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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780 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: 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
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Jazz At MPS features music from the Minneapolis Public Schools jazz programs. Students are recorded playing live in concert and in the studio.

  • Added: Apr 11, 2017
  • Length: 58:44
Caption: Julian Manzara, Credit: Jax Ravel
Julian Manzara is a young Twin Cities guitarist whose composing and improvising abilities have started to make a name for himself. He plays solo an...

  • Added: Apr 09, 2017
  • Length: 06:53
Caption: Jazz 88 logo , Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
As a kid Dee Miller decided to become a blues singer. She’s worked tirelessly over the years, and it’s paid off in high level performances. She to...

  • Added: Apr 07, 2017
  • Length: 07:00