 A jazz fusion album, Songs of Experience was partly inspired by Gunther Schuller's Third Stream concept, which fused American jazz with European classical music. Axelrod supported his Baroque orchestrations on the album with rhythms and melodies from rock, R & B, and pop music. The album's suite is more orchestral and less rock-oriented than Song of Innocence. Its symphony is embellished with percussive sounds, British and Irish folk song elements, and stylistic innovations from contemporary arranger Gerald Wilson.
