Jazz88

Joyann Parker isn't one to slow down. Since finding blues and soul music in her mid thirties she has been on a campaign to learn, celebrate and perform Black American music. She's doing just that on Friday night at the Woman's Club in Minneapolis. She and Lori Dokken from the Woman's Club stopped by to chat about the concert with Sean from the Afternoon Cruise.

Nyttu Chongo is a Minnesotan who performs a style called Jazz Bantu. The style combines music learned in Mozambique on African instruments with western classical instruments. Nyttu’s ensemble performs this Friday at the Ordway Theater in Saint Paul at 7:30pm. In a conversation with Phil Nusbaum, Nyttu talked about many facets of his music, including his method of composing.

Peter Solomon speaks with Steve Clarke about the evolution of his band Steve Clarke and the Working Stiffs. They will playing the final Jazzclectic Concert of the summer on Saturday, July 27th at 2PM.

Willow Waters songs reflect personal issues she has worked through. Her new project is called I Rise I Fall, and it also includes some of Willow’s original instrumental music. Audiences can take in Willow’s new music next Thursday, July 25 at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. The doors open at 7, with the concert beginning at 7:30. In a conversation with Phil Nusbaum, Willow reflected on t...

Joan Hutton and Sue Orfield celebrate Splash, their second CD of original music, Friday August 3 at Crooners Supper Club in Fridley. Joan and Sue talked to Phil Nusbaum about the project. Joan told Phil of a unique method of jumpstarting the composing process.

Jazz88's Peter Solomon spoke with vocalist Jennifer Grimm and 16-year-old saxophonist Grady Cartony about "Next Generation: Jazz," a show focusing on young Jazz artists taking place at Crooners at 5 PM on Sunday, July 21st. Two other showcases at Crooners will feature young artists from the Classical scene and Musical Theater Community.

Bassist Greg Bryant is one half of the jazz duo Concurrence. On their new album, Indivisible, he and pianist Paul Horton use an entire toolbox of expression to tell the story of the impact of I-40 on Black neighborhoods in Nashville. Bryant, who hails from Nashville, discussed how he and Horton came to tell this story and how the music balances the shameful details of the highway and the optimisti...

When Vicki Victoria Sings, Expressing the Mood of the Song is the Main Thing

Carlisle Evans Peck sings songs that chronical facing the straight world from a Gay orientation. In order to overcome difference and create connