This week’s Hot New Local Single “A Tune for Towner” from the new Joel Shapira solo guitar recording Unscripted. The namesake for the tune is multi-instrumentalist Ralph Towner. Towner, who is now 85, became well-known for his work with the Paul Winter Consort, his appearance on the Weather Report record I Sing the Body Electric, and especially for his role...Read More

Get planning for your Fall concert schedule with a few picks for Tuesday, September 9th through Sunday September 14th: Tuesday, Sept 9, 2025: Cedar Avenue Big Band at Jazz Central Wednesday, Sept 10 + Thursday, Sept 11, 2025: Barrington Levy at Dakota Jazz Club Thursday Sept 11, 2025: Erin McCawley’s Harrison Street Band at Crooners...Read More

The budding local group Room3 finally has an album out and it’s been a joy to see how warmly Bill’s Garden been received in the Twin Cities scene! Today we are focusing on the third single from the album, “Don’t Forget to Breathe.” The tune features a vocal performance from the soul vocalist, Jada Lynn....Read More

In the throes of winter, I received a couple new tracks from the budding new Twin Cities group, Society of Chemists. One of the standout tracks was “By Candlelight,” a three-minute tune that captures a great spectrum of emotions. The not-so-secret weapon of Society of Chemists is the writing of their saxophonist Stephanie Wieseler. My...Read More

Keep it simple stupid! It is one of those pieces of advice that is so easy to say and so hard to follow but I feel that Ray Barnard really channels that ethos across his output. The man prioritizes a good groove and when he has something nice to sing into the microphone he does...Read More

Sometimes it takes an outsider to really appreciate what is happening in a musical scene. Though he’s been here since 2005, Scott Agster still holds the thrill of the new kid as he tells the larger world what makes our Minneapolis music scene so special. There’s plenty to celebrate here in the Twin Cities, but...Read More

Pianist Abebi Stafford’s new record, Stolen By Lies, was primarily recorded in piano trio format, with Graydon Peterson on bass and Pete James Johnson on drums. Stafford’s original compositions are at their best when they are subtle. The tune “Kinderglow” is a great example of what makes Stafford’s understated writing so powerful. On the A...Read More

Singer Yazmin Bowers is also a pianist, painter, dancer and teacher. She’s also quite the world traveler spending a lot of her time in Havana, Cuba where she teaches music and culture and eventually incorporating her own experiences into her own music. With her heart and soul ultimately coming from her Midwestern roots, it’s always a...Read More

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

Society of Chemists is a fusion band based in the Twin Cities headed up by composer and performer Stephanie Wieseler. Hear her, and the other members of the band, as they take a break in their recording studio to discuss their beginning and their musical process with Jazz88’s Sam Keenan in this interview. https://kbem-od.streamguys1.com/kbem/20240816134425-SocietyofChemistsInterview_0724_SamKeenan.mp3 BONUS:...Read More