The Afternoon Cruise

Legendary guitarist, vocalist, and Radio Deluxe co-host, John Pizzarelli, hopped on the phone with Jazz88 to discuss his new album, Stage & Screen, and his recent travels with his trio. Check it out:   This interview originally aired June 2, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise. This interview was produced and edited by Autumn Haeg. […]

Dave King of The Bad Plus made time to talk with Sean from Jazz88 about the group’s new lineup and their upcoming show at First Ave on June 10. Plus, they discussed King’s work with guitarist Julian Lage and his connection to the Twin Cities. Listen here:   This interview originally aired May 31, 2023 […] […]

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Grammy-nominated producer (Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Raphael Saadiq), vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, Terrace Martin, got with The Afternoon Cruise to discuss his latest project with the jazz “supergroup,” Dinner Party, and his upcoming run of shows at the Dakota. During the conversation, Martin shared his deep knowledge of the Twin Cities music scene–including gracing the stage […] […]

The celebrated MC, artist, and activist Lewiee Blaze came through to discuss his upcoming performance at The Purple Day on Saturday, June 3rd. This annual celebration of Prince, aka “The Purple One,” brings together some of the best and brightest of the Twin Cities music scene for a great community event. Listen:   This interview […] […]

The celebrated harp player Brandee Younger is preparing for a headlining show at the Dakota on Tuesday, May 23. She hopped on the phone with Sean from The Afternoon Cruise to discuss the show, her recent album, and the influence of jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby on her work. Listen:   This interview originally aired May […] […]

Minnesota-based trumpet player Jake Baldwin swung through the studios of Jazz88 to discuss garnering a 4-star review in DownBeat magazine for his latest release on Shifting Paradigm records, Misc. Items. Listen:   This interview originally aired May 22, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise. This interview was produced and edited by Autumn Haeg.     […]

Byron Stripling, a nationally-acclaimed trumpet player and conductor, joined The Afternoon Cruise to discuss his upcoming season-opening show, celebrating the music of New Orleans and the legacy of Louis Armstrong, with the JazzMN Orchestra on Tuesday, May 23. Listen:   This interview originally aired May 19, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise. This interview was produced […] […]

Sloane Martin, a broadcaster with the Minnesota Lynx, swung by the Jazz88 studios to talk about the upcoming season, which gets underway on May 19 with a home game against the Chicago Sky. Listen:   This interview originally aired May 18, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise. This interview was produced and edited by Autumn Haeg.   […] […]

Chadwick ‘Niles’ Phillips, founder & CEO of The Avant Garde entertainment production company, stopped by the Jazz88 studios to discuss his involvement with ComMUSICation, a program founded in 2013 to provide high-quality after school music programs accessible to youth. The group is celebrating their 10th anniversary on Sunday, May 21 at the Ordway in St. […] […]

Trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire is getting ready for a two-night stand at the Walker Art Center on May 19 and 20. He’s been working on new music and figuring out how to balance his work with his wellbeing. Hear a conversation between Ambrose Akinmusire and Jazz88’s Sean McPherson before attending the shows this weekend: […] […]

A promising collective of young women from Franklin Middle School came through the Jazz88 studios to premiere their new single, “Positive,” and discuss their upcoming performance at South High as part of the Viva City Fine Arts Festival (May 16 at 6:30 PM).  Thanks to Mr. B and Adrian Davis for bringing in the students, […] […]

Celebrated saxophonist, composer, educator, and Music Director for the Twin Cities’ own JazzMN Orchestra, Pete Whitman, dropped by the Jazz88 studios to discuss his upcoming show leading and conducting the South High Jazz Band on May 24.   This interview originally aired May 15, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise. This interview was produced and edited […] […]

The in-demand, Twin Cities-based pianist and composer, Kavyesh Kaviraj, came through the studios of Jazz88 to talk about the importance of working as a side person, his approach to leading bands, and his upcoming show at the Dakota.   This interview originally aired May 12, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise.       […]

Twin Cities Jazz Festival organizers Steve Heckler and Dayna Martinez swung through The Afternoon Cruise to chat about the event (now in its 25th year), including details about the MPS Voices Youth Stage and other schedule highlights from across the 2023 Twin Cities Jazz Fest. Listen here:   This interview originally aired May 10, 2023 […] […]

Pete Whitman, the celebrated Minnesota-based saxophonist and composer, swung by The Afternoon Cruise to discuss his upcoming show with Byron Stripling and the JazzMN Orchestra on May 23, as well as an upcoming set on the books at the Dakota.   This interview originally aired May 8, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise. This interview was […] […]

Celebrated organist Ronnie Foster is making his way to the Dakota on May 11. Ahead of the show, he hopped on a Zoom with Jazz88’s Sean McPherson to talk about his latest album, what to expect from the show, his tutelage under other organ masters, and his experience of being sampled by hip-hop group, A Tribe […] […]

Bobby Lyle is back in town for a Friday show at Crooners, and while here, he was nice enough to stop by the Jazz88 studios. He talked about growing up in Minneapolis, and hearing about young musicians in North Minneapolis who were working out of a garage. Those musicians turned out to be Prince and […] […]

Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist, Karrin Allyson, hopped aboard The Afternoon Cruise to talk about her upcoming show at the Dakota on Tuesday, May 16. She’s preparing for a new album centered on the music of Brazil, and she’s bringing some collaborators along, including Brazilian singer and guitarist, Rosa Passos. Listen:   This interview originally aired May […] […]

deVon Russell Gray, Nathan Hanson, and Davu Seru swung through the Jazz88 studios ahead of their 4/28/23 release show at the Cedar Cultural Center to discuss the making of their new album, We Sick, their process for making music together in general, and more. Listen:   This interview originally aired April 26, 2023 on The Afternoon […] […]

The jet-setting Twin Cities-based saxophonist Lucia Sarmiento swung by The Afternoon Cruise to chat with Sean McPherson in anticipation of her first headlining concert ever, taking place at Crooners on Thursday, April 27. Listen:   This interview originally aired April 24, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise.       […]

Long-time soul and blues singer, Willie West, hopped on the phone with Sean McPherson from The Afternoon Cruise to chat about his upcoming show at Crooners, the re-release of his record, The Soul Sessions, and more. Listen: Portions of this interview originally aired April 19, 2023 on This Just In.       […]

It’s happening. This Saturday, April 22, is Record Store Day. If you aren’t familiar with Record Store Day, it’s an opportunity for the music world to give love to the saints who still shop, work, and thrive at independent record stores. The event got started in 2007 as a way to call attention to the […] […]

Joan Hutton and Sue Orfield came through The Afternoon Cruise to chat about their collaborative new effort, Take That Back, on Shifting Paradigm Records, and their upcoming show this Friday (4/7) at Crooners. Listen to the conversation here:   This interview originally aired April 5, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise.       […]

Patty Peterson stopped by The Afternoon Cruise to discuss the Minnesota Jazz Legends event coming up on Sunday, April 2nd. Dive into this conversation to get a glimpse of what goes into producing an event like Minnesota Jazz Legends, and we’ll see you there on Sunday! Listen to the interview here: Portions of this interview […] […]

It’s been a while since we’ve done a Rhythm Changes update, and we’re very glad to be back! For the first few months of 2023, we’ve been focusing on one new release per week for This Just In. That pushed our Rhythm Changes series to the side. but with this great influx of new music, […] […]

Saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins came through The Afternoon Cruise and talked with Jazz88 ahead of his performance at the Dakota on Wednesday, April 5. Listen to the interview here: Portions of this interview originally aired March 30, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise. This interview was produced and edited by Autumn Haeg.     […]

While he was in Minneapolis, Christian McBride was nice enough to connect with Sean from The Afternoon Cruise to discuss his upcoming performances in the Twin Cities, his love and support for all things jazz, and his work on Jazz Night in America. Listen to the interview here: Portions of this interview originally aired March […] […]

Acclaimed poet and educator Desdamona stopped by Jazz88 to discuss her work with TruArt Speaks and the upcoming relaunch of their acclaimed Re-Verb Open Mic series. Listen to the interview here: Interview audio edited by Autumn Haeg Originally aired March 23, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise.     […]

The Mental Health Department at Minneapolis Public Schools is set to host the next Caregiver Institute, coming up on Monday, March 20 at Olson Middle School. Jazz88’s Manny Hill spoke with MPS Mental Health Support Specialist, Annie Loch, and two students from Olson Middle School about how the Caregiver Institute will focus on helping children […] […]

I love Bessie Smith, but there are times where, no matter how much you love the sound, you wish you could hear those songs done faithfully, but recorded with technology that wouldn’t become available until after Smith’s passing in 1937. That’s where this set of performances from Dinah Washington fit in. By 1958, the studios […] […]

The celebrated saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis visited with Sean from The Afternoon Cruise to discuss the music and legacy of Ornette Coleman on Coleman’s birthdate, March 9. Lewis’ path in the music world is connected to Coleman not only by Coleman’s musical legacy, but also by players like Charlie Haden and Jamaaladeen Tacuma, […] […]

After a seven year absence from the stages of the Twin Cities, Pippi Ardennia and her partner, Daniel Leahy, are back to grace the Crooners mainstage on Sunday evening (3/12). They were nice enough to hop on a Zoom with Sean from The Afternoon Cruise to chat about their upcoming visit. Listen to the interview […] […]

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 […] […]

LA Buckner was nice enough to visit The Afternoon Cruise before his headlining show at the Dakota on Monday, March 6. Listen to the interview here: Originally aired March 2, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise. […]

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. […] […]

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, […] […]

Joan Griffith visited The Afternoon Cruise to discuss her new album, Sambanova 2, and her upcoming show at Crooner’s on February 17. […]

Minnesota jazz royalty stopped by The Afternoon Cruise to discuss the upcoming release party for their new album, Weights and Measures. Thanks to Nathan Hanson, Chris Bates and Shifting Paradigm records for visiting Jazz88! Listen to the interview here: Originally aired Feb 06, 2023 on The Afternoon Cruise. […]

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 […] […]

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 […] […]

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 […] […]

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 […] […]

Rachael Price hosted Sean McPherson from The Afternoon Cruise at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul ahead of her concert with her group Lake Street Dive.  The subject: her other project with guitarist/composer Vilray, and their new release I Love A Love Song! Listen to the interview here: Originally aired Jan. 27, 2023 on The Afternoon […] […]

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 […] […]

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 Terri Lynn Carrington’s latest release, New Standards Volume 1. For her latest effort Carrington worked with purpose at every turn, working up material exclusively from women composers and drawing in an […] […]

It’s a Deep Dive Wednesday on The Afternoon Cruise and we are going to check out Chris Potter‘s 2006 effort Underground. Ten albums deep into his solo career, Underground has been critically acclaimed as an album where many of the most promising pieces of Potter’s previous releases came together in one package. Chris Potter has a […] […]

Drummer and composer extraordinaire Kevin Washington visited the Jazz88 studios to discuss his upcoming concert on January 19 at The Hopkins Arts Center. […]

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 Jason Marshall‘s latest release, New Beginnings.  It’s not a coup to see a baritone sax player leading a band by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s still certainly not […] […]

Gary Hines, the longtime leader of Sounds of Blackness, stopped by Jazz88 to visit and discuss the group’s upcoming show, “Music for Martin” which takes place at the Ordway on Friday, January 13.     […]

On today’s Afternoon Cruise we’ll be doing a deep dive into Abbey Lincoln’s 1991 album You Gotta Pay The Band. The featured guest on the album is the esteemed legend Stan Getz in one of his last recording sessions before his passing in June of 1991. Throughout the album I am reminded of three primary […] […]

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 Lauren Falls‘ new album A Little Louder Now. Lauren is a bass player/composer who spent some time out in New York before returning to her hometown of Toronto. The release features […] […]

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On today’s Afternoon Cruise we’ll be doing a deep dive into Joe Henderson’s debut album as a leader, the 1963 release “Page One”. This album marks the second time that Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson got into the studio together, though it was the first session to be released to the public. There’s a Ghostface […] […]

Greetings! Sean here, Music Director and Afternoon Host at Jazz88. I’m honored to share the Top Ten Songs of 2022 on Jazz88. A quick note about the methodology: I gathered the fifty most played songs on Jazz88 that were released in the year 2022 and then put up a poll for listeners to pick their […] […]

