Brad Mehldau
Piano Solo on
Cherokee

About

Brad Mehldau's three-chorus piano solo is the second of three solos on this live performance of Cherokee. Following Konitz's alto statement, Mehldau takes the 64-bar AABA form at an even more demanding 262 BPM in B-flat, pushing the tempo higher with formidable technique and harmonic daring. Three choruses over Cherokee's harmonically treacherous changes at this velocity represent a remarkable feat of sustained invention, and Mehldau's work here anticipates the career that would soon establish him as the defining jazz pianist of his generation.

Brad Mehldau was 25 to 26 years old at the time.