Singer Yazmin Bowers is also a pianist, painter, dancer and teacher. She’s also quite the world traveler spending a lot of her time in Havana, Cuba where she teaches music and culture and eventually incorporating her own experiences into her own music. With her heart and soul ultimately coming from her Midwestern roots, it’s always a...Read More
Sean writes: I was overjoyed to get some new music from the fusion friendly group Society of Chemists in my inbox. The members of Society of Chemists are criminally busy with other projects, but they find the time to keep this one going because the band has such tangible passion for the self-described “chamber jazz...Read More
April is “Jazz Appreciation Month,” and Jazz88 is looking forward to celebrating with a concert honoring our 2025 Minnesota Jazz Legends: drummer Jay Epstein, pianist and Walker West Music Academy founder Grant West, Dixieland trombonist Art Katzman, and the late, award-winning jazz vocalist Debbie Duncan. Presented by Jazz88, this special concert will be held at...Read More
Mike Munson is a Winona-based guitarist and vocalist deeply rooted in the blues. Recently Munson has been charting a new course in his career and put together a trio featuring Twin Cities mainstays featuring Nick Salisbury on bass and Lars-Erik Larson on drums. When I got my hands on the instrumental “Night Flying Birds” it...Read More
This week’s Hot New Local Single is “Battle Ready,” a collab from Black Market Brass and Obi Original. Sean reflects on the single: I remember with great joy a night about twelve years ago where my idea of what was possible in Twin Cities music was recalibrated by seeing Black Market Brass on stage at...Read More
Here are the top ten new releases from Jazz88! Vote for your five favorites below! Ebo Taylor – Get Up Lucia Sarmiento – Rosie Out Of/Into – Radical Andrew Tomten – Chip’s Groove Etienne Charles – Colorado River Song Julian Lage – Omission Mike LeDonne – JB (for Jaki Byard) Hannah Harder – The...Read More
The centerpiece of drummer L.A. Buckner‘s musical universe is North Minneapolis, aka “over North.” It only makes sense; Buckner is quick to describe his music as “very Black” and the Northside of Minneapolis is the beating heart of the Black community in Minnesota. Buckner himself is a fixture over North, both on the bandstand and...Read More
There is no half-stepping with Lucia Sarmiento. The sax phenom taps top notch players and matches them up with top notch material for all of her recordings. It’s no surprise that she’d keep the bar high as a leader considering that she frequently works as a player for international sensations like Pitbull and Karol G....Read More
Abebi Stafford is a Twin Cities mainstay best known for his masterful piano and organ work. For his fourth release as a leader, Stolen By Lies, Stafford has connected with some of the great players in our scene and turned out an energetic and inspired selection of originals plus one Keith Jarrett number. The title...Read More
I have the receipts to prove that I’ve been trying to get my hands on studio recordings from Room3 for quite some time. After I saw an explosive set from them on a flatbed truck at Grand Old Day in 2022, I’ve been jonesing to share their magic on our airwaves. The day has finally...Read More
