Pinheiro, Ricardo2020-03-112020-03-1120121753-86371753-8645http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/11232ABSTRACT - This paper addresses the relationships between jazz jam sessions in Manhattan and the concepts of scene, ritual and race. These issues emerged during research that, from an ethnomusicological perspective, focused on the role of jam sessions in Manhattan as a privileged context for learning the performative styles of jazz, the development of the creative process, the construction of professional networks and the establishment of the status of musicians. Starting from the analysis of five venues of jazz performance in Manhattan, New York, arguably the most important stage for jazz performance in the world, I demonstrate the importance of participating in jam sessions in the professional careers of jazz musicians by examining their relationship with this performative occasion.engEthnomusicologyJam sessionJazzRitualjournal articledoi:10.1558/jazz.v6i2.129