It's funny, Cherokee was originally a very medium-tempo tune (when it was Charlie Barnet's theme song). During the bop era it became one of the main cutting-session burners, and that's where it seems to have stayed. For me, Cherokee is more interesting as a chord progression- not a particularly interesting melody IMHO. It's fun to blow on- one of those tunes that's probably more fun to play than to listen to, like many tunes from the bop era. Of course, if it's just the melody you dislike, there have been contrafacts written on the changes- KoKo, Harold's House of Jazz and others.
Not trying to change your mind or nothin'.
I do like Clifford's version, BTW.