Cherokee Chord Chart and Backing Track
My favorite performance that I have attended live was Wycliffe Gordon’s impromptu jam session in Lansing, Michigan, circa 2001. There was a back room full of people watching while he sparred on this tune for a good 13 minutes of creative and virtuosic improvisation. He was amazing! I’ll never forget that smoky club and the jam session that night.
Cherokee has often been used as a way to show off your chops, as evidenced by its fast tempo. Originally written by Englishman Ray Noble in 1938, it was originally part of his Indian Suite but soon became a jazz standard often called at jam sessions. Several jazz musicians have recorded contrafacts, such as Charlie Parker’s Ko-Ko.
Scroll down to view the chord charts, and below is a backing track that matches the chord progression. You can also download the lead sheet on the Sheet Music Direct site.
