KBEM

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Recognized as the Twin Cities’ public radio voice for jazz and education, KBEM is a program of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Approximately 150 students annually participate in KBEM’s hands-on educational program, which focuses on all aspects of broadcasting and production. Students who develop their skills and select broadcasting experience can gain significant on-air time. The station is on-air 24/7 with 35 hours of student programming each week, with live professional announcers and pre-recorded, syndicated programming filling out the rest of the schedule. KBEM is the only station in the Twin Cities market which offers a jazz format and officially provides MN-DOT traffic reports.

KBEM was initially established at Minneapolis Vocational High School in the 1960s. The station was moved to North High School in 1983 as a part of the District’s desegregation initiative and it continues to reside there today. The vast majority of KBEM students attend North High School.

Series

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20 Pieces

Joan Griffith, Twin Cities musician and educator, has conversations with prominent Minnesota jazz musicians.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: May 25, 2016
Caption: Joan Griffith, Credit: Ann Marsen
20 Pieces

Joan Griffith, Twin Cities guitar player and educator, interviews Minnesota jazz artists.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: May 27, 2016
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13 Pieces

Minneapolis Public School teachers talk with Kevin O'Connor about their accomplishments.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jul 14, 2011
Caption: Leigh Kamman, Credit: Andrea Canter
57 Pieces

During his 60-plus years in jazz broadcasting, Leigh Kamman conducted hundreds of interviews with jazz artists, including many from the Minnesota scene. These are being preserved and edited by the Leigh Kamman Legacy Project and presented as The Jazz Image: Minnesota Edition, a continuation of the The Jazz Image: Special Edition series. These projects are part of the process of preserving and sharing the massive archive of historical recordings he left when he passed away in October 2014.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jun 29, 2020
Caption: Leigh Kamman, Credit: Andrea Canter
14 Pieces

Minnesota jazz broadcasting legend Leigh Kamman conducted hundreds of interviews with jazz artists, including some of jazz's illustrious figures. Now, these treasures have been lovingly preserved and edited into a new series of broadcasts, The Jazz Image: Special Edition. These recordings preserve priceless conversation Leigh Kamman had with such luminaries as Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan and Stan Kenton. In his ninth decade, Kamman adds fresh commentary to round out these 5 minute broadcasts, 13 in all in this series.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jan 14, 2014
Caption: PRX default Series image
776 Pieces

5 to 8-minute, highly produced heads-ups highlighting great musical activities in the Twin Cities broadly conceived. The pieces feature the musicians, their music, club owners, fans, in short all of those responsible for creating musical experiences.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Dec 10, 2019
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0 Pieces

Viva City, Festival of the Arts, was initiated thirteen years ago as a way to showcase arts education in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). In this pod cast, we feature the musical portion of Viva City from the Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minneapolis.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: May 29, 2011
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31 Pieces

Minneapolis High School Students comment on Minnesota Arts, Culture and History

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Aug 24, 2011

Latest Pieces

Caption: Tjårnblom, Credit: Erika Pirness
Tjärnblom celebrates its third CD, “Woods,” at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, this Friday at 7PM. But this new project marks big ch...

  • Added: Sep 17, 2023
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Victor Zupanc and Kevin Kling, Credit: Brandi Carlisle
Writer and storyteller Kevin Kling teams with singer Victor Zupanc to highlight Summer turning to Fall. It’s the latest in a series of performances...

  • Added: Sep 05, 2023
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Victor Zupanc and Kevin Kling, Credit: Brandi Carlisle
Writer and storyteller Kevin Kling teams with singer Victor Zupanc to highlight Summer turning to Fall. These ultimate troubadours, as Crooners Sup...

  • Added: Sep 05, 2023
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
One of the most popular jazz acts ever was the Nat King Cole trio. Cole’s widespread popularity began in the 1940s, and he still commands the atten...

  • Added: Aug 31, 2023
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
One of the most popular jazz acts ever was the Nat King Cole trio. Cole’s widespread popularity began in the 1940s, and he still commands the atten...

  • Added: Aug 31, 2023
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Wayne Anthony, Credit: David Murphy
Wayne Anthony sings the standards, with a big emphasis on the Frank Sinatra repertoire. This Friday and Saturday, it’s all Sinatra. The show is cal...

  • Added: Aug 28, 2023
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Wayne Anthony, Credit: David Murphy
Wayne Anthony sings the standards, with a big emphasis on the Frank Sinatra repertoire. When Wayne talked to Phil Nusbaum, they talked about Sinatr...

  • Added: Aug 28, 2023
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Tim Sparks, Credit: Tim Hasbach
The greatness of the pop group the Beatles might just be in the musical possibilities inherent in the group’s songs. This Saturday night at 6:30 at...

  • Added: Aug 15, 2023
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Tom Wells and Thomassina Petrus, Credit: Sue Kearns
The Selby Avenue Brass Band is led by Tom Wells who writes and arranges a lot of Selby Avenue Brass Band music. He goes about it differently depend...

  • Added: Aug 08, 2023
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Tom Wells and Thomassina Petrus, Credit: Sue Kearns
The Selby Avenue Brass Band does a lot of performing with singer Thomassina Petrus. On Sunday, August 27, the whole group performs during a church ...

  • Added: Aug 08, 2023
  • Length: 08:00