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"Moose the Mooche" is a bebop composition written by Charlie Parker in 1946 during his stay in Los Angeles. It was composed shortly after his close collaborator Dizzy Gillespie had returned to New York, leaving Parker on the West Coast. The title reportedly references the nickname of a local figure Parker was associated with at the time.

The tune is in B-flat major and follows the classic 32-bar AABA form based on "I Got Rhythm" changes—the most ubiquitous chord progression in bebop. Parker's melody is a textbook example of bebop language: it outlines the underlying harmony with precision while weaving in chromatic approach notes and syncopated rhythmic figures that give each phrase a sense of forward motion. Typically performed at a brisk tempo, the tune demands fluent command of rhythm changes and is an essential piece for any serious jazz improviser studying the bebop vocabulary.

The original recording was made on March 28, 1946, for Dial Records in Los Angeles. The Charlie Parker Septet on this date included Miles Davis (trumpet), Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone), Dodo Marmarosa (piano), Arvin Garrison (guitar), Vic McMillan (bass), and Roy Porter (drums). This session, one of Parker's finest West Coast dates, captures the essence of bebop at its most inventive.