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
48 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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748 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: The Jorgensens, Credit: Jim Vasquez and Meredith Fierke
Twin Cities wife and husband team Brianna and Kurt Jorgensen perform and compose music together. Living together makes it oh-so-convenient to work ...

  • Added: Dec 30, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: The Jorgensens, Credit: Jim Vasquez and Meredith Fierke
Twin Cities wife and husband team Brianna and Kurt Jorgensen perform and compose music together. Living together makes it oh-so-convenient to work ...

  • Added: Dec 30, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
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Since the 1990's guitarist Steve Blons has been active as a teacher and freelance musician and for many years played weekly at the Dakota Club in M...

  • Added: Dec 22, 2022
  • Length: 05:32
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Guitarist Reuben Ristrom has been a stalwart in the music scene in the Twin Cities for many years. Reuben plays all styles of Jazz and in 2018 was ...

  • Added: Dec 22, 2022
  • Length: 06:04
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This archival interview was done as part of Leigh Kamman's Women in the Arts jazz series. This interview was done when Laura's second CD, " As One"...

  • Added: Dec 22, 2022
  • Length: 05:56
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Larry McDonough graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in music education. Larry has been performing extensively in the Twin Cit...

  • Added: Dec 21, 2022
  • Length: 06:17
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Bassist Gordy Johnson grew up in a musical family, his father was a bassist with the Minnesota Orchestra for over 40 years, and his mother was a pi...

  • Added: Dec 21, 2022
  • Length: 06:12
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Saxophonist Doug Haining grew up in St Louis Park, MN and started playing professionally in the 1970's. Doug attended St Olaf College where he grad...

  • Added: Dec 21, 2022
  • Length: 07:13
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Cornetist Paul "Doc" Evans was born in Spring Valley, MN in 1907. He started his musical journey playing piano, later adding drums, and then in hig...

  • Added: Dec 21, 2022
  • Length: 05:55
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Guitarist and composer Dean Magraw has performed and recorded with a wide variety of great musicians and is known for his masterful guitar playing....

  • Added: Dec 21, 2022
  • Length: 05:40