Richie Powell
Piano Solo on
Cherokee

About

Taking the 3rd solo, this piano improvisation spans one chorus of the 64-bar AABA form at a blistering 355 BPM. Pianist Richie Powell, younger brother of Bud Powell, contributes a single chorus that reveals his command of bebop piano language. This is the most concise solo on the recording, making every phrase count within a compact space. The extended 64-bar AABA form, with its demanding bridge section, tests the soloist's command of harmony and endurance at speed. Situated between Harold Land's tenor sax solo and Max Roach's turn on drums, it occupies a pivotal spot in the arrangement.

Richie Powell was 23 to 24 years old at the time.