Jazz88

Vocalist Bruce A. Henry is back in town for a holiday performance with the JazzMN Orchestra. Though Henry didn't sing holiday music for the first half of his career, he reconnected with the canon during a holiday show at a shopping mall in Colorado and hasn't looked back since. In the interview Henry shared how he navigates the big band setting and the holiday songbook. The JazzMN Orchestra presen...

Debbie Briggs presents a beefed-up vintage jazz Christmas show at the Hook and ladder in Minneapolis, 7pm Friday December 6. In between rehearsals, Debbie talked to Phil Nusbaum about the Debbie Briggs Vintage Jazz Christmas, and about some of those who are participating in the production.

Jazz88 connected with Windom, Minnesota's own Maria Schneider on her birthday to celebrate her Grammy-laden career and her continued connection to Minnesota but Schneider wanted to talk about was the new anthem she's written for her hometown team, the Vikings. Supported by her orchestra's trombone section and the beefiest baritones Julliard has to offer, Schneider's tune is bound to secure the Vik...

Annie Humphrey is inspired by her Native American roots. She brings this heritage to bear in her performance called Decolonizing Thanksgiving at the Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis this Friday, November 29. When Annie got together with Phil Nusbaum to talk about the performance, Annie first addressed the importance of being aware of internal and external forces.

Next Wednesday, November 27, Andrew Walesch leads his orchestra into the Dakota in Minneapolis for an evening devoted to the great songs of Tony Bennett. Andrew recently talked to Phil Nusbaum about the show and about Bennett. In 2017 Andrew was in New York City, where he happened to run into Tony Bennett on the street. Andrew followed Tony into a restaurant.

The New Standards are a jazz-adjacent trio featuring John Munson (bass and vocals), Chan Poling (piano and vocals), and Steve Roehm (vibes). Though the group has plenty of rock'n'roll pedigrees on their resume, all the members have a deep love and knowledge of jazz. The New Standards rely on that love of jazz and the song suggestions they receive from their musical guests to craft a celebrated ann...

Jazz88's Peter Solomon speaks with Shawn Lewis, Community Relations Manager with the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, about planned improvements to North Commons Park. At $45 million, the North Commons renovation represents the largest investment ever made in a neighborhood park in the 140-year history of the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board.

Big Homie plays the Dakota in Minneapolis, 7pm on this coming Friday. The group is based on the North side of Minneapolis, and led by percussionist L.A. Buckner. L.A. told Phil Nusbaum that Big Homie frequently presents musical portraits of life on the north side, including the tune, Looking to the Hills.

Jazz88 Host Patty Peterson talks to saxophonist, Lucia Sarmiento, about her new single, "Morning Delight" and her upcoming CD release in February 2025 at Berlin in Minneapolis.

Mike Wolter leads his trio into the Lexington in Saint Paul, next Saturday night, November 23 at 7pm. The performance will lean on the standards, but Mike and company bring experience with many types of jazz to each performance. When Mike talked to Phil Nusbaum, they spoke about different types of tunes and different types of inspirations, including a Wolters original, long part of Winter. That on...

Big Homie plays the Dakota in Minneapolis, 7pm on this coming Friday. The group is based on the North side of Minneapolis, and led by percussionist L.A. Buckner. L.A. told Phil Nusbaum that Big Homie frequently presents musical portraits of life on the north side, including the tune, Looking to the Hills.

This month Crooners Supper Club celebrates their ten year anniversary. Jazz88 caught up with their Music Director, Jennifer Grimm, to talk about the club's history, it's triumphant series of outdoor concerts during the pandemic and the importance of having clubs that serve as a listening rooms. This weekend on Sunday Jazz88's own Patty Peterson will revisit the Crooners stage after having served a...

Jazz88's Patty Peterson spoke to guitarist, Cory Wong about coming back to his home town for 2 concerts at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, November 23rd and 24th. He also talked about what it was like to write, arrange and record his original material with the Metrople Orkest for his newest album "Starship Syncopation".

Guitarist Zacc Harris is back with Chasing Shadows, the follow-up to his well-received 2021 effort Small Wonders. In the summer of 2022 Harris took an opportunity to get away to a cabin for five days sans family and with nothing specific on the agenda. During the retreat Harris found his way into about twenty new songs, eight of which can be heard on this new record. The resulting performance exud...

Jazz88's Peter Solomon speaks with Harlem-based pianist Emmet Cohen about his recent album "Vibe Provider," and about "Live from Emmet's Place" - the live stream series he started that helped him navigate the pandemic. Cohen plays the Dakota on November 15th with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Joe Farnsworth.

Steve Kenny Presents a quintet playing his original compositions, this Saturday at 8pm at the jazz club Berlin, in Minneapolis. Lately, Kenny is working within a composing concept, which he calls Blue Chunks. In a conversation with Phil Nusbaum, Kenny talked about Blue Chunks. But it’s also a composing renaissance for Kenny, brought about by changes in the local jazz scene.

Jazz88's Peter Solomon spoke with organist Pat Bianchi about his relationship to the Hammond B-3 organ and the influence of the late organist Joey DeFrancesco. Bianchi will perform at the Crooners Main Stage Thursday, November 14th with drummer Byron Landham and guitarist Paul Bollenback, who served as DeFrancesco's rhythm section for many years.

John Penny creates dense musical textures using virtual instruments. These crafted arrangements accompany John’s singing and guitar playing on original and other compelling music. It’s John’s latest project, and comes after years of writing movie scores and soundtracks for TV commercials, and playing World jazz on the guitar. John performs Tuesday November 12, 6-7pm at the Metronome in Saint Paul....

Oogie_Push is from the Meskwaki Nation and is currently creating on Dakota territory, aka the Twin Cities. She’s an actor, writer, storyteller, dancer, a Meskwaki twine bag weaver, a production assistant and an award-winning documentarian. She is the playwright and lead performer for the Full Circle Production “The Adventures of a Traveling Meskwaki”. The show opens this evening (Friday November 8...

Broadcaster and Grammy-nominated performer Judy Carmichael is coming back to the Twin Cities for a performance at the O'Shaugnessy in Saint Paul on Saturday, November 16. She's no stranger to listeners of Jazz88 as we carry her show "Judy Carmichael's Jazz Inspired" on Monday nights at 10pm. She connected with Sean McPherson from Jazz88 to discuss her development as a piano player and how vital he...

Bassist Erik Fratzke from Happy Apple was nice enough to stop by the Jazz88 studio to discuss the group's new studio album New York CD. It's the group's first release in 17 years and Fratzke talked about the life cycle of the band and the beautiful rapport and camaraderie the group is enjoying as they hit the 25 year mark. Happy Apple is celebrating the vinyl release of New York CD this weekend wi...

On the week of the release of MaLLy and Last Word's new album "The Sweetest of It All" MaLLy took some time to connect with Jazz88 to discuss his love of jazz. MaLLy's artform is hip-hop but his sources for inspiration run way deeper. He discussed how jazz can invite him to listen deeply, to relax and to celebrate Black culture in general. Listen in as MaLLy discusses some of his personal favorite...

Scott Amendola is a bay-area drummer and composer who has had long associations with artists like Charlie Hunter and Nels Cline. He performs with a trio including clarinetist Ben Goldberg and bassist Todd Sickafoose at Jazz Central on Thursday, November 7th. The group just released an album called "Here to There" consisting of music inspired by the bridge sections, i.e. the transition sections, of...

Jesse Simon from the MN Hard Bop Collective grew up loving organ jazz out in Denver, Colorado so when it came to for the MN Hard Bop Collective to add more events to their sit-in series it was no surprise that Simon decided to concentrate on the organ. The series will draw inspiration from the legendary organist Shirley Scott. The MN Hard Bop Collective is launching a new weekly Sit-In Series even...

Erin Livingston sings The Great American Songbook at her show at the Blue Water Theater in Wayzata next Saturday November 9 at 7pm. With pianist Dale Alexander and bassist Gary Raynor, Erin will sing the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole. Whichever songs Erin is singing, she brings a love of great lyrics, as she told Phil Nusbaum.