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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782 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: Arne Fogel, Credit: John Whiting
Minnesota Voices Certain Standards features Arne Fogel on an Irving Berlin song entitled "On The Street Where You Live". Arne Fogel also gives the ...

Bought by KSRQ


  • Added: Oct 31, 2012
  • Length: 03:32
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Maud Hixson, Credit: John Whiting
Minnesota Voices Certain Standards features Maud Hixson on a Cole Porter song entitled "Love For Sale". Arne Fogel also gives the background of the...

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  • Added: Oct 31, 2012
  • Length: 03:32
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Debbie Duncan, Credit: Ann Marsden
Minnesota Voices Certain Standards features Debbie Duncan on a song entitled "I've Gotta Be Me". Arne Fogel also gives the background of the song. ...

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  • Added: Oct 31, 2012
  • Length: 03:29
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Connie Evingson & Tanner Taylor, Credit: John Whiting
Minnesota Voices Certain Standards features Connie Evingson on a Cole Porter's song entitled "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". Arne Fogel also gi...

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  • Added: Oct 31, 2012
  • Length: 03:32
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Nancy Harms, Credit: John Whiting
Minnesota Voices Certain Standards features Nancy Harms on a Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner song entitled "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". Ar...

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  • Added: Oct 31, 2012
  • Length: 03:32
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Arne Fogel, Credit: John Whiting
Minnesota Voices Certain Standards features Arne Fogel on a Hoagy Carmichael – Johnny Mercer song entitled "Skylark". Arne Fogel also gives the bac...

Bought by KSRQ


  • Added: Oct 31, 2012
  • Length: 03:32
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Maud Hixson, Credit: John Whiting
Minnesota Voices Certain Standards features Maud Hixson on a J. Fred Coots- Sam Lewis song entitled "For All We Know". Arne Fogel also gives the ba...

Bought by KSRQ


  • Added: Oct 31, 2012
  • Length: 03:32
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Debbie Duncan, Credit: Ann Marsden
Minnesota Voices Certain Standards features Debbie Duncan on a Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein song entitled "It Might As Well Be Spring". Ar...

Bought by KSRQ


  • Added: Oct 31, 2012
  • Length: 03:29
  • Purchases: 1
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Minnesota Voices Certain Standards features Connie Evingson on a Louis Jordan song entitled "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby". Arne Fogel also g...

Bought by KSRQ


  • Added: Oct 31, 2012
  • Length: 03:32
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Nancy Harms , Credit: John Whiting
Minnesota Voices Certain Standards features Nancy Harms on a Lerner and Loewe song entitled "Almost Like Being In Love". Arne Fogel also gives the ...

Bought by KSRQ


  • Added: Oct 31, 2012
  • Length: 03:32
  • Purchases: 1