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: Pattyh Peterson of Class Action, Credit: Jennifer Bong
They were inspired by Earth Wind and Fire but their blend of personalities made them much more than a cover band. The group was known as Class Acti...

  • Added: Mar 11, 2016
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Dean Magraw in demand by venues, and by other players. Why? It is because he is innovative and grounded in tradition. Dean’s innovations are the ki...

  • Added: Mar 10, 2016
  • Length: 09:23
Caption: jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Tabla player Marcus Wise and Guitarist Dean Magraw have one of the few musical cultural syntheses that really works. It is because the Wise/Magraw ...

  • Added: Mar 10, 2016
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Wee Willie Walker, Credit: Doug Knutson
Wee Willie Walker and We’r (We Are). Now this is one top flight blues band. The group plays the groove most people expect from a blues band, but wi...

Bought by KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Mar 03, 2016
  • Length: 08:49
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Wee Willie Walker, Credit: Doug Knutson
Wee Willie Walker arrived in St Paul around 1960. Willie has had and has a long career in music, including singing Doo-wop, gospel music and down-h...

Bought by KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Mar 03, 2016
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Switched at Birth, Credit: Tony Martini
The 2016 Winter Bluegrass Weekend, held March 4-6, 2016, heats it up no matter the temperature outside. It’s a celebration of everything bluegrass,...

  • Added: Feb 24, 2016
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Atlantis Quartet, Credit: Benny Moreno
Jazz is a tough world, and it takes perseverance. But sticking together has its rewards, and a case in point is the Atlantis Quartet, slowly but su...

  • Added: Feb 21, 2016
  • Length: 06:38
Caption: J.T. Bates, Credit: Andrea Canter
A mixture of the expected and unexpected. You could say that about all the music at the monthly Jazz at Studio Z series in St Paul. This Saturday i...

  • Added: Feb 21, 2016
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Graydon Peterson at Crooner's, Credit: Andrea Canter
Graydon Peterson is a Twin Cities-based bass player with impressive credentials especially for his composing. But he chooses to do it all. You migh...

  • Added: Feb 10, 2016
  • Length: 07:39
Caption: Graydon Peterson at Crooner's, Credit: Andrea Canter
Graydon Peterson is a local jazz composer who started out as a classical musician. But as a student, he was drawn to jazz, not only as a bassist, b...

  • Added: Feb 08, 2016
  • Length: 05:00