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We’ve got some new releases, including some holiday fun, to welcome into the rotation here at Jazz88. As always, if there is some new jazz you are loving that you aren’t hearing, I’d love to know about it! I can be reached at sean@jazz88.fm. ST4TA– “Lazy Days feat. Emma-Jean Thackray” from their album ST4TASFEAR  Listen Here […] […]

Congratulations to all the great jazz musicians who received Grammy nominations for the upcoming 2023 awards. Here is a complete list of the jazz category nominations: Best Improvised Jazz Solo Ambrose Akinmusire – Rounds (Live) Gerald Albright – Keep Holding On John Beasley – Cherokee/Koko Marcus Baylor – Call of the Drum Melissa Aldana – […] […]

The guitarist Marc Ribot was nice enough to catch up with The Afternoon Cruise in advance of his upcoming show at the Cedar. Ribot discussed his love of solo performance, his short-lived tenure in Brother Jack McDuff’s band, and his close associations with the no-wave scene in New York City. […]

NOTE: This show has been postponed. When there is a new date we will announce it here.   Award-winning music icon Vijay Iyer was nice enough to join Sean McPherson from The Afternoon Cruise in anticipation of his Thursday (11/3) show at the Dakota. In this interview, Iyer discusses his new record, Uneasy, his love […] […]

The great music just keeps on coming in and we haven’t even tapped into the pile of holiday releases that have come in in the last couple weeks. As always, if there is some new jazz you are loving that you aren’t hearing, I’d love to know about it! I can be reached at sean@jazz88.fm. […] […]

In anticipation of his Saturday show at Jazz Central (10/22), saxophonist Dennis Mitcheltree hopped on a Zoom with Sean from The Afternoon Cruise to talk about new album, Golden Rule. […]

The celebrated vocalist Kendra Morris, who is currently on tour with labelmates, Monophonics, hopped on a ZOOM to chat with Jazz88 host, Christian Fritz, in advance of her upcoming show at the Fine Line. https://kbem-od.streamguys1.com/kbem/20220929162343-KendraMorrisPodcastInterview.mp3 […]

The musical icon Jellybean Johnson swung through Jazz88 to talk blues, museums, and the greatness of the Twin Cities music scene. […]

The Minnesota-based music icon, Nachito Herrera, hopped on the phone with Jazz88’s Sean McPherson to discuss his upcoming performance at The Ordway. He’ll be playing with a 7-piece band featuring the cream of the crop from the Cuban music scene. Enjoy the conversation about what concert-goers can expect from the show. […]

William Eddins, the accomplished pianist, conductor, and proprietor of Jazz88 business sponsor, MetroNOME Brewery, was nice enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to talk about his gig this weekend. Mr. Eddins will be conducting both the Minnesota Orchestra and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for their performances at Orchestra Hall. […] […]

If you’re looking to see a show from dour musicians who seem to take themselves much too seriously, the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio is not for you. Saturday’s show (9/17/22) at the Hopkins Center for the Arts demonstrated that this is a brotherhood of musical jokesters, with the three members–Delvon Lamarr (Hammond B3), Jimmy James […] […]

We are in a golden age for new jazz releases, and figuring out the right tunes to get into our playlists has been a true joy. Check out a couple of these highlights and be sure to let us know what you think of the new music. I can be reached at sean@jazz88.fm. Samara Joy […] […]

Guitarist/composer John Scofield is out on the road with his band to support his new, self-titled release, and they’re taking the stage of the Dakota on Thursday evening, September 8th.  He was nice enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to visit with Sean McPherson on The Afternoon Cruise.   […]

Acclaimed vocalist Lizz Wright was nice enough to connect with Jazz88’s Sean McPherson in advance of her show on Thursday, September 1 at The Dakota. Check out the whole conversation here. […]

The Minnesota State Fair is here and we couldn’t be more excited about how much jazz there is to offer this year. No matter what day you go, you should be able to take in a great jazz experience. We sincerely encourage you to come through on Friday, August 26 and/or Saturday, August 27 when […] […]

Local guitar maven and friend of the station, Zacc Harris, is celebrating the legacy of Pat Martino on Thursday, August 25 at Crooners. He hopped on The Afternoon Cruise to discuss Martino’s influence in the jazz world. […]

Vocalist and pianist Andrew Walesch connected with Patty Peterson to discuss his upcoming CD and CD release show exploring the catalog of Cole Porter. […]

The Minnesota jazz legend and Jazz88 broadcaster, Butch Thompson, passed away on Sunday, 8/14/22. Below, is audio of a tribute to Butch from the 8/16/22 Afternoon Cruise with Tony Balluff (Southside Aces) and Sean McPherson (Jazz88). […]

PaviElle is releasing a new documentary that tracks the making of her newest album, Sovereign. Check out the extended conversation between PaviElle and Jazz88’s Sean McPherson. […]

Songwriter and vocalist, Ann Hampton Callaway, is visiting the Twin Cities for a two-show stand over at Crooners this weekend. She was kind enough to talk about her love of the Linda Rondstadt songbook, and her love of performing in general. […]

Hear trumpeter and director of the Count Basie Orchestra, Scotty Barnhart, talk about the upcoming show at Crooners, alongside a discussion about the role of the trumpet in jazz and Scotty’s take on the most important jazz musician of all time. […]

Michael Cain joins The Afternoon Cruise to talk about his upcoming show as part of MacPhail’s Water Works concert on July 9!   […]

Nachito Herrera joins The Afternoon Cruise to talk about his upcoming show as part of MacPhail’s Water Works concert on July 9!   […]

Emmet took a minute between soundcheck and his performance on Friday June 24 to touch base with Sean McPherson from Jazz88. […]

Benny Jones Sr., bass drum player and bandleader for the Treme Brass Band took the time to catch up with Sean McPherson from Jazz88 via phone from his home in New Orleans.   […]

Gary Hines, the longtime leader of Sounds of Blackness, stopped by Jazz88 to visit and discuss the group’s new anthem, “Juneteenth Celebration.”   […]

Julius Collins, the vocalist for Dr. Mambo’s Combo and a fixture in the Twin Cities music scene, stopped by The Afternoon Cruise to talk about the shows that the Combo will be a part of this weekend over at the Capri. Check out the conversation in advance of their shows on Saturday and Sunday at […] […]

The celebrated Chicago-based drummer Makaya McCraven is coming through town for a show at The Fine Line on Wednesday. Makaya was nice to hop on a ZOOM call with Sean from The Afternoon Cruise in advance of Wednesdays show! Listen to the interview: final Makaya Audio – Sean McPherson   […]

Throughout the week, I’ll be connecting with artists who are set to take the stage of Indeed Brewing for the Whirlygig event happening in Northeast Minneapolis this weekend, May 20-22, as part of Art-A-Whirl. Erik Fratzke, the bassist for Happy Apple,  stopped by to talk about the gig and what we can expect from their […] […]

Throughout the week, I’ll be connecting with artists who are set to take the stage of Indeed Brewing for the Whirlygig event happening in Northeast Minneapolis this weekend, May 20-22, as part of Art-A-Whirl. L.A. Buckner, drummer extraordinaire and leader of Big Homie, stopped by to talk about the gig and what we can expect […] […]

Throughout the week, I’ll be connecting with artists who are set to take the stage of Indeed Brewing for the Whirlygig event happening in Northeast Minneapolis this weekend, May 20-22, as part of Art-A-Whirl. Andrew Tomten (saxophone; L) and Andy Schupp (bass; R) stopped by to talk about the gig and everything that is happening […] […]

As part of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association’s Art-A-Whirl weekend, Whirlygig is back (for the first time since 2019) at Indeed Brewing’s Minneapolis taproom! May 20-22 Jazz88 is proud to be sponsoring a full weekend of great local music, including artists Purple Funk Metropolis, MMYYKK, L.A. Buckner & Big Homie, Arlo, Happy Apple, and many […] […]

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 […] […]

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 […] […]

  If you are a regular listener to KBEM, hopefully you’ve heard Phil Nusbaum’s informative and entertaining feature Twin Cities This Week/Twin Cities Weekend. On a recent playback, I was intrigued by a new band, Sprig Of That, who discussed in-depth a new recording, Eight Threads. Like Phil’s featurette, the group had received an endowment […] […]