PRESENTING FOR SERIOUS MUSICOLOGISTS THE FULL/LENGTHY TEXT EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW By Ravi V. Chhabra WITH SCHOLARLY GREEK-AMERICAN AWARD-WINNER GENRE-BREAKER, COMPOSER-MUSICIAN Peter Xifaras.
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CHAMPIONING THIRDSTREAM MUSIC
“MUSIC SHOULD MOVE YOU AS IN ART”
By Ravi V. CHHABRA
Peter Xifaras
Ravi V. Chhabra: Hey, Peter it feels so good to be doing this again with you after four-years. Let me warn you. This is going to be a lengthy one.
Peter Xifaras: Sure, Ravi. I look forward to it.
Ravi: Your Greek ancestry?
Xifaras: My maternal side is from Athens. My grandfather on my Mother’s side was a Greek Orthodox priest. Paternal side is from Mani, a rugged peninsula in the southern Peloponnese region of Greece. In ancient times, Mani was considered part of Laconia, a region dominated by the powerful city-state (polis) of Sparta.
Ravi: Any influence in growing up or musically or culturally from Greece.
Xifaras: There were a lot of Bouzouki records playing on the stereo growing up but there was no influence musically as I leaned toward the Western European school. However, I have toyed with the idea of basing my works on some of the ancient hymns still being performed in the Greek Orthodox services - they use traditional Byzantine chant, which is a monophonic vocal art rooted in ancient Greek and early Christian musical systems.
Ravi: I have myself been a student of the great Greek literature, how relevant is it in today's society and sociologically?
Xifaras: I was very young the last time I read the literature, however, as time fades your memory I would have to re-read today to make an educated analysis as today’s world is so much different than it was back in the day.
Ravi: What kinds of music do you listen to - classical, jazz, fusion?
Xifaras: I listen to classical, jazz, 3rd stream and blues.
Ravi: You are a guitarist of good standing but I feel under exposed....is it true...and why?
Xifaras: Well, less exposed probably because I haven’t played it in quite a while. I have a funny story. When I went to an audition to get into the music program for college, I show up with a Les Paul and small amp – a Marshall half-stack would have been a bit too much. While I plug in, I notice the jury talking among themselves. As I tune up, I’m thinking, what should I play – by the odd look on their faces, maybe ‘Dazed & Confused’? As it turns out, I was supposed to be auditioning on the classical guitar. So maybe ‘Communication Breakdown’ would have been more appropriate.
I studied classical music for a year, came back and re-auditioned. While I’ve devoted many years to playing classical guitar as it is a beautiful instrument, I think it has some shortcomings. First, it needs more strings! It’s a harmonic instrument that is competing with the piano. The guitar’s range of notes is a small subset in comparison. It also needs to be louder. When I would give recitals, I remember if the event’s AC would kick on, the audience would struggle to hear the instrument. When I saw Segovia at Symphony Hall, it was like trying to hear music a mile away. Scottish guitarist Paul Galbraith raised the bar with the 8-string ‘Brahms’ guitar that also has an end pin fitted to a special resonator box on the floor. It’s a very cool concept. I would definitely embrace if I were to start over again – maybe in my next life.
I recently acquired this one-of-a-kind 7-string guitar which will get me back into playing the instrument. (pic attached)
Ravi: A normal day in the life of Peter Xifaras?
Xifaras: I spend a lot of time in my studio, and listening to film scores, which means I’m watching movies. And, of course, the regular day-to-day things that need to get done.
Ravi: Where all have you traveled and what cultures interest you most?
Xifaras: I spent a lot of time traveling with bands back in my younger rock & roll days, mostly the USA. I’m a homebody now, and really don’t travel anymore. And to be honest, musically you don’t need to as most things can be done remotely thru zoom.
Ravi: What fires your fine imagination and visual conceptualization? I have been wondering and at times with ‘aghastness’ about the expressiveness in themes you have chosen and the way you let them ‘unfold’ on screen…
Xifaras: It is story telling. Music should move you in some way, as I think that is the purpose of art.
Ravi: Work in pipeline?
Xifaras: I recorded three works – two classical and one jazz. The most recent to be released is titled ‘Suite Lady Greensleeves’ – it is a tale of unrequieted love. The popular legend long claimed that King Henry VIII composed ‘Greensleeves’ for his lover and future queen Anne Boleyn. However, historians have disproven this because the song uses an Italian musical style (the romanesca) that did not arrive in England until after Henry VIII died in 1547. You can preview the release here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDUV_FfntcJE
Ravi : Can you give us a little background about your previous musical works?
Peter Xifaras: As a composer, guitarist and producer, I straddle the line between classical & jazz. Past and present recordings include classical recordings with the Czech National Symphony and Budapest Symphony Orchestra’s, as well as jazz recordings with trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, sax virtuoso Justin Chart, violinist extraordinaire Xander Nichting, acclaimed bassist Max Gerl, and multi-percussionist Scott Jackson to name a few.
Ravi: You described your latest release, Adagio Grooves, as ‘Third Stream’. Please explain what that is.
Xifaras: I remember first hearing that term when I was much younger. And because I hadn’t heard much about it in the subsequent years that followed, it fell off my radar until I decided to record the Adagio Grooves album.
It’s historical background: Gunther Schuller, who coined the term 'THIRD STREAM' organized a concert in 1957 at Brandeis University involving six commissions (Milton Babbit, Harold Shapero, Schuller) and three for jazz composers (Jimmy Giuffre, Charles Mingus and George Russell) to describe this new synthesis of jazz and classical music - compositions that incorporate the improvisational aspects of jazz with the sophisticated instrumentation of classical music. One of Schuller’s greatest legacies was starting the jazz and Third Stream departments (aka Contemporary Improvisation) at New England Conservatory (as a side note, NEC was on my list when I was applying to schools as a guitar major, however the reality of tuition cost was beyond my means).
Ravi: Are both classical and jazz musicians improvising?
Xifaras: Believe it or not, improvisation did happen back in the day where classical composers were expected to improvise, a skill that was common practice from the Medieval through the Baroque and Classical periods. Composers like J.S. Bach were celebrated for their improvisational talents which laid the groundwork for later musicians. Both Mozart and Beethoven were master improvisers who would often add spontaneous cadenzas and embellishments to their performances where soloists were expected to improvise to showcase their skills and creativity. That said, modern day Third Stream incorporates jazz musicians with improvisational skills doing the improve rather than classical musicians trying to handle the improvisation aspect.
There is a great article by Joel Harrison on his Substack site where he actually interviewed Schuller regarding Third Stream.
Ravi: How was Schuller’s concept initially received?
Xifaras: Not very well. Jazz and classical music were worlds apart in the 50’s and 60’s, including culturally. This was a really radical concept at the time and Schuller was attacked from both sides. Classical musicians struggled with the swing-feeling, jazz musicians struggled with rigid classical structures. However, while the concept needed time to mature, it was eventually accepted and has since morphed into infinite streams today incorporating hip-hop and many other cultural forms.
Ravi: Tell me about Adagio Grooves and how it came about.
Xifaras: As I vacillate between classical and jazz genres, I figured why not incorporate the two on my next recording. I hired the Budapest Orchestra for the ‘classical’ portion of the recording. They have a large string session so I knew I would be able to articulate the intricate jazz harmonies required via altered jazz chord voicings.
For the ‘jazz’ portion, I thought a quartet would be a cool contrast to the orchestra setting. Quartet members include: Justin Chart – Justin is a Universal Music Group artist, a visionary alto saxophonist, acclaimed for his elegant and enticing extemporization and electrifying hard bop. Chart pushes the boundaries of jazz, relying completely on improvisation, creating beautifully wrought pieces of jazz with spellbinding spontaneity. He is known in West Coast Jazz circles as “The Blizzard”. Justin’s musical career spans over four decades, with performances throughout the world. He has amassed nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram and over 12 million views on YouTube.
Max Gerl - Aside from his own artistry, Max is a highly sought after bassist, having worked with artists such as James Francies, Mayaka McCraven, Jordan Rakei, Cameron Graves, Stanley Clarke, MLE, Jon Bap, Floyd Fuji, Tia Fuller, Shaun Martin, Bernard Wright, Chris Cheek, Beka Gochiashvili, Blaque Dynamite, Spirit Fingers, Simon Moullier, Nino Katamadze & Lamine Toure and Group Saloum.
Max is listed in "Rising Jazz Artists: Who To Look Out For” by Jazzwise Magazine, and has a notable endorsement from jazz legend Stanley Clarke: "When I first heard Maximilian, I was impressed with his steadiness, along with his outstanding technique and dexterity on both instruments, which he uses to make next level music....a unique bass player who excels on electric & acoustic bass".
Scott Jackson - Whether performing in major venues from Coast to Coast or laying down tracks in the studio, Scott is an in-demand session drummer having performed with a diverse range of artists including: Susan Anton, Peter Asher, Martha Raye, Joanie Bartels, Dudley Moore, Lisa Haley, Hal
Crook, Frank Potenza, Lloyd Baskin (SeaTrain), Bob Birch (Elton John), Charlie Bisharat (ShadowFax), Rob Meurer (Chris Cross), Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge), George Burns, Tim Robbins, Jeff Allan Ross( (Bad Finger), Dan Hicks, Lauren Wood, Leo Sayer, John Jorgensen, Leland Sklar, Jennifer Kimball, and John Pagano (Burt Bacharach). The album was recorded in 3 studios – East Coast, West Coast & Budapest. Once I received all the stems, I assembled, added minimal keys to fill, arranged and mixed the album in my studio. An album playlist preview can be heard here:
Ravi: How has the album been received?
Xifaras: Great write-ups and reviews including nominations & awards. It even won the Absolute First Prize for Best Jazz & Improvisation at the Mozart International Music Competition – who knew Mozart dug jazz?
Ravi: Which all projects on the horizon?
Xifaras: Yes. I recorded three projects: Two classical (Czech National Symphony Orchestra) and one jazz (Budapest Symphony Orchestra). They are all currently under development.
Ravi: Anyone in particular you’ve listened to recently in Third Stream?
Xifaras: Yes, Billy Childs ‘In the Arms of the Beloved’ - a 31-minute requiem composed for solo violin, 48 voice chorus, vocal soloist (mezzo soprano), and jazz/chamber ensemble. This work was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Kobi Arad (pianist) - He is the first musician to hold a Doctorate in Contemporary Improvisation / Third Stream from the New England Conservatory. His work blends third stream, classical, jazz, R&B, and electronic music, frequently incorporating Middle Eastern and Mediterranean traditions.
Ravi: Where can folks further explore your recordings?
Xifaras: As Adagio Grooves - https://orcd.co/7r5qwwa
All other recordings are available on streaming sites and physical media is available here: https://peterx.music
