Third Stream

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Third Stream music is a term coined in 1957 by Gunther Schuller to describe a musical genre which is a synthesis of classical music and jazz. Improvisation -- a key element of jazz, but far less common in classical music -- is generally seen as a vital component of Third Stream.

In 1961, Schuller defined Third Stream as "a new genre of music located about halfway between jazz and classical music." (Schuller, 114) Schuller insisted that "by definition there is no such thing as 'Third Stream Jazz.'" (Schuller, 120)

Schuller noted that while purists on both sides of Third Stream objected to tainting their favorite music with the other; more strenuous objections were typically made by jazz musicians who felt such efforts were "an assault on their traditions." Schuller writes that "by designating the music as a 'separate, third stream', the other two mainstreams could go about their way unaffected by the attempts at fusion." (Schuller, 115) Because Third Stream draws on classical as much as jazz it is generally required that composers and performers be proficient in both genres.

Critics have argued that Third Stream—by drawing on two very different styles—dilutes the power of each in combining them. (Schuller, 1986) Others reject such notions, and consider Third Stream an interesting musical development. (Schuller, 1986)

In 1981, Schuller offered a list of "What Third Stream is not:

It is not jazz with strings.
It is not jazz played on 'classical' instruments.
It is not classical music played by jazz players.
It is not inserting a bit of Ravel or Schoenberg between be-bop changes--nor the reverse.
It is not jazz in fugal form.
It is not a fugue played by jazz players.
It is not designed to do away with jazz or classical music; it is just another option amongst many for today’s creative musicians." (Schuller, 120)

1 Earlier fusion attempts
2 Examples of Third Stream Music
3 Sources
4 External links

[edit] Earlier fusion attempts

Schuller suggested that a similar fusion was made by Béla Bartók, who earned great acclaim after incorporating elements of Hungarian folk music into his music, which had earlier been heavily influenced by Claude Debussy and Richard Strauss.

There were very early attempts to integrate jazz and classical music. Though few of these examples might be strictly classified as Third Stream, they do demonstrate that there was widespread mutual interest and appreciation from both the jazz and classical traditions.

Third Stream is notably separate from the "symphonic jazz" movement of the 1920s in that it involves improvisation.

Some Ragtime music drew upon classical music, and symphonic pieces such as George Gershwin's 1924 Rhapsody In Blue blended jazz and symphonic music. Some works by French composer Darius Milhaud were influenced by jazz. Igor Stravinsky drew upon jazz for several compositions, such as "Ragtime", "Piano-rag Rag Music" and "The Ebony Concerto" (the latter composed for jazz clarinetist Woody Herman and his orchestra in 1945).

Another important jazz-classical fusion was Shaw's "Interlude in B-flat," recorded in 1935 with the most unusual ensemble of a string quartet, a jazz rhythm section, and Shaw on clarinet.

[edit] Examples of Third Stream Music

Despite the early examples noted above, critic Scott Yanow writes, "it was not until the mid-to-late '50s that more serious experiments began to take place. Schuller, John Lewis, J.J. Johnson, and Bill Russo were some of the more significant composers attempting to bridge the gap between jazz and classical music."[1] Yanow also suggests that the impact of Third Stream music was blunted by the rise of free jazz in the late 1950s, which overtook Third Stream as the leading development in jazz.

Other notable composers in the style are Lewis's Modern Jazz Quartet, Don Ellis, Gil Evans, and Bill Russo, George Russell, Dave Brubeck and members of his Octet and Quartets (and his brother, Howard Brubeck), Jacques Loussier and his Play Bach Trio, Jimmy Giuffre, Toshiko Akiyoshi, David Amram, Ran Blake, and David Baker. Many free jazz composers and performers, such as Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, the band Oregon, and Sun Ra, were also influenced by the Third Stream school.

Examples of recordings that synthesize composed and improvised music are the albums Miles Ahead, by Miles Davis and Gil Evans; Focus by Stan Getz and Eddie Sauter; Perceptions by Dizzy Gillespie and J. J. Johnson; Alegria by Wayne Shorter; Wide Angles by Michael Brecker. These albums feature a soloist improvising in a jazz style over a complex composed background.

Third Stream Music will arguably be realized in its truest sense when more musicians learn at least basic jazz improvisation and style (especially players of traditionally "non-jazz" instruments such as strings, horn, double reed, etc.), thus opening up the possibilities of improvisation throughout the ensemble.

One composer, Fred Tompkins, has forged a style which seems to enjoy the benefits of fully notated composition, while also capturing the strong, propulsive essence of jazz. His early works were often accompanied by the drumming of Elvin Jones and then by other drummers from New York or St. Louis.