What’s So Great About “Cherokee?” | Adam Rafferty – Jazz Guitar

Here’s my jazz guitar version of “Cherokee” with some of the back story – and why I think it is ESSENTIAL to learn and practice it.

In this video, I’ll tell you a little bit about how the tune hit the Billboard charts in 1939, and why it’s still such a popular tune amongst jazz musicians today.

I’ve been practicing this quite a bit to sharpen my right-hand thumb technique… In case you want to hop around the video (past the talking 🙂

TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:38 A Brief History of “Cherokee”
• 01:28 Why did jazz musicians start playing it?
• 02:17 Why is it challenging?
• 02:38 Classic Recordings of “Cherokee”
• 03:31 Why I’ve been practicing it lately…
• 03:51 PERFORMANCE – Melody & Improvised Solo

Here are some essential versions of “Cherokee” to listen to (and there’s more!):

• Sax & Trumpet Charlie Parker –    • Cherokee-Charlie Parker .  
• Charlie Parker & Dizzy “KOKO” –    • Ko-Ko-Charlie Parker  
• Clifford Brown –    • Clifford Brown – Cherokee  
• Sonny Stitt –    • Sonny Stitt & Hank Jones Quartet – Ch…  
• Stan Getz –    • Stan Getz – Cherokee  
• Guitar: Chet Atkins –    • “Cherokee” – Chet Atkins / Prince Alb…  
• Joe Pass –    • Cherokee  
• Pasquale Grasso –    • Pasquale Grasso BURNING on Cherokee  
• Josh Meader –    • CHEROKEE || Josh Meader Jazz Guitar I…  

Here’s the backing track I used:    

• [JAZZ STANDARD] Cherokee (Bb, 275bpm,…  

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