Preparing for our move back to Minneapolis North High means we won’t be able to hang with you at the State Fair this year, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have hot tips on music happenings at the Great Minnesota Get-Together! Below, read what Jazz88’s Sean McPherson is looking forward to. When I go to...Read More
Jazz88’s Peter Solomon speaks with singer and songwriter Lizz Wright about her latest release, Shadow. The recording celebrates the memory and lessons learned from her late grandmother. She discusses that, and her collaborations with Angelique Kidjo, Brandee Younger, and Meshell Ndegeocello. Wright performs at the Dakota this Friday night, August 16th. (Photo by Hollis King)...Read More
Jazz88’s Peter Solomon spoke with two members of local indie-jazz group, HEYARLO: drummer Richard Haneman and bassist Megan Mahoney. The band will play as part of the Hopkins Center for the Arts’ Sunset Series of outdoor concerts on Thursday evening, August 15, at 7 p.m. in Hopkins’ Downtown Park. https://kbem-od.streamguys1.com/kbem/20240812110952-HeyArlo_forWeb.mp3 More Posts for Show: The...Read More
A call from a storage unit manager led guitar icon George Benson down the path to releasing one of the most majestic and compelling albums of his entire career. Hear George Benson in conversation with Jazz88’s Sean McPherson, as he reflects on the recording sessions that led up to this new release, Dreams Do Come...Read More
Moore by Four is getting ready for a show this Friday, August 9, over at Crooners. Members Ginger and Ashley Commodore stopped by to talk about the group’s thirty-plus year history and what gives them their staying power. Full interview: This interview aired on The Afternoon Cruise 08/06/24 More Posts for Show: The...Read More
Twin Cities-based guitarist Pavel Jany and his Global Jazz Collegium are back with their latest disc, Labyrinth. Jany and many of the other members of the Collegium also work in the group Ticket to Brasil, but for this group, they follow their interests beyond Brazil and explore many of the international sounds that have become...Read More
Jazz88’s Peter Solomon speaks with vocalist Carmen Bradford about her musical career with Count Basie and her participation in the program “Uptown Nights,” with trumpeter Byron Stripling and the Minnesota Orchestra on Saturday, August 3rd. Bradford is the daughter of trumpeter Bobby Bradford–a renowned educator and former sideman with Ornette Coleman–and singer Melba Joyce. Listen...Read More
Local mainstay and friend of the station, Ginger Commodore, came to visit Sean McPherson on The Afternoon Cruise to discuss her new four-show series, “And the Melodies Still Linger On”. The series launches on Thursday, August 1 at Crooners. Ms. Commodore discussed how she picks songs, accompanists, and why she has been so focused on...Read More
Jazz88’s Peter Solomon spoke with trumpeter/conductor Byron Stripling about “Uptown Nights,” a program taking place Saturday, August 3rd, that he will perform with the Minnesota Orchestra. The program will feature Stripling in multiple roles–conducting, playing trumpet, and singing–along with vocalist Carmen Bradford and tap dancer Leo Manzari. More Posts for Show: The Morning ShowRead More
Jazz88’s Peter Solomon speaks with vocalist Jane Monheit in advance of her appearance Tuesday, July 30th at the Dakota. Monheit talks about her musical influences, the way she’s learned to manage expectations as a female performer, lessons learned from working with legendary producer Joel Dorn, and her upcoming eponymous release on Club 44 Records. More...Read More
