The first stream was Classical Music. The second stream was Jazz. And the third Stream was a synthesis of the previous two. According to Gunther Schuller.
The story I am about to share with you, and which is completely true, took place in a recording studio in mid-town Manhattan sometime in the mid-to-late 1960’s. The horn section was Gunther Schuller, John Barrows, Jim Buffington, and Earl Chapin. In between takes, Gunther and Buff were arguing back and forth about the merits of the Third Stream concept, mostly as to whether there actually were any merits to it, which Buff was inclined to doubt. John Barrows was trying to keep out of the the crossfire and Earl was trying to keep a straight face.
When the band took a break, Gunther and Buff continued the argument as they headed into the men’s room and stepped up to the urinals. Earl walked in a few moments later and announced “Here comes the Third Stream.” Buff laughed so hard he cried. And Gunther didn’t speak to Earl for 20 years.
Eventually, Earl and Gunther did reconcile, sort of. Back stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, at a concert by the Brooklyn Philharmonic (Gunther conducting and Earl in the orchestra) they shook hands and agreed it had been too long.
Over the years I’ve come across a few other versions of this story but this is the real one. I’m assuming not many of our current readers knew Earl but, if you did know him, you would know that this was just the sort of thing he would do — also that he would never try to take credit for such a good line if somebody else had said it first. And besides, why else would Gunther refuse to talk to Earl for all those years?
submitted by Lynne Rudié (Chapin)
Crosstalk in the Crosswalk 