Bud Powell on "Cherokee"

In keeping with the recent series of piano transcriptions, I've been working on Bud Powell's solo on "Cherokee" from Jazz Giant (1949). I first heard this arrangement during my senior year of high school; my friend Luke Celenza recorded a version of Powell's arrangement that used the chromatic voice leading in the A sections and a slower waltz during the bridge (a nod to Ahmad Jamal's arrangement). 

I've found that Bud Powell tunes are surprisingly popular at sessions, especially as an alternative to the more popular Bird heads: "Wail," "Celia," "Dance of the Infidels," "Bouncing with Bud," etc. are all great melodies, and like most great bebop tunes have a certain anthemic quality to them, if that means anything to anyone other than me ("Reets and I" especially, for some reason [ed. note, 12.27.14: I realized my mistake here—"Reets and I" was composed by Benny Harris, not Bud! Harris was responsible for a number of compositions I tend to associate with the more well-known names, e.g., "Crazeology" and "Ornithology." Just setting the record straight). I still have to get up to learning more of them myself. Be sure check out the arrangement if you haven't had a chance to!

Concert

Bb

Eb