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: Jazz88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
The Phil Hey Quartet plays at Jazz Central on May 19. It’s a group of 4 committed jazz musicians who got started playing together almost by acciden...

  • Added: May 11, 2017
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Ritika Ganguly, Credit: Vinod Srinivasan
Ritika Ganguly is conversant in many music styles. But her true genius may just be in finding ways of combining them so that the outcome is greater...

  • Added: May 09, 2017
  • Length: 12:28
Caption: Nikki Matteson Roux, Credit: Joel Jackson
The Blues has been around a long time because it’s a way of telling it like it is. And that is how Nikki and the RueMates operates. Nikki told Phil...

  • Added: May 05, 2017
  • Length: 08:12
Caption: Nikki Matteson-Roux, Credit: Joel Jackson
Nikki and the RueMates does a lot of old music, a few new songs, and all with fresh spins. Nikki talked about the evolution or her sound with Phil ...

  • Added: May 04, 2017
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Bobb Fantauzzo, Credit: Andrea Canter
Like many good things, Bobb Fantauzzo’s recent music is both new and old. Both the Native American flute and jazz have been around awhile, but putt...

  • Added: May 03, 2017
  • Length: 07:38
Caption: Patty Peterson, Credit: Jennifer Bong
The Minnesota jazz Legends Concert is coming up this Weekend. It is a time to pay homage to the state’s legacy of great Jazz Artists, but also to l...

  • Added: Apr 28, 2017
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: David Singley, Credit: Dietrich Gesk
Twin Cities guitarist David Singley has a new CD, his first in 20 years. The CD is more than a collection of tracks, but a project that caused Davi...

  • Added: Apr 21, 2017
  • Length: 06:51
Caption: David Singley, Credit: Dietrich Gesk
David Singley teaches guitar at McNally Smith College locally, he plays in bands, he composes, but he seldom records under his own name, at least n...

  • Added: Apr 21, 2017
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Aaron Kerr, Credit: Elizabeth Thonen-Kerr
Aaron Kerr’s Dissonant Creatures plays every Wed at the Black Dog in Saint Paul. It is a group that thrives on Aaron’s original music, which is inf...

  • Added: Apr 16, 2017
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Aaron Kerr, Credit: Elizabeth Thonen-Kerr
Aaron Kerr. He’s a man of multiple musical personalities. Aaron is first and foremost a composer. Owing to his formal musical training, he plays cl...

  • Added: Apr 16, 2017
  • Length: 05:45