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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62 Pieces

Minneapolis High School Students, with the help of a team of educators and poets, were encouraged to write poetry. The poems created by the students are in some cases hard-hitting, and in others, cute.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jan 13, 2014
Caption: Susan Spongberg, Credit: Frank T. Heffelfinger III
9 Pieces

Minnesota Creates is curious about how creativity occurs, so Susan Spongberg asked an assortment of Minnesota artists how do you choreography a dance? Where do your novel’s characters come from? How do you decide what to paint?

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jan 14, 2014
Caption: Minnesota Jazz Legends: The Elders, Credit: Jim Davis
7 Pieces

Minnesota has many wonderful jazz musicians, still playing well into their 80's. Minnesota Jazz Legends: The Elders, features live and in studio performances and interviews, talking about their careers in the Twin Cities from early on to present.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Nov 11, 2021
Caption: Jazz 88 FM, Credit: http://www.jazz88fm.com
15 Pieces

Minnesota Music Moment is a weekly feature of KBEM FM 88.5, each week highlighting a different Minnesota musician.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Feb 25, 2011
Caption: KBEM logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
424 Pieces

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.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Oct 09, 2015
Caption: Arne Fogel, Credit: John Whiting
65 Pieces

Minnesota Voices-Certain Standards Minnesota Vocalists perform new renditions of the Great American Songbook. Arne Fogel-Host

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Oct 31, 2012
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2 Pieces

In a world and time of differences, music has the power to bring us together, to unite us through a shared experience. Music knows no boundaries. It transcends that which keeps us apart. Join Jazz88 for an evening of discovery with Music Without Borders.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Sep 04, 2019
Caption: Bobb Fantauzzo performing with Lyz Jaakola, Credit: Andrea Canter
18 Pieces

Native flute player Bobb Fantauzzo illuminates the contributions made by jazz musicians with Native American heritage.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Apr 19, 2016
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4 Pieces

Butch Thompson's Piano Bench Show looks at the piano stylings of the early performers of jazz.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jul 14, 2011
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0 Pieces

Perspectives relating to Minnesota culture, history and the arts contributed by Minneapolis high school students.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Apr 04, 2010

Latest Pieces

Caption: Jay Afrisando, Credit: Hannah Devereux
Jay Afrisando is from Indonesia, where the national form is gamelan music. And Jay is interested in gamelan. But his starting place is really jazz,...

  • Added: Aug 31, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Joan Hutton, Credit: D. Soderstrom
Joan Hutton plays in many musical settings. We’ve known Joan through her work in the Ancia Saxophone Quartet for example, playing modern classical ...

  • Added: Aug 27, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Joan Hutton, Credit: D. Soderstrom
Joan Hutton plays in many musical settings. We’ve known Joan through her work in the Ancia Saxophone Quartet for example, playing modern classical ...

  • Added: Aug 27, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Rhonda Laurie, Credit: Daniel J Moore
Minneapolis Jazz singer Rhonda Laurie is all about emotion. In a recent conversation with Phil Nusbaum, Rhonda told Phil picking songs and interpre...

  • Added: Aug 23, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Rhonda Laurie, Credit: Daniel J Moore
Minneapolis Jazz singer Rhonda Laurie is all about emotion. And she’s singing at Vieux Carre in Saint Paul on Wednesday Aug 30 from 8 till 11. In a...

  • Added: Aug 23, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Twin Cities Hot Club, Credit: Ben Hejkal
The Twin Cities Hot Club has been in business for over a decade. Over time, the group has learned that playing for dancing and for concerts and spe...

  • Added: Aug 05, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Twin Cities Hot Club, Credit: Ben Hejkal
The Twin Cities Hot Club has been in business for over a decade. Over time, the group has learned that playing for dancing and for concerts and spe...

  • Added: Aug 05, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: KBEM logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
The Minnesota Hard Bop Collective exists to preserve the jazz era of hard bop, from the 1950s onward. It explores not only the music of the artists...

  • Added: Aug 04, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
The Minnesota Hard Bop Collective exists to preserve the jazz era of hard bop, from the 1950s onward. It explores not only the music of the artists...

  • Added: Aug 04, 2017
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
The world knows Laura Caviani as a jazz pianist. She’s recorded 7 CDs including some original. Work, leads bands, and tours as members of the bands...

  • Added: Aug 03, 2017
  • Length: 08:00