KBEM

StationAccount image
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

Series image
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
Series image
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
Caption: PRX default Series image
787 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
Series image
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
Series image
31 Pieces

Minneapolis High School Students comment on Minnesota Arts, Culture and History

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Aug 24, 2011

Latest Pieces

Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Kevin Washington views himself as an artist in the tradition of Pharaoh Sanders and john and Alice Coltrane, of spirituality and healing. When Kevi...

  • Added: Oct 14, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Kevin Washington views himself as an artist in the tradition of Pharaoh Sanders and john and Alice Coltrane, of spirituality and healing. Kevin lea...

  • Added: Oct 14, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Brian Wicklund grew up playing bluegrass, but is best known for the Barley Jacks, a group that combines bluegrass with other idioms. Brian’s daught...

  • Added: Oct 07, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Billy McLaughlin, Credit: Ryan Taylor
Simple Gifts featuring Billy McLaughlin presents Harvest at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis, Sunday October 16 at 7PM. The show re-imagines song...

  • Added: Oct 06, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Gypsy Mania, Credit: Travis Anderson
Gypsy Mania, also known as Hot Club Mania shares the bill with the Red Hot Django Peppers 7:30 PM, Sunday October 23 at the Cedar Cultural Center i...

  • Added: Oct 05, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Raycurt Johnson, Credit: Rachel Luhrs Austin
The First Annual Solidarity Harvest features local artists who met at the crossroads that became known as George Floyd Square. They congregated out...

  • Added: Sep 23, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Twin Cities Iranian Culture Festival, Credit: Ensi Hohammed
The 2022 Twin Cities Iranian Culture Festival takes place this Friday through Sunday at Squirrel Haus in Minneapolis. It presents music and other a...

  • Added: Sep 22, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Nick Freeman as Buddy Holly, Credit: Scott Pakudaitis
It’s both a bio about a pop music icon and a rock and roll concert. Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story runs all October at the History Theatre, Thursdays...

  • Added: Sep 18, 2022
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Courtney Burton, Credit: Tera Girardin
Courtney Burton’s Court’s In Session presents George and ira Gershwin’s Love songs Sunday September 25, 7 till 8:30 pm. It’s part of Chart House Li...

  • Added: Sep 03, 2022
  • Length: 08:01
Caption: KBEM logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Daina de Prez calls herself a piano entertainer, and that’s what she does. Sure, she plays with groups, too, but her main focus is singing and play...

  • Added: Aug 31, 2022
  • Length: 08:00