Work · 1946 · New York City [40.71, -74.01]
Ornithology
Credited to Charlie Parker and Benny Harris, "Ornithology" is a bebop standard built over the chord changes of the older song "How High the Moon." Its title nods to Parker's nickname, "Bird," and its serpentine melody captures the new phrasing in miniature. The contrafact approach it embodies — new lines over borrowed harmony — was a hallmark of how bebop composers worked.
Evidence1
- Wikidata: OrnithologyWikidata
www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2031297
accessed 2026-06-04
Connections1
collaborates with → Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker built "Ornithology" with the trumpeter Benny Harris, who reworked Parker's improvised lines into a theme over the chords of "How High the Moon"; Wikidata credits both as composers. The contrafact became a touchstone of the bebop repertoire and a nod to Parker's "Bird" nickname. It ties Parker to a standard whose authorship he shared.