Nate Smith’s Kinfolk project is coming to town for a two-night stand at the Dakota on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. I had the chance to catch up with him as he was wrapping up another tour down in Chicago to talk about his most recent recordings and the differences in creating in real...Read More
John Pizzarelli’s schedule permitted him to stop by our studios before his visit to the Dakota tonight. It’s no surprise that John was an absolute natural doing radio, I mean he has his own radio show. We even broadcast it on Jazz88 on Saturdays at 5pm. John was more than happy to talk about his...Read More
I had the honor of catching up with Cyrille Aimée in advance of her performance on Friday night, April 1st, at the Dakota. In the interview, you’ll hear about Cyrille’s fascination with the Dakota, Minneapolis in general, and her adopted hometown of New Orleans. We touch on her impressive 14 disc discography and the band...Read More
Twin Cities Jazz Festival is back in Mears Park this summer and the Jazz88 Mainstage headliners were just announced! June 24th & 25th, join us in St. Paul’s Lowertown for a weekend of free outdoor music! Friday, June 24th Matthew Whitaker Emmet Cohen with Bruce Harris Saturday, June 25th Treme Brass Band Brandon...Read More
https://kbem-od.streamguys1.com/kbem/20220216113623-YNNNENFeb16_04521_021722.mp3 Margo Ashmore of the Northeaster Newspaper talks about their story highlighting student demonstrations at St Anthony Middle and High Schools after the police killing of Amir Locke.Read More
Saying goodbye is never easy. Life after 50 has been full of more twists and detours than I imagined in my 20’s. Just when I thought I’d settled into the final chapters of my career in radio, an opportunity for change came my way recently. I have accepted a full time position as a classical...Read More
https://kbem-od.streamguys1.com/kbem/20211216113639-YNNLNMDec16_04538_16Dec21.mp3 We spoke Freelance Journalist Jill Boogren about her recent article appearing in the Longfellow Nokomis Messenger, Southwest Connector and Midway Como Frogtown Monitor that looks into a questionnaire the City of Minneapolis sent to homeowners near George Floyd Square about re-opening the intersection that seems to lack options for the community. More...Read More
Is it Jazz? Always a loaded question, it seems to be increasingly so with the passage of time. As I age, I am becoming less likely to engage in impassioned quarrels or trying to answer that conundrum. I mention this because over the Thanksgiving week, I found myself in the scenic venue of Papa Charlie’s...Read More
This week, I was just coming up with a clever joke. Just one of the things I do to amuse myself and break the tedium. I thought of a tagline for Blue Note Records: “Home of All the Rap Hits.” Which, of course, is tongue in cheek. But it does feel sometimes like...Read More
California based Kiefer joins Justus Sanchez at Jazz88 for an in-studio performance and interview. Kiefer, who gained acclaim for optimistic beat-based jazz, released his latest album “When There’s Love Around” in 2021. The new album is a departure from his previous works. He has switched out the beats for a full band. He and his...Read More
