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: Billy McLaughlin, Credit: Ryan Taylor
Billy McLaughlin has carved out a career as a tap style guitar stylist. Catch his act in Minneapolis at the Aster Café, Tuesday July 17 at 8pm. The...

  • Added: Jul 12, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Dan Schwartz with harp guitar, Credit: Benny Moreno
Dan Schwartz is a guitar playing musical omnivore. He is one of the few reviving the harp guitar, a regular acoustic guitar with a set of bass stri...

  • Added: Jul 08, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Charlie Maguire, Credit: Cheryl Walsh Bellville
Woody Guthrie’s book Bound For Glory is now over 75 years old. It’s a book that told it like it was about the great depression. In honor of this Po...

  • Added: Jul 05, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Charlie Maguire, Credit: Cheryl Walsh Bellville
This year is the 75th anniversary of Bound for Glory, the book written by depression era folksinger Woody Guthrie. To celebrate the occasion, Pop W...

  • Added: Jul 05, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Dan Schwartz, Credit: Benny Moreno
Dan Schwartz, Minneapolis guitarist, explores the harp guitar. It looks a lot like a regular acoustic guitar, with heavy, range-extending bass stri...

  • Added: Jul 02, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Dan Schwartz, Credit: Benny Marino
Dan Schwartz of Minneapolis plays the harp guitar. It looks a lot like a regular acoustic guitar, but with heavy, range-extending bass strings adde...

  • Added: Jul 02, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Phil Heywood, Credit: Rebecca Pavlenko
Over the years, Phil Heywood has written a steady stream of guitar music. He also performs songs written by others, but re-worked to fit his style ...

  • Added: Jun 30, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Phil Heywood, Credit: Rebecca Pavlenko
Over the years, Phil Heywood has written a steady stream of guitar music. He also performs songs written by others, but re-worked to fit his style ...

  • Added: Jun 30, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. It’s a production focused on inspiring jazz singer Billie Holiday. Thomasina Petrus has toured it 6 times. Tho...

  • Added: Jun 28, 2018
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Jazz 88 logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. It’s a production focused on inspiring jazz singer Billie Holiday. A local actress and singer, Thomasina Petru...

  • Added: Jun 28, 2018
  • Length: 08:00