KBEM

StationAccount image
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

Series image
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
Series image
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
784 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
Series image
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
Series image
31 Pieces

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

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Aug 24, 2011

Latest Pieces

Caption: Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra, Credit: Diego Ramallo
Tonight we look ahead to next week, Tuesday November 28, when the 18-piece Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra performs at Jazz Central Studios in Mi...

  • Added: Nov 19, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Mango Jam. It’s a Twin Cities band that formed in 1989, and has played in 46 states. And throw in a good deal of recording as well. Because of fami...

  • Added: Nov 16, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Mango Jam. It’s a Twin Cities band that formed in 1989, and has played in 46 states. And throw in a good deal of recording as well. Because of fami...

  • Added: Nov 16, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Cedar Avenue Big Band, Credit: Jim Richards
The Cedar Avenue Big Band. After 25 years, it’s still a leading Twin Cities Big Band. Why do they do it? They just love playing big band music, and...

  • Added: Nov 09, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Cedar Avenue Big Band, Credit: Jim Richards
The Cedar Avenue Big Band. After 25 years they still love playing big band music, big band fans love what they do. Currently, the group plays secon...

  • Added: Nov 09, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir, Credit: Jerry Nelson
The Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir had its first performance in 1990 at which it won award for quality. From that point, it assumed an importan...

  • Added: Nov 09, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir, Credit: Jerry Nelson
The Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir had its first performance in 1990 at which it won award for quality. From that point, it assumed an importan...

  • Added: Nov 09, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Gentlemen's Anti-Temperance League, Credit: Aaron Davidson
The Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League calls what it does Prohibition Swing. It’s a collection of styles nearly a century old with a lot of cool. ...

  • Added: Nov 03, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Gentlemen's Anti-Temperance League, Credit: Aaron Davidson
It’s a whole new combination of styles nearly a century old with a lot of cool. The Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League plays this Thursday night at...

  • Added: Nov 03, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Monroe Crossing, Credit: Jamey Guy
Bach and bluegrass. The combination really works, as Monroe Crossing proved a few years ago when they performed a bluegrass mass created by compose...

  • Added: Nov 02, 2017
  • Length: 07:59