What two genres combined to create third stream music?

The correct answer is jazz and classical music, which together form what is known as third stream music. This genre emerged in the 1950s as musicians sought to create a synthesis of the improvisational freedom of jazz with the more structured forms and harmonies found in classical music.

Third stream music represents a unique blending of both genres, incorporating elements such as complex arrangements, symphonic structures, and a focus on composition alongside improvisation. This innovative approach allows for new expressions and styles that deviate from the traditional boundaries of jazz and classical music.

The other options represent distinct musical genres that do not intersect in the way that jazz and classical music do within third stream. Funk and rock, for example, are both grounded in African American musical traditions but follow different rhythmic and stylistic elements. Similarly, blues and country have their own origins and developments that do not contribute to the third stream concept, while samba and bossa nova are both rooted in Brazilian music traditions and do not involve the jazz-classical fusion characteristic of third stream.