Craig Taborn was raised in the Twin Cities but set his sights on the East Coast early in his professional career. After cementing his status as a top-flight straight-ahead jazz player in the 1990s, Taborn has become one of the most inventive and forward thinking musicians in any genre. Although he is well-known for his...Read More

During some downtime in Atlanta, Grammy-winning songster Fantastic Negrito was doing a little genealogical digging when he started down a trail leading to his seventh-generation grandparents. It turns out that, in Virginia in the 1750s, his grandparents–a white Scottish indentured female servant and an enslaved African man–fell in love and started a family. This discovery...Read More

Twin Cities mainstay, and friend of the station, Leslie Vincent, visited the studios of Jazz88 to perform a haunting ukulele version of her song, “Bury Her Down,” and to chat up her upcoming performance at the Granada Theater in Uptown Minneapolis on Saturday, October 21. Take a listen: This interview aired on The Afternoon Cruise...Read More

Jazz88 Morning Show host Peter Solomon had the opportunity to sit down with Andy Mannix, Minneapolis Policing Reporter for the Star Tribune, about a curious feature on the murder of journalist Walter Liggett and the gangster accused of the crime, Isadore “Kid Cann” Blumenfeld. Blumenfeld was a Jewish immigrant who became extremely rich and influential...Read More

Back in 2017, Jazz88’s Bobby Vandell, host of Bridge to the Blues and Jazz Futures, connected with drum legend David Garibaldi for an extended interview, covering many aspects of Garibaldi’s impressive career, beginning with his early years in Tower of Power. Jazz88 will continue to share portions of this interview throughout the coming months. Enjoy...Read More

Roy Hargrove was born October 16, 1969. In his too-short life (Hargrove died in 2018), he became an icon–sharing stages with musicians from across genres, winning Grammys, and penning songs that would live on for generations. Minnesota-based trumpeter Omar Abdulkarim had occasion to share stages and conversations with Hargrove during his time living in New...Read More

Grammy-nominated alternative jazz drummer, producer, and rapper Kassa Overall has released “2 Sentimental,” a melancholic reimagining of Duke Ellington’s ballad, “In a Sentimental Mood,” which Overall has transformed into an anthem for musicians struggling to survive the economic upheaval of the post-pandemic era. Enjoy the single, and check out an email conversation between Kassa Overall...Read More

Jazz88’s Peter Solomon spoke with Dr. Maya Sullivan, Dean of Students at Metro State University, about two open house events the school is holding for prospective students this week. She discusses some of the things that she feels make Metro State University unique, including the affordable tuition costs, flexible opportunities for adult learners, the individualized...Read More

Jazz88 offers so much more than a streaming service ever can by connecting you to the world of jazz. With the support of our listeners, we are able to present live events, capturing world-class talent from resident and touring artists, all year long. Throughout our Fall Drive, we will be sharing selections from our audio...Read More

A native of Fridley, Minnesota, Andy Heglund has spent the last twenty-five years as a faculty member at the University of Nevada, Reno teaching percussion, percussion ensemble, and small jazz groups. The Manzanita Quintet consists of UNR faculty members Josh Reed on trumpet, Peter Epstein on saxophone, Adam Benjamin on piano, Hans Halt on bass, and...Read More