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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784 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

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Saxophonist Doug Haining grew up in St Louis Park, MN and started playing professionally in the 1970's. Doug attended St Olaf College where he grad...

  • Added: Dec 21, 2022
  • Length: 07:13
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Cornetist Paul "Doc" Evans was born in Spring Valley, MN in 1907. He started his musical journey playing piano, later adding drums, and then in hig...

  • Added: Dec 21, 2022
  • Length: 05:55
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Guitarist and composer Dean Magraw has performed and recorded with a wide variety of great musicians and is known for his masterful guitar playing....

  • Added: Dec 21, 2022
  • Length: 05:40
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Pianist, vocalist, producer and radio show host Arne Fogel has been a regular performer at clubs and concert venues in the Twin Cities for many yea...

  • Added: Dec 21, 2022
  • Length: 05:56
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Anthony Cox is a world renowned arranger, composer, educator and musician from Minneapolis. He has played and recorded with many of the greats of ...

  • Added: Dec 21, 2022
  • Length: 06:04
Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
The Twin Cities Davina and the Vagabonds plays with a unique, horn-driven rockin’ and bluesy style. But it is keyed by Davina, the band’s leader an...

  • Added: Dec 20, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
The Twin Cities Davina and the Vagabonds brings its unique, horn-driven rockin’ and bluesy style to the Dakota in Minneapolis right around New Year...

  • Added: Dec 20, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
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Internationally acclaimed jazz singer, recording artist, voice teacher, coach, Lucia Newell is originally from Minneapolis. She has been a mainstay...

  • Added: Dec 16, 2022
  • Length: 06:29
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A native of Saint Paul, Drummer Kenny Horst has been a part of the Twin Cities Jazz scene since the 1960's and has played for many local musicians....

  • Added: Dec 16, 2022
  • Length: 06:29
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Since he was a young man in the 1950's, until his death in 2020, Gary Berg was a mainstay on the local jazz scene. Over the course of his career Ga...

  • Added: Dec 16, 2022
  • Length: 07:00