This second recording of Ray Noble's "Cherokee" on Wynton Marsalis' 1986 album Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. I pushes the tempo even further than the first version, clocking in at an extraordinary 342 BPM. Performed in the key of B-flat major with a swing feel, the 64-bar AABA form races by at a pace that challenges the limits of human dexterity. Marsalis delivers two choruses on trumpet as the sole soloist, his playing a display of supreme technical mastery under extreme conditions. The inclusion of two separate takes of Cherokee on the same album is a bold artistic statement, inviting direct comparison and demonstrating Marsalis' confidence in his ability to sustain creative invention at the highest tempos. At 342 BPM, even ten beats per minute faster than the first version, the harmonic changes fly past with even greater urgency, and Marsalis responds with lines that are both technically dazzling and musically coherent. The B-flat major tonality and AABA form remain constant between the two versions, making the tempo increase the primary variable. This track serves as the album's ultimate statement of virtuosity, a testament to Marsalis' position as the most technically accomplished jazz trumpeter of his era.
