List of jazz contrafacts

A contrafact is a musical composition built out of an already existing one, most often by using the original tune's chord progression as a basis for a new composition. This article is a list of notable contrafacts by jazz artists.

Charlie Parker compositions

• "Donna Lee", Charlie Parker/Miles Davis based on "Back Home Again in Indiana"
• "Ko Ko", Charlie Parker based on "Cherokee" by Ray Noble
• "My Little Suede Shoes", Charlie Parker based on "Jeepers Creepers" by Johnny Mercer
• "Ornithology", Charlie Parker/Benny Harris based on "How High The Moon" by Morgan Lewis
• "Dewey Square", Charlie Parker based on "Oh, Lady Be Good!" by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin

Thelonious Monk compositions

• "Bright Mississippi", Thelonious Monk based on "Sweet Georgia Brown" by Ben Bernie
• "Evidence", Thelonious Monk based on "Just You, Just Me" by Jesse Greer
• "Hackensack", Thelonious Monk based on "Oh, Lady Be Good" by George Gershwin
• "In Walked Bud", Thelonious Monk based on "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin

Compositions based on the George Gershwin tune "I Got Rhythm" (a.k.a. "Rhythm changes")

• "Anthropology" (aka "Thriving From a Riff") - Charlie Parker
• "An Oscar For Treadwell" - Charlie Parker
• "Celerity" - Charlie Parker
• "Chasin The Bird" - Charlie Parker
• "Chippie" - Ornette Coleman
• "Cotton Tail" - Duke Ellington
• "Dexterity" - Charlie Parker
• "The Eternal Triangle" -Sonny Stitt
• "Moose the Mooche" - Charlie Parker
• "Oleo" - Sonny Rollins
• "Rhythm-a-ning" - Thelonious Monk
• "Room 608" - Horace Silver
• "Salt Peanuts" - Dizzy Gillespie
• "The Theme" - Miles Davis
• "Suspone" - Mike Stern
• "Tangibility" - Arun Luthra

Other composers

• "Fried Bananas", Dexter Gordon based on "It Could Happen To You" by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen
• "Groovin' High", Dizzy Gillespie based on "Whispering"
• "Half Nelson", Miles Davis based on "Lady Bird" by Tadd Dameron
• "Hot House", Tadd Dameron based on "What Is This Thing Called Love?" by Cole Porter
• "Subconscious Lee", Lee Konitz based on "What Is This Thing Called Love?" by Cole Porter
• "Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am", Charles Mingus based on "What Is This Thing Called Love?" by Cole Porter
• "Impressions", John Coltrane based on "So What" by Miles Davis
• "Nostalgia", Fats Navarro based on "Out of Nowhere" by Johnny Green
• "Not You Again", John Scofield based on "There Will Never Be Another You" by Harry Warren
• "Garage Band", Arun Luthra based on "How About You?" by Burton Lane & Ralph Freed
• "Quicksilver", Horace Silver based on "Lover Come Back to Me" by Sigmund Romberg
• "Lee's Dream [dedicated to Lee Konitz]", Fred Hersch based on "You Stepped Out of a Dream" by Nacio Herb Brown
• "Waltz New", Jim Hall based on "Some Day My Prince Will Come" by Frank Churchill
• "Do You Hear the Voices You Left Behind?", John McLaughlin based on "Giant Steps" by John Coltrane
• "Come Fog", Don Grolnick based on "Come Rain Or Come Shine" by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen
• "Mirror Lake", Idrees Sulieman based on "Wave" by Antonio Carlos Jobim
• "Re-Re", Bob Mintzer based on "Back Home Again in Indiana" by Ballard MacDonald and James F. Hanley
• "Back Home In Brooklyn With Donna", Arun Luthra based on "Back Home Again in Indiana" by Ballard MacDonald and James F. Hanley
• "Little Willie Leaps", Miles Davis based on "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" by Bronislaw Kaper, Walter Jurmann, and Gus Kahn
• "Zog's Jog", James Morrison based on "Cherokee" by Ray Noble
• "Third Event", Arun Luthra based on Giant Steps by John Coltrane
• "Prince Albert", Kenny Dorham based on "All the Things You Are" by Jerome Kern
• "Dig", Miles Davis based on "Sweet Georgia Brown" by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard

Sources

• Aebersold, Jamey (1982). Charlie Parker Omnibook. Criterion. ISBN 0769260535. 
• Sher, Chuck (2005). The New Real Book, Volume 1. Sher Music. ISBN 0961470143. 
• Sher, Chuck (2005). The New Real Book, Volume 2. Sher Music. ISBN 0961470178. 
• Sher, Chuck (2005). The New Real Book, Volume 3. Sher Music. ISBN 1883217032. 

External links

1. Searchable Realbook Index at www.seventhstring.co.uk