Cheryl, recorded May 8, 1947, is a medium-tempo blues in C by the Charlie Parker Quintet at approximately 186 BPM with a 12-bar form. Parker leads with a commanding three-chorus alto saxophone solo, followed by Miles Davis's three-chorus trumpet solo, Bud Powell's two-chorus piano solo, and a one-chorus bass solo from Tommy Potter. The generous allocation of solo space across four musicians makes this one of the more expansive performances from the session, allowing each member of the quintet to stretch out. Parker's blues playing here exemplifies his ability to maintain thematic coherence across multiple choruses while constantly introducing new melodic ideas. Davis's three choruses show his growing confidence as an improviser, and Powell's two-chorus solo displays the percussive, harmonically advanced piano style that was revolutionizing the instrument. This is one of several original blues compositions Parker recorded for Savoy, each with its own melodic personality despite sharing the same basic form and key center.
