Jazz Database Site

Cherokee

posted 2015-05-31 (updated 2015-09-03) by Hiro-kazu

Basic Info

Composer	Ray Noble
Lyricist	Ray Noble
Form	A-A-B-A
Style	Swing

Analyze

Analyze Sheet

Cherokee Analyze Sheet — Cherokee Analysis Sheet

Basically, 4 tonalities, I, #II (bIII), VII and VI.
The chord function in the 7^th and 8^th bar of A section are sub dominant minor, not II V or a dominant function.
The 8^th bar is a passing diminish chord. Sometimes V7 of IIm7 is played for solo.

Description

Charlie Parker composed Ko Ko based on this change. from The Story Of Charlie Parker’s ‘Ko Ko’ : NPR:

Sample Record

Album	Personnel	Note
Jazz Giant (1950) iTunes	Bud Powell(pf), Ray Brown(b), Max Roach(dr)	One of the famous intro.
Clifford Brown Memorial Album (1953) iTunes	Clifford Brown(tp), Gigi Gryce(as,fl), Charlie Rouse(ts), John Lewis(pf), Percy Heath(b), Art Blakey(dr)	One of the famous intro.
Brown In Brown (1955) iTunes	Clifford Brown(tp), Harold Land(ts), Richie Powell(pf), George Morrow(b), Max Roach(dr)	One of the famous intro and ending.
Cross Country Tour: 1958-1961 (1958) iTunes	Ahmad Jamal(pf), Israel Crosby(b), Vernel Fournier(dr)	In 3/4 in a bridge
Yesterday & Today (1966) iTunes	Toots Thielemans(ham), Phil Bodner(cl,fl), Phil Kraus(vib), Bucky Pizzarelli(gt), George Duvivier(b), Grady Tate(dr), Jack Andrews(arr,cond)	In 3/4. Great Arrangement.
Some of My Best Friends Are…The Singers (1988) iTunes	Ray Brown(b), Dee Dee Bridgewater(vo), Ralph Moore(ts), Geoff Keezer(pf), Gregory Hutchinson(dr)	Beginning and end of the tune are played as a ballad.