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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783 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: Brass Lassie, Credit: Nick Lethert
Celtic tradition goes back literally centuries, and well over 100 years in our town. But if you think there’s nothing new under the sun when it com...

  • Added: Oct 07, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Brass Lassie, Credit: Nick Lethert
Celtic tradition goes back literally centuries, and well over 100 years in our town. But if you think there’s nothing new under the sun when it com...

  • Added: Oct 07, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Charanga Tropical, Credit: Walter Horishnyk
Charanga Tropical is led by Twin Cities sax and flute player, Doug Little. Doug began studying Cuban music in 2002, and founded Charanga Tropical i...

  • Added: Oct 06, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Charanga Tropical, Credit: Walter Horishnyk
Charanga Tropical is led by Twin Cities sax and flute player, Doug Little. Doug began studying Cuban music in 2002, and founded Charanga Tropical i...

  • Added: Oct 06, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Monday night, a big band composed of local people with major credentials plays at Crooners, Monday Oct 2 at 7:30PM. Arne Fogel fronts the Acme Jazz...

  • Added: Sep 23, 2017
  • Length: 07:59
Caption: Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra, Credit: Diego Ramallo
The Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra is 18 pieces in all. It’s got a growing book of tunes, a growing audience and growing stature. In 2017, the Tw...

  • Added: Sep 22, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra, Credit: Diego Ramallo
The Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra is 18 pieces in all. It’s got a growing book of tunes, a growing audience and growing stature. In 2017, the Tw...

  • Added: Sep 22, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: JC Sanford, Credit: Andrea Canter
Trombonist JC Sanford is a prolific composer of jazz, and spends a lot of time making sure the pieces reflect different styles and inspirations. An...

  • Added: Sep 20, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: JC Sanford, Credit: Andrea Canter
Trombonist JC Sanford leads his quartet into the Black Dog in Saint Paul this Saturday night September 30 at 8:30. JC is a prolific composer of jaz...

  • Added: Sep 20, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Patty Peterson, Credit: Jennifer Bong
The Jazz Women All-Stars are back in a big show coming soon. Phil Nusbaum tells us about it.

  • Added: Sep 19, 2017
  • Length: 08:00