Views about jazz, and being a jazz musician, were gathered from current Scottish
practitioners. Jazz is a uniquely interactive creative practice, dependent on shared
practices and meanings. These are inseparable from social and cultural contexts;
however, research on musicians’ views has been concentrated on individuals
in the USA. This study therefore uses focus group interviewing to access group
musical identities in the UK. Reflexive issues of the research procedure are also
addressed. Maintaining swing feel and a balance of collective and individual
practices emerged as important. Eclectic professional practice created a demanding
lifestyle; in this context, the group aspect of jazz is integral to related musical
identities. Diverse discourses highlighted the constructed nature of these
identities; focus groups are thus a useful method for this field. Consideration of
the interview circumstances suggests how these function, and has implications for
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