Jazz88’s Peter Solomon speaks with guitarist Ryan Picone about how he finds inspiration in the music of gypsy guitar legend Django Reinhardt. Picone shares some insider’s knowledge about Django’s life and music and  stories about his mentors, Howard Alden and Stephane Wrembel. Picone spoke from his apartment in Uptown Minneapolis, where he performed a couple...Read More

Summer jams don’t come in one variety. There are the romantic/erotic summer jams that prompt you to pull that special somebody a little closer, sweat be blessed. There are the summer songs that function like a musical ice cube, you drop them into the mix on the hottest day imaginable, and you feel like mother...Read More

Toussaint Morrison is a journalist, an actor and a recording artist. This Friday, Toussaint is premiering five new music videos and a live set of all new music at the Green Room in Minneapolis. The event is in celebration of his forthcoming new album, Shapeshifter. Morrison took the time to visit with Sean from Jazz88...Read More

The Twin Cities Jazz Festival happens in multiple locations and performers range of students to legends. Sam Keenan spoke with musicians we want to highlight. These are great teasers to help you decide all the places you need to listen to jazz during the Twin Cities Jazz. Festival Marimbist Jenny Klukken and her quartet will...Read More

Our hot local single this week comes from saxophonist Matty Harris. Harris connected with Eric Julio Carranza (guitar), Rocky Schulze (bass) and Chris Hepola (drums) to perform Harris’s tune “Farmers Market.” The tune opens with a bass line provided by Schulze that immediately gets me excited for where the tune will go. I caught Ennio...Read More

Pianist and composer Emmet Cohen will be back in the Twin Cities to play at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival on Friday, June 20 at 8:30 with his trio and the Four Freshmen. Cohen took a break this week to catch up with Sean McPherson and talk about his latest studio release and what he...Read More

Jazz88’s Peter Solomon sat down for a conversation with L.A. Buckner, who talks about why he celebrates his home turf of North Side Minneapolis, the influences that inform his music, and the evolution of his band Big Homie. L.A. Buckner and Big Homie are a headliner at this year’s Twin Cities Jazz Festival. You can...Read More

Drummer Eric Binder is a world renowned recording artist, educator, percussionist, composer, and author. The Twin Cities are fortunate enough to have Eric as part of International Jazz Night, Saturday, June 14th at 6pm, which is taking place at KLASH Drums and Coffee in Northeast Minneapolis. Ahead of the big event, Eric talked to Danny...Read More

I stay overwhelmed by the amazing things that happen in our scene! I want to explain to you how one of the most storied vocal groups in jazz history started collaborating with one of the biggest voices in modern jazz and to do that we’ll have to travel back to the 1940s! The Four Freshmen...Read More

Doreen Ketchens reflects on growing up in New Orleans historic Treme neighborhood, her development as a jazz clarinetist, and playing music with her family on the streets of New Orleans and in concerts and festivals around the world. Ketchens plays the Twin Cities Jazz Festival Friday June 20th at 6 PM on the Jazz88 Main...Read More