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
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785 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: Bill Simenson Orchestra, Credit: Bill Simenson
Tuesday night is reserved for big bands at Jazz Central Studios in Minneapolis. And every month, the Bill Simenson Orchestra is one of the groups t...

  • Added: Mar 29, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Today there is a wave of interest in Ballroom Dance. Chino Latino gives these social dance specialists the music they need to dance to distinctive ...

  • Added: Mar 29, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Today there is a wave of interest in Ballroom Dance. Chino Latino gives these social dance specialists the music they need to dance to distinctive ...

  • Added: Mar 29, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Michelle Kinney, Credit: Lee Glasgow
Michelle Kinney is a cellist influenced by all sorts of formal and popular music. She is also a composer who loves improvisation. She spoke with Ph...

  • Added: Mar 21, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Michelle Kinney, Credit: Lee Glasgow
Michelle Kinney is a cellist influenced by all sorts of formal and popular music. She is also a composer who loves improvisation. Michelle leads a ...

  • Added: Mar 21, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Chris Lomheim, Credit: Andrea Canter
Chris Lomheim is a Twin Cities pianist who plays solo, with a trio and with a sextet. He likes all the settings. But because he has been getting a ...

  • Added: Mar 16, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Chris Lomheim, Credit: Andrea Canter
Chris Lomheim’s plays frequently in St Paul, at Vieux Carre and at the Afternoon Lobby Tea at the St. Paul Hotel. Your next chance to catch him is ...

  • Added: Mar 16, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Diane Jarvi and Dan Newton, Credit: Nick Lethert
Diane Jarvi and Dan Newton have been part of each other’s musical careers for decades, playing at venues large and small in their home bases in Min...

  • Added: Mar 14, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Diane Jarvi and Dan Newton, Credit: Nick Lethert
Diane Jarvi and Dan Newton have been part of each other’s musical careers for decades. You can catch this duet at the Folk house in Golden Valley, ...

  • Added: Mar 14, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: JC Sanford, Credit: Andrea Canter
JC Sanford is a trombonist, composer and arranger. And he has three bands. In a conversation with Phil Nusbaum, JC addressed the stylistic niches o...

  • Added: Mar 13, 2018
  • Length: 08:00