Hi.

I am trying to reharmonise the bridge of Cherokee (it won't be fast...). I think I have got the correct changes but the melody is too wide of the mark too often for my taste. Using piano it might work better but using standard chord voicings I find it too dissonant. Any thoughts please?

I have

| C#m7 D7 | Gmaj7 Bb7 | D#maj7 F#7 | Bmaj7 |

This sequence 'can be' repeated in A then in G.

In bar 1 - the melody contains a 9th, then a b9 against the chords being played.
In bar 2 - there's a #5, #9
In bar 3 - a b7 (against a maj7)
4's ok

| Bm7 C7 | Fmaj7 Ab7 | C#maj7 E7 | Amaj7 |

In bar 5 - a 9th, a #11
in bar 6 - a b9, a #9/m3
in bar 7 - a m3

etc etc etc.

Firstly, are those changes right? If so, should one play the alterations even though they contain illogical things like maj7 chords with m7 intervals etc?

I think those are Countdown type changes. A Giant Stepsapproach produces the same chords but shifted. I've tried ascending thirds instead of descending thirds and it still sounds s*.

I've always been aware roughly of what they are through studying Giant Steps but there are quite a few tunes/reharms that need study that might use different thirds techniques, or that can be amended to suit the melody. I feel there is only so far you can challenge the melody. Only so much tension....

Please advise. Yours, prepared to have arse handed to him....

(I have seen a guitarist playing a superfast solo over the changes, but I am referring to the tune and how it sits, not guitar waffle. There is also a pianist who does a reasonable job with the melody. I can't find a Brad Mehldau version sadly :-) )

| C#m7 D7 | Gmaj7 Bb7 | D#maj7 F#7 | Bmaj7 |
| Bm7 C7 | Fmaj7 Ab7 | C#maj7 E7 | Amaj7 |
| Am7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 F#7 | Bmaj7 D7 | Gmaj7 |
| Gm7 Ab7 | Dbmaj7 E7 | Cmin7 Db7 | Gbmaj7 Bb-maj | - the last line's approximate....