Minnesota Music Profiles

Series produced by KBEM

Caption: KBEM logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Image by: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative) 
KBEM logo 

Each item in the series tells how a musicians is inspired, how s/he works, their goals and intents for their work; in general, how each gets motivation and follows through with a creative project.

Each Minnesota Music Profile focuses on a musician or group. Listeners learn some of the behind-the-scenes stuff related to the creative process. Programs in the series are under 10 minutes in length. They can be run anytime because they are not time sensitive. These pieces are especially appropriate when subjects perform in the areas served by given radio stations.


423 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Westwind Swing Band, Credit: Amy LeBeau
The West Wind Swing Band specializes in the big band music of the 1930s and 1940s, and especially with Artie Shaw arrangements. In a conversation ...

  • Added: Aug 22, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Detroit Don King, Credit: Ron Householder
A few decades ago in his Detroit home, Don combined playing the blues with an auto parts business, but the business had trouble with crime. So Don ...

Bought by WOUB


  • Added: Aug 12, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Cory Healy is a local composer and drummer with a Great Melodic Sense whose jazz Mission is to Integrate Wide Influences into the style of his band...

  • Added: Aug 09, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra, Credit: Steve Rouch
The Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra builds on the legacy of the early mandolin orchestras from 100 years ago. The group plays some of that old music, ...

  • Added: Jul 31, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Sherry Ladig, Credit:  Karyn Wrenshall
Sherry Ladig is a keyboardist and singer who performs and composes in many traditions. Her musical breadth comes from two sources. One is that she ...

  • Added: Jul 29, 2018
  • Length: 16:00
Caption: Ted Olsen, Credit: Steve Kenny
Ted Olsen plays the bass and composes. But his convincing quality is the breadth of his influences. When Ted spoke with Phil Nusbaum, they talked a...

  • Added: Jul 22, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Paul Barry and the Ace Tones with Lila Ammons, Credit: Kent Flemmer
Paul Barry, Twin Cities Blues Harp Player Combines blues band influences from Chicago and West Coast in live shows by the Ace Tones. In a conversat...

  • Added: Jul 19, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: No Man's String Band, Credit: Honu Foto
In an old bluegrass band there was a leader with sidemen. But today there are many other arrangements, and the name No Man’s String Band reflects t...

  • Added: Jul 13, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Billy McLaughlin, Credit: Ryan Taylor
Billy McLaughlin has helped blaze the trail for a guitar style known as tap guitar. But when Billy talked to Phil Nusbaum, we learned that to Billy...

  • Added: Jul 12, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Dan Schwartz with harp guitar, Credit: Benny Moreno
Dan Schwartz is a guitar playing musical omnivore. He is one of the few reviving the harp guitar, a regular acoustic guitar with a set of bass stri...

  • Added: Jul 08, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Charlie Maguire, Credit: Cheryl Walsh Bellville
Woody Guthrie’s book Bound For Glory is now over 75 years old. It’s a book that told it like it was about the great depression. In honor of this Po...

  • Added: Jul 05, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Dan Schwartz, Credit: Benny Moreno
Dan Schwartz, Minneapolis guitarist, explores the harp guitar. It looks a lot like a regular acoustic guitar, with heavy, range-extending bass stri...

  • Added: Jul 02, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Phil Heywood, Credit: Rebecca Pavlenko
Over the years, Phil Heywood has written a steady stream of guitar music. He also performs songs written by others, but re-worked to fit his style ...

  • Added: Jun 30, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. It’s a production focused on inspiring jazz singer Billie Holiday. Thomasina Petrus has toured it 6 times. Tho...

  • Added: Jun 28, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Pavielle, Credit: Joey J.
When you spend some time with Pavielle you find out that her musical career got started as a child. Today, she sings, plays the keyboards, composes...

  • Added: Jun 06, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
What does a jazz orchestra want to do? It wants to play for dancers, that’s what. We go on location to one of the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra’s monthl...

  • Added: Jun 01, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Sawtooth Bros, Credit: Scott Ward
The Sawtooth Bros band members are in their young 20s, and have been playing together half their lives. The group started out playing traditional b...

  • Added: May 31, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: City Counselor, Credit: Aaron Rice
You expect pop songs to relate to romance. But not so with City Counselor. Nicky talked to Phil Nusbaum about the inspiration for City Counselor ...

  • Added: May 27, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jelloslave, Credit: Cameron Wittig
Minneapolis Cellists Jacqueline Ultan and Michelle Kinney had heard of each other for years. When they finally met, they discovered musical similar...

  • Added: May 25, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Elgin Foster, Credit: Benny Moreno
Modern guitarists are difficult to categorize. They seem to take a part of the world’s music or a type of mood, and constantly develop from that ba...

  • Added: May 18, 2018
  • Length: 08:00