This artistic investigation in improvised interplay is done from the

viewpoint that all musical improvisation occurs within a framework of

premises and that these premises can become a platform for collective

learning and creativity; by acknowledging, altering and playing with them.

In a trio consisting of reeds, piano and bass, inspiration is drawn from the

Jimmy Giuffre 3’s music in the 1960’s to develop interplay through musical

experimentation and discussion. The intrinsic tension in aiming to develop

interplay collectively, while doing so in a research-led structure is

examined, as well as the tension in aiming for developing something

original, while doing so from a defined musical point of departure. In an

aesthetic of tonal openness and a blurred line between composition and

improvisation, a “toolbox for interplay” takes form, leading to the

conclusion that a conceptual framework developed within a specific

ensemble does not have to form a perfectly logical theoretical system on

paper. Its validity lies in how it functions as a live, shared language for the

musicians. Ultimately, the thesis demonstrates that embracing internal

friction and anchoring a group to a historical departure point allows a

musical "world" to generate its own cohesive, innovative stylistic truths.