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: Leigh Kamman, Credit: Andrea Canter
At the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dizzy Gillespie and Leigh discuss a series of photographs from Dizzy's life.

Bought by KSRQ


  • Added: Oct 22, 2014
  • Length: 05:03
  • Purchases: 1
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In the fall of 1965, at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Leigh Kamman moderated a meeting of two great jazz pianists.

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  • Added: Oct 22, 2014
  • Length: 05:19
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Steve Kenny, Credit: Phil Nusbaum
What Would Monk Do? It’s a playful name for a serious band that explores the music of Thelonious Monk, as well as the implications of the work of M...

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  • Added: Oct 22, 2014
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Pat O'Keefe with bass clarinet, Credit: Scott Miller
Pat O’Keefe plays an instrument that is not well known to the general public, the bass clarinet. But Pat shows us that the instrument expresses a v...

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  • Added: Oct 17, 2014
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Dean Magraw, Credit: Manfred Pollert
After years of playing together, Dean Magraw and Eric Kamau Gravatt have finally recorded a CD. It contains mature, avant garde work for guitar and...

  • Added: Oct 09, 2014
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Anthony Cox, Credit: Anthony Cox
Anthony Cox is a Twin Cities bassist who has played world stages during his career, but now that he's back in his home turf, he's leading local ban...

Bought by KSRQ


  • Added: Oct 04, 2014
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Tim Cheesebrow, Credit: Phil Nusbaum
Tim has some great new songs, a great new CD, a fresh perspective, and he rolls it all together into a great show on Saturday October 4.

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  • Added: Sep 25, 2014
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Mac Santiago, Managing Director of Jazz Central Studios, Credit: Philip Nusbaum
We talk to Mac Santiago, managing director of Jazz Central about David Karr’s music, and about what it is like to play with David Karr. Karr's next...

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  • Added: Sep 19, 2014
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Ticket to Brasil, Credit: Jane Jany
The first concert was in 2003, and now it’s a major family, locally-produced International music event. We speak with event organizer Pavel Jany, t...

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  • Added: Sep 11, 2014
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Curtis and Loretta as the Haymarket Minstrels, Credit: Carr Hagerman
Curtis and Loretta transform themselves into the Haymarket Minstrels for Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, which they are playing Sept 13-14, 2014....

Bought by KSRQ


  • Added: Sep 04, 2014
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1