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: Rey Rivera, JazzMN percussionist, Credit: Philip Nusbaum
Tito Puente had a career spanning over 50 years, and is considered one of the prime movers of Latin Jazz. This show gets listeners ready for the Ti...

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  • Added: Nov 03, 2013
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Bobb Fantauzzo, Credit: Andrea Canter
Jazz has long been recognized as America’s original musical art form. However, predating jazz, there was another form of music rooted in this land—...

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  • Added: Oct 29, 2013
  • Length: 59:02
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Jazz At MPS with Josh Jones and the Dynamics
Join Ester Swanson on Jazz at MPS with Music from Minneapolis Southwest High School

  • Added: Oct 28, 2013
  • Length: 01:00:13
Caption: Cornbread harris at home, Credit: Philip Nusbaum
Friday night Nov 1, Cornbread Harris continues his run of 6 -10PM shows at the Loring Pasta Bar in Minneapolis. On the piece we meet Cornbread, who...

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  • Added: Oct 26, 2013
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
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Join Ester Swanson on Jazz at MPS with music from Minneapolis Southwest High School.

  • Added: Oct 21, 2013
  • Length: 57:55
Caption: Benny Weinbeck Trio, Credit: Travis Anderson
Get ready for a performance by the Benny Weinbeck trio at the Parma 8200 Club in Bloomington, MN. The piece tells how Benny got hooked on jazz pian...

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  • Added: Oct 20, 2013
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Jazz At MPS with Josh Jones and the Dynamics
Join Ester Swanson on Jazz at MPS with music from Minneapolis Southwest High School.

Bought by KSRQ


  • Added: Oct 15, 2013
  • Length: 59:24
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Dakota Dave Hull
Piece for broadcast Oct 14-17. Dave talks about the inspirations for a few of the tunes on his new, all-original CD.

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  • Added: Oct 08, 2013
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: The New Standards, Credit: Travis Anderson
Program for Oct 7-11, 2013, The New Standards re-imagines great songs of the past 40 years. We talk about how the trio got started, how the member...

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  • Added: Oct 05, 2013
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: la Familia Torres-Pena, Credit: Phil Nusbaum
The group, la Familia Torres-Pena has been prominent in Twin Cities Mexican music for decades. The couple's two children figure in this group. In t...

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  • Added: Sep 22, 2013
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1