Diffusion and syncretism: The modern jazz tradition

This article presents an analysis of the musical syncretism involved in the development of a modern jazz tradition in the United States in the first h alf of the twentieth century. It shows how a professional ethos among popul ar musicians during this period guided their reinterpretation and reinventi on of folk, popular, and classical music practices in the creation of this music tradition. It further argues that this ethos led them, in their low-s tatus positions as popular musicians, to affirm their legitimacy through th e creation of a high-art aesthetic. In general, this study shows how the so cial context in the diffusion of jazz practices affected the transformation of these practices in value and form in this century.