Home | Columbia News

Using the Early History of Jazz as a Case Study for Innovation, Marketing and More

Damon Phillips' book Shaping Jazz, published late last year, describes how the racial dynamics of the early 20th century and record company executives’ aspirations to join the cultural elite shaped what we now know as jazz. While the music was popular and provided an opportunity for new companies to make money, it was mostly associated with African Americans as well as immigrants considered low class—Italians, Irish and Jews.

Top Stories

Columbia University and City Officials Mark Opening of Columbia Startup Lab

To officially open the doors of the Columbia Startup Lab, Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger and the Deans of Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, Columbia Business School, and the School of International and Public Affairs were joined by city, state, and federal officials today at a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Columbia to Explore Romare Bearden's
A Black Odyssey

Centered around collages based on Homer’s Odyssey by the celebrated African American artist Romare Bearden (1911-1988) and curated by Robert O’Meally, Zora Neale Hurston Professor of English and Comparative Literature, the exhibition is the focal point of a unique yearlong, University-wide exploration of Bearden’s iconic work.