Sea on K2B2 Records of all Monk material a marvel. Not your run-of-the-mill Monk set it plumbs the depths of Monk's post hard bop lucidity. Five Stars!!! --Lofton Emenari, On Air Personality - Journalist-Jazz Format Chief of WHPK-FM (2000-2010) at WHPK 88.5 FMThese tracks were lying dormant on some shelf growing dust balls when K2B2 Records took an interest in issuing something recorded two and a half decades ago. This project features a young Bill Cunliffe on piano, February of 1990, during a live performance at the Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant in Santa Monica, California. Back then, Cunliffe had just won the coveted Thelonious Monk Piano Competition and this band was working for the past three years as Thelonious. Founders of the group, (Marty Krystall and Buell Neidlinger), were hungrily exploring Monk s compositions and happily Cunliffe fit right in. Krystall and Neidlinger s main focus was preserving the artistic legacy of Thelonious Monk and paying tribute to the famed jazz pianist/composer. Joining them and hired for his impeccable time and creative talent was drummer, Billy Osborne, once part of the historic Jimmy Giuffre band along with Buell and guitarist Jim Hall. Later, Osborne would turn down both Miles Davis and John Coltrane to drum and gig with the Montgomery Brothers. In 1990, He was part of this eclectic Thelonious ensemble. I remember Osborne as the co-founder of LTD on A&M Records, along with his brother, Jeffrey. At that time, I was a publicist for A&M Records in Hollywood. I watched LTD grind out hit after Top 40 hit for that label, having no idea that Os borne s roots were so deeply embedded in jazz. Hugh Schick has worked with Buell Neidlinger and Marty Krystall on several projects. In 1990 he recorded on Krystall s Seeing Unknown Colors album as both a composer and trumpeter. In 2001 he was featured on the release, Thelonious Atmosphere with Neidlinger and also on his Big Drum quartet album. Schick also joined Krystall and Neidlinger when they attempted to bring the genius composition skills of Herbie Nichols to the forefront in an album called, Blue Chopsticks - A Portrait of Herbie Nichols (K2B2). All that is to say, you can hear the comfort level these musicians have with each other, like familiar, old friends. There s no studio over-dubs here; no cut and paste; no digital tampering. This is an album created live and spontaneously, on Pacific Coast Highway, by some of the best musicians in the business. You can t date stamp this kind of jazz. It s timeless! They tackle some of Monk s best tunes, starting with his namesake piece (Thelonious), and then playing Evidence for seven and half entertaining minutes. You can hear members of the audience articulating support by hollering, Yes yes- yes! You ll enjoy each innovative solo, but they ve kept the integrity of Monk s compositions and arrangements respectfully intact including: Let s Call This, Skippy, Epistrophy, and a beautifully interpreted Ask Me Now. Schick pulls the raw emotion out of his horn on this one! Krystall is especially compelling on Friday the 13th , although he leaves the stage and according to the liner notes, walks the room, exciting the audience with his avant-garde solo and inspired improvisation. Cunliffe too extracts a multitude of melodic offerings woven nicely into the chord changes of Friday the 13th . Osborne continuously fuels the band s fiery presentation on his interactive, but always steady drums. I long for more of Neidlinger in the mix. He brings forth the substance and root of the music, holding everyone in place like super glue, along with steady time and lush tonality on his bass. You can clearly hear him merge with Osborne, tight as a lock-and-key on Let s Call This. I know how difficult it is to record live , but I just wish they could have pulled Neidlinger up a little louder in the Mastering. Other than that one small criticism, here is a carefully wrapped package of Monk music that should be in every jazz collection. --Dee Dee Daniiels