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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779 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: Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra, Credit: Diego Ramallo
Jazz Central Studios is a nonprofit organization supporting the Twin Cities jazz community. Its Fundraiser is Saturday April 30, and artists are co...

  • Added: Apr 13, 2016
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Jim Falbo, Credit: Gilliane Mansfeldt
Jim Falbo is a talented classical-based guitarist. He has a command of many music styles makes him a wedding guitarist who is in demand.

  • Added: Apr 09, 2016
  • Length: 08:48
Caption: Jim Falbo, Credit: Gilliane Mansfeldt
Jim Falbo has a base in classical guitar, but he is a lover of many music styles. In advance of his Studio Z show in Saint Paul this Friday night, ...

  • Added: Apr 09, 2016
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Southside Aces, Credit: Jonathan Hankin
The Southside Aces is a Minneapolis-based New Orleans-style Jazz group playing uncompromised traditional Jazz. They play it the old way, but when a...

  • Added: Apr 07, 2016
  • Length: 09:10
Caption: Southside Aces, Credit: Jonathan Hankin
The Southside Aces is a New Orleans-style jazz band that has loads of fun playing for dancers and listeners. Founder and clarinetist Tony Balluff (...

  • Added: Apr 07, 2016
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Diane Jarvi, Credit: Nick Lethert
She’s an artist of many talents, and she keeps embracing more and more. Diane Jarvi is touched by Finnish, American and other world cultures, and s...

  • Added: Mar 28, 2016
  • Length: 09:19
Caption: The Dakota Combo, Credit: Andrea Canter
The Dakota Combo. It’s a jazz group made up of metro area high school players whose players are immersed in soaking up lessons from their mentors. ...

  • Added: Mar 27, 2016
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Kip Peltoniemi, Credit: Mary Crimi
Kip Peltoniemi is the type of player who combines the music he has heard during his lifetime into a style and outlook that is personal yet inviting...

  • Added: Mar 22, 2016
  • Length: 10:29
Caption: Dr James Leary, Credit: Jeff Miller of University Communications at UW-Madison
The Celebration for the publishing of Dr James Leary’s Folksongs of Another America takes place Friday Night April 1 at Celtic Junction. It is a wo...

  • Added: Mar 19, 2016
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
They do the old blues and a lot of new blues, too. Stephen Faison and the 3 O’Clock Gruv is a band of musical veterans hungry to make its mark with...

  • Added: Mar 14, 2016
  • Length: 05:50