Cherokee

Cherokee

Jazz standard by Ray Noble, published in 1938.

Pentatonic melody, with long notes.
Opens up opportunities for reharmonisation.

Second section has interesting chromatic modulation through IIm⁷-V⁷-I sequence.

(for illustration only)

Ray Noble (1938)

First recording.

By the composer and his band.

Dixieland-style sound. Big band. 

Bouncy rhythm. Punchy brass.
Soothing flugelhorn obbligato.

Art Tatum (1954)

Piano Solo. Jazz Genius. 

Reharmonisation out of this world.
Dreamy jazz first part, changes to stride halfway through.

Karrin Allyson (2011)
The only vocal version featured here.
First part pristine simplicity, features only voice and guitar.
 Brings out melodic and harmonic structure.
Second part ultrafast jazz,  last part scat;  a tad fast.
First part remains the best.

Joseph Moog (2011)

Etude No. 4. Tribute to Art Tatum.

 Piano solo, left-hand only. Godowsky style.

A refreshing take on this jazz standard.

Creative reharmonisation and elegant runs. Very classy.

Hats off for his effort in writing this beautiful transcription.
More pianists should do paraphrases like this.

Highlight
Olaf Polziehn and Rossano Sportiello (2008)

Two-piano Version.
Live at Stride Festival in Switzerland, but more jazz than stride.
 Brilliant modern jazz piano masters.
Outstanding improvisation on a jazz standard.
Breathlessly exciting riffs and sophisticated jazz harmonies.
Both pianos very well-coordinated, complementing but never colliding with each other.

Look out for the following exciting moments:

3:49, 4:04-4:06, 4:25-4:28
 Polziehn's brilliant improvisation and spread-arpeggio riffs.

4:09-4:19

(for illustration only)

Perfect contrapuntal symmetry on a descending series of cycle-of-fifths progression.
Steady countermotif by Sportiello.
As good as a Bach Fugue, but without sacrificing the jazz pulse.
A YouTube on comment :
Rossano's thumb notes with his right hand at 4:09 should be in every counterpoint manual"

5:28-5:38

Momentum in full gear.

Walking bass deftly anchoring the improvisation throughout.

Someone should get this transcribed!!

***Special Note (5 Aug 2019)*** 
This has now been transcribed by The Geometric Pianist!
See video here.