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Wycliffe Gordon leads off the solos with two choruses on trombone, the first of three improvisations on the recording. Taken at a breakneck swing tempo of 340 BPM over the 64-bar AABA in B♭, the improvisation demands exceptional technical command and quick melodic thinking. Gordon then returns for an additional one and a half choruses, the extended solo format reflecting the competitive spirit that "Cherokee" has always inspired. Recorded for the album Standards Only in 2001, the performance captures Wycliffe Gordon at 33 to 34 years old. This performance stands as one of the finest trombone readings of "Cherokee" on record, affirming Gordon's status as a virtuoso of the first order.
Wycliffe Gordon was 33 to 34 years old at the time.
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