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
Caption: PRX default Series image
779 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: Neighborhood Quartet, Credit: Benny Moreno
The Neighborhood Quartet is vibraphonist Steve Roehm, Guitarist Dan Schwartz, drummer Greg Schutte and bassist drummer Nick Salisbury. On its recen...

  • Added: Apr 16, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Neighborhood Quartet by Benny Moreno, Credit: Benny Moreno
The Neighborhood Quartet is vibraphonist Steve Roehm, Guitarist Dan Schwartz, drummer Greg Schutte and bassist drummer Nick Salisbury. At its album...

  • Added: Apr 16, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Charlie Maguire, Credit: Cheryl Walsh Bellview
Charlie Maguire writes songs that depict people at work, based on lived experiences of himself and others. His original inspiration comes from Wood...

  • Added: Apr 12, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Charlie Maguire, Credit: Cheryl Walsh Bellville
Charlie Maguire writes songs that depict people at work. Charlie’s next concert celebrates 50 years of his singular style of songwriting, Saturday ...

  • Added: Apr 12, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Thomasina Petrus and Tom Wells, Credit: Sue Kearns
Tom Wells is the leader of the Selby Avenue Brass Band. Tom has also taught up and coming players at North Community High School in Minneapolis, wh...

  • Added: Apr 10, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Thomasina Petrus and Tom Wells, Credit: Sue Kearns
Tom Wells, leader of the Selby Avenue Brass Band first met singer Thomasina Petrus when she was studying and he was teaching at North Community Hig...

  • Added: Apr 10, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Ian George, Credit: Justin Gordon
Singer-Songwriter Ian George has a new, CD that references many music styles. Not only is it hard to place in any commercial genre, but it takes an...

  • Added: Mar 18, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
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In this episode, we hear performances from two student groups who performed on the youth stage at the Twin Cities Jazz Fest in 2023. First we hear ...

  • Added: Mar 18, 2024
  • Length: 57:30
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In this episode, we hear performances of various jazz groups from a spring concert in 2023. The students are joined by members of Star of the North...

  • Added: Mar 18, 2024
  • Length: 57:30
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In this episode, we hear a concert from a couple South High School jazz ensembles from the 2022-23 school year. We talk to band director Sophia But...

  • Added: Mar 18, 2024
  • Length: 57:29