KBEM
Call Letters: KBEM
Frequency: 88.5
http://www.jazz88.fm
Affiliations: BBC, NPR, PRI, and Ampers
Networks: AMPERS and American Public Media
Recognized as the Twin Cities' public radio voice for jazz and education, KBEM is a program of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Approximately 150 students annually participate in KBEM's hands-on educational program, which focuses on all aspects of broadcasting and production. Students who develop their skills and select broadcasting experience can gain significant on-air time. The station is on-air 24/7 with 35 hours of student programming each week, with live professional announcers and pre-recorded, syndicated programming filling out the rest of the schedule. KBEM is the only station in the Twin Cities market which offers a jazz format and officially provides MN-DOT traffic reports.
KBEM was initially established at Minneapolis Vocational High School in the 1960s. The station was moved to North High School in 1983 as a part of the District's desegregation initiative and it continues to reside there today. The vast majority of KBEM students attend North High School.
Talkin' About Jazz with Joan Griffith
Joan Griffith, Twin Cities musician and educator, has conversations with prominent Minnesota jazz musicians.
From: KBEM
Talkin' About Jazz: The Songs
Joan Griffith, Twin Cities guitar player and educator, interviews Minnesota jazz artists.
Minneapolis Public School teachers talk with Kevin O'Connor about their accomplishments.
The Jazz Image Minnesota Edition
During his 60-plus years in jazz broadcasting, Leigh Kamman conducted hundreds of interviews with jazz artists, including many from the Minnesota scene. These are being preserved and edited by the Leigh Kamman Legacy Project and presented as The Jazz Image: Minnesota Edition, a continuation of the The Jazz Image: Special Edition series. These projects are part of the process of preserving and sharing the massive archive of historical recordings he left when he passed away in October 2014.
The Jazz Image Special Edition
Minnesota jazz broadcasting legend Leigh Kamman conducted hundreds of interviews with jazz artists, including some of jazz's illustrious figures. Now, these treasures have been lovingly preserved and edited into a new series of broadcasts, The Jazz Image: Special Edition. These recordings preserve priceless conversation Leigh Kamman had with such luminaries as Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan and Stan Kenton. In his ninth decade, Kamman adds fresh commentary to round out these 5 minute broadcasts, 13 in all in this series.
Twin Cities Weekend
5 to 8-minute, highly produced heads-ups highlighting great musical activities in the Twin Cities broadly conceived. The pieces feature the musicians, their music, club owners, fans, in short all of those responsible for creating musical experiences.
Viva City
Viva City, Festival of the Arts, was initiated thirteen years ago as a way to showcase arts education in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). In this pod cast, we feature the musical portion of Viva City from the Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minneapolis.
What's Real
Minneapolis High School Students comment on Minnesota Arts, Culture and History
Latest Pieces
JazzMN with a tribute concert to Latin Jazz master Tito Puente. Piece for Nov 4-7, 2013.
Series: Twin Cities Weekend
Tito Puente had a career spanning over 50 years, and is considered one of the prime movers of Latin Jazz. This show gets listeners ready for the Ti...
Bought by KSRQ
Added: Nov 03, 2013
Purchases: 1
A Weaving of Traditions
Jazz has long been recognized as America's original musical art form. However, predating jazz, there was another form of music rooted in this land—...
Bought by KHNS
Added: Oct 29, 2013
Jazz At MPS Episode 3
Series: Jazz At MPS
Join Ester Swanson on Jazz at MPS with Music from Minneapolis Southwest High School
Cornbread Harris at the Loring Pasta Bar. piece for broadcast Oct 28 - 31, 2013.
Friday night Nov 1, Cornbread Harris continues his run of 6 -10PM shows at the Loring Pasta Bar in Minneapolis. On the piece we meet Cornbread, who...
Join Ester Swanson on Jazz at MPS with music from Minneapolis Southwest High School.
Benny Weinbeck Trio live at the Parma 8200 Club
Get ready for a performance by the Benny Weinbeck trio at the Parma 8200 Club in Bloomington, MN. The piece tells how Benny got hooked on jazz pian...
Dakota Dave Hull CD Release Party Oct 19 at Celtic Junction.
Piece for broadcast Oct 14-17. Dave talks about the inspirations for a few of the tunes on his new, all-original CD.
The New Standards Plays at the Dakota in Minneapolis, Oct 12, 2013.
Program for Oct 7-11, 2013, The New Standards re-imagines great songs of the past 40 years. We talk about how the trio got started, how the member...
Mexican Band plays in a Burnsville Library, Oct 5 2013. For broadcast Sept 30-Oct 4, 2013
The group, la Familia Torres-Pena has been prominent in Twin Cities Mexican music for decades. The couple's two children figure in this group. In t...
Added: Sep 22, 2013
Purchased Pieces
Edmar Castaneda 01.28.23-02.03.23 01/25/23
Samara Joy 01.21.23-01.27.23 01/18/23
Martin Shore 01.14.23-01.20.23 01/13/23
Stephanie Trick And Paolo Alderighi 01.07.23-01.13.23 01/04/23
MN90: Hollywood Stunt Woman 12/29/22
MN90: Hostage In Iran 12/29/22
MN90: American Indian Women's Caucus in Houston 12/29/22
MN90: Eric and Walter's Excellent Adventure 12/29/22
MN90: Chuck Berry and the Escapades 12/29/22
Monika Herzig 12.27.22-01.06.23 12/28/22
Staff of KBEM
Philip Nusbaum
independant producer
Travis Ryder (Admin)
Program Director, KBEM
Michele Jansen
Kevin O'Connor (Admin)
Patty Peterson (Admin)
On air host-Show producer for KBEM for AMPERS
Joel Glaser (Admin)
Wesley Phipps (Admin)
Justus Sanchez (Admin)
Samuel Keenan (Admin)
Reed Williams