The title track on this 1957 album by Thelonious Monk is one of the best demonstrations of his unique and highly idiosyncratic genius as a composer: the melody is crooked and wayward, but weirdly lyrical at the same time; the head is organized oddly, shifting back and forth between a rather ponderous exposition of the theme and a joyfully swinging double-time rendition of it. It was so difficult for his sidemen that the final recording was eventually created by splicing together parts of multiple takes. And that’s just the opening track. The rest of the album is just as difficult, brilliant, and fun.

– Rick Anderson