Emmet Cohen

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“Cherokee,” which was composed by Ray Noble in the mid-1930s and originally played at a dance band tempo including by Charlie Barnet (who used it as his theme song), became a vehicle for Charlie Parker during the bebop era; Bird always performed it a very fast tempo.

The song, due to its tricky bridge, was a test piece for bebop era musicians to prove themselves.

Pianist Emmet Cohen with bassist Russell Hall, drummer Kyle Poole, and guest guitarist Pasquale Grasso, takes the song at quite a rapid tempo.

After playing the melody, Grasso somehow sounds relaxed while playing speedy lines, and then Cohen really tears into it; one wonders how his bassist and drummer were able to keep up so easily.

Kyle Poole follows with a drum solo that somehow does not slow down the tempo.

70 years after its birth, “Cherokee” proves to still be an ideal test for musicians, even for players not on the level of these four masterful players.

-Scott Yanow

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