This 2018 recording of Charlie Parker's "Ornithology" opens Stephen Riley's album Oleo with a quintessentially bebop statement. Parker composed the tune over the chord changes of "How High The Moon," and its 32-bar ABAB-prime form in G has been a proving ground for improvisers since the mid-1940s. Riley leads with five expansive choruses of tenor saxophone at approximately 225 BPM, demonstrating his remarkable ability to sustain creative momentum over extended solos while maintaining his characteristically light, Lester Young-influenced touch. Trumpeter Joe Magnarelli follows with three spirited choruses, bringing a bright, brassy presence that contrasts effectively with Riley's more ethereal approach. The two-horn frontline gives this album a fuller ensemble sound than the pianoless trio format of Riley's I Remember You sessions. "Ornithology" has been a bebop essential since Parker first recorded it in 1946, and the tune's rapid chord changes and wide-ranging melody demand technical facility and harmonic knowledge from every soloist. Riley's approach to the material is characteristically personal, applying his floating, behind-the-beat sensibility to Parker's angular bebop language in a way that bridges the gap between the swing era aesthetics of Lester Young and the bebop revolution that Parker initiated.
