John Lewis-“Original Sin” at 320 kbps (1961)

 

I could say more than enough about this third stream trailblazer, but it’d be smarter of me to let the composer speak on it. 

This is my second work written for the conventional symphony orchestra-the first, actually of music with such extended length with no improvisation.

Some of the difficulties were anticipated. To communicate my musical ideas, especially the rhythmic conceptions, to musicians who have been trained to play classical music exclusively is not easy. Writing for strings is especially problematic; the violin has played only a minor role in the evolution of jazz, and there are those who argue that it should have no place in jazz at all. While I disagree with that point of view, it cannot be denied that it takes a violinist a very long time to acquire an adequate technique for the standard repertoire (probably longer than for any other instrument), and once he has, he has a way of playing that is fairly set in a rigid mould. Jazz rhythms and jazz feeling are not easily produced under those cirumstances.

Harry Lookofsky, a fine classicaly trained violinist, who has also done notable work in jazz (as in his LP, Stringsville, Atlantic 1319), has been very helpful to me in finding ways to communicate my rhythmic ideas, deeply rooted in jazz as they are, to string players. In the album, The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra (Atlantic 1359), an attempt was made by three other composers and myself to combine techniques and ideas that come from both classical music and jazz. This album represents another step. Admittedly we are only beginning, but it is a great challenge, one that we fin very exciting, and for that reason more than worth all the effort.-John Lewis

1. Part One-Creation of the World & Creation of Adam
2. Part Two-Recognition of Animals
3. Part Three-Birth of Eve
4. Part Four -Adam & Eve Pas De Deaux
5. Part Five-Teaching & Temptation
6. Part Six-Expulsion From The Garden of Eden

Here tis

And if you dig this, you’ll dig the album