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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785 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: Graydon Peterson at Crooner's, Credit: Andrea Canter
Graydon Peterson leads Thoughtcast into the Icehouse in Minneapolis at 8PM, Sunday November 20 to celebrate the group’s new CD. Jake Baldwin plays ...

  • Added: Nov 10, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Aaron Kerr, Credit: Elizabeth Thonen-Kerr
Aaron Kerr’s new opera captures the spirit of the times of the assassination of President Kennedy and resignation of President Nixon. Inspired by T...

  • Added: Nov 02, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Aaron Kerr, Credit: Elizabeth Thonen-Kerr
Aaron Kerr’s new opera captures the spirit of the times of the assassination of President Kennedy and resignation of President Nixon. Inspired by T...

  • Added: Nov 02, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: American Roots Revue banner, Credit: Mark Odegard
The American Roots Revue, staged November 12 at the Dakota in Minneapolis, comes from an idea of Larry Long. The show brings together Robert Robins...

  • Added: Nov 01, 2022
  • Length: 07:59
Caption: KBEM logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
For Curtis and Loretta, the Covid Pandemic was a time for reflection and composing new songs. Many of the songs are on the new CD, Lift The World. ...

  • Added: Oct 28, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Curtis and Loretta, Credit: Jennifer Bong
For Curtis and Loretta, the Covid Pandemic was a time for reflection and composing new songs. Many of the songs are on the new CD, Lift The World. ...

  • Added: Oct 28, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
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For almost twenty-five years, Ticket to Brasil has been putting fresh spins on Brazilian music. The 6-piece plays at Crooners this Friday at 4PM, a...

  • Added: Oct 26, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Minneapolis-based vibes player is part of an exciting flamenco fusion project with Miguel Espinoza of Colorado. This is the latest of many musical ...

  • Added: Oct 20, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Minneapolis-based vibes player Dave Hagedorn plays with Miguel Espinoza of Colorado at the Parkway Theater this Tuesday evening. The group plays fl...

  • Added: Oct 20, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Luke LeBlanc, Credit: Sara Bel Kloetzke
Luke Leblanc’s ’s new CD, Fugue State reflects Luke’s concern about the polarization you see everywhere today. According to Luke the trouble today ...

  • Added: Oct 19, 2022
  • Length: 08:00