When an album gets sampled over and over by hip-hop artists, it’s a clear indicator that something incredibly funky was happening on said release. In the case of Bobbi Humphrey’s Blacks and Blues, there’s a reason so many artists gravitate to the sounds. Larry Mizell laid down the compositions for Humphrey to sink into, with...Read More

Cassandra Wilson could’ve been the “next great” jazz singer, but she chose a vastly more interesting path. By bringing the sounds of blues, R&B, and more into her fold, Wilson tossed a well-deserved middle finger to the gatekeepers who expect jazz musicians to stay in the Real Book and blues musicians to stay in Mississippi....Read More

Cécile McLorin Salvant joined a Zoom with Sean from The Afternoon Cruise in advance of her shows this weekend (2/24-25) at the Walker Art Center. Check out the full conversation right here! More Posts for Show: The Afternoon CruiseRead More

This year, Jazz88 is sharing space with the team from iHeart Media, including KFAN, while our North Minneapolis studios and offices are undergoing renovations. Turns out, these sports people also know their music, and we’ve received a couple of thoughtful jazz gifts from Mr. Paul Allen. His gifts have been welcome, thoughtful, and, most importantly,...Read More

Joan Griffith visited The Afternoon Cruise to discuss her new album, Sambanova 2, and her upcoming show at Crooner’s on February 17. More Posts for Show: The Afternoon CruiseRead More

This Just In is Jazz88’s weekly celebration of new releases. It hits the airwaves every Friday at noon and this week, we are diving into Kassa Overall’s latest mixtape, Shades 3. Kassa Overall is a drummer, producer and vocalist who refuses to water down any part of his skill set to fit into a single genre...Read More

If you’re a music enthusiast, chances are your “favorite” is a moving target–something that changes with the season; perhaps a new release that you predict will turn into a core album for years to come. I’m full of “favorites” that wax and wane. I just had a long discussion with Fletcher from Cities 97 about...Read More

You’re on a jazz radio station’s website right now. Chances are, I’m preaching to the choir here, but in case you’re new to jazz, Mingus Ah Um is the cream of the crop. If you thought jazz was stuffy background music for academics who are afraid to feel anything, every note of this record will change...Read More

In my job, I’m lucky to receive mountains of world-class music in my inboxes–both digital and physical–day in and day out. It’s beautiful, receiving all this music, but it becomes important to use shorthand to seek out the truly high quality stuff as a matter of efficiency. Jeremy Pelt, a celebrated trumpeter based out of...Read More

This Just In is Jazz88’s weekly celebration of new releases. It hits the airwaves every Friday at noon and this week, we are diving into Lakecia Benjamin‘s latest release, Phoenix. It is worth mentioning that the producer of this new release is none other than Terri Lyne Carrington, whose own album was featured last week on...Read More