The Culturally Conservative View of Jazz in America: A Historical and Critical Analysis

Abstract Jazz in America, once identified with social rebellion and political protest, has since the 1980s become closely associated with cultural conservatism, a belief system that places high value on traditionalism. Jazz, from this perspective, embodies traditional American values and norms, particularly those related to the nation’s democratic principles. Those who perceive jazz in this manner commonly depict the music as a model of democracy that serves as a guide to individual behavior. This essay has two basic objectives: the first is to trace the historical development of the culturally conservative view of jazz; the second is to critically analyze this theoretical perspective. The essay’s goal is to combine the historical and critical analyses into a comprehensive examination of the culturally conservative view of jazz in America as it has evolved since its initial conceptualization by Ralph Ellison.