Wil B, one half of the hip-hop meets classical string duo Black Violin connected with Jazz88 in anticipation of their show on Saturday, February 10 at the State Theatre. Full Interview: This interview aired on The Afternoon Cruise 02/09/24 More Posts for Show: The Afternoon CruiseRead More
More than any other hip-hop producer, J. Dilla, born James Yancey February 7, 1974, has impacted how jazz musicians write and play today. His famously “drunken” drum programming, his singular approach to harmonization and his bass playing have all become part of the lexicon of modern jazz. To mark what would be Dilla’s 50th birthday...Read More
Jazz88’s Peter Solomon spoke with Loren Schoenberg, Senior Scholar at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, about a new documentary airing this week on PBS about pioneering trombonist, electric guitarist, composer, and arranger, Eddie Durham. https://kbem-od.streamguys1.com/kbem/20240205104953-LorenSchoenbergonEddieDurhamFinal.mp3 TRANSCRIPT: PETER SOLOMON: I’m Peter Solomon, you’re listening to jazz 88. (Music plays: “Wham, Re Bop Boom Bam” by...Read More
Adam Levy is a career guitar player and educator who has shared stages and recording studios with Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, Meshell Ndegeocello and more. Listen to find out more about Levy’s new album Spry and his approach to writing and playing. Adam Levy plays Friday February 2 at metroNOME in Saint Paul and Saturday...Read More
Aubrey Logan is the daughter of a band director and a choir teacher and grew up singing in musical theatre. Picking up a horn in high school, she became a quadruple threat as a vocalist, trombonist, composer, and arranger. She spoke with Jazz88’s Peter Solomon about her career, her recent recording “Standards,” her work with...Read More
The Sit In Series is a new program sponsored by the Minnesota Hard Bop Collective. The Sit In Series aims to provide a formal opportunity for middle school to college aged musicians to sit in or perform with professional musicians. Lead mentors Dale Alexander (piano) and Omar Abdulkarim (trumpeter) alongside mentee Bernadette Brownrigg Spray (vocals)...Read More
Jazz88’s Peter Solomon spoke with Trumpeter Steve Kenny, who curates the jazz at K.J.’s Hideaway. He brings his quintet to the St. Paul venue Saturday, February 3rd to celebrate the music of John Coltrane. This will be the 100th performance in the ongoing jazz series that Kenny has curated over the past two years. https://kbem-od.streamguys1.com/kbem/20240130123821-SteveKenny_mixdown.mp3...Read More
Dennis Spears is the longtime curator of the Legends Series at the Capri Theater. Spears was nice enough to visit Jazz88 on his “day off” to discuss Souled Out, the show he is putting up at the Capri this weekend. The focus for the concert is the legendary soul sounds of the 1960s and 1970s....Read More
I’ve loved Blue Note Records for as long as I’ve loved jazz. Growing up as an aspiring jazz musician not much felt better than leaving Applause/Cheapo on Snelling in Saint Paul with a couple of those white jewel boxed Blue Note releases and heading home and finding out what they were all about. Early on...Read More
Jazz88’s Peter Solomon spoke with award-winning mystery novelist Michael Connelly about how jazz played an essential role in establishing the character of Harry Bosch, the hard-edged loner cop with a penchant for bucking authority and a deep-seated love of jazz. Connelly himself became a jazz fan as he was doing the research for his books....Read More
