Jazz and Place: Cities, Soundscapes, Venues
This one-day symposium brings together scholars, artists, and community historians to consider how jazz takes shape in and through place. We explore how music moves across streets, dance floors, clubs, museums, and festivals; how room design, amplification, and staging shape what audiences hear and how they participate; and how history, the built environment, and racialized geographies condition who gets access to these spaces. We invite participants to think across neighborhoods, scenes, and cities—past and present—to develop novel articulations of how places are conjured through music and how places, in turn, animate the music we hear.
Following the formal program at Buell Hall, guests and presenters are invited to join sound-focused Harlem walking tours highlighting cultural landmarks, architectural history, and live jazz. Tours begin at 6 pm.
Register for the conference below. Register separately for the walking tours HERE (space is limited).
Friday, November 14, 2025 10am to 5pm
Free and open to everyone but registration is required.
For more information about this event, please visit jazz.columbia.edu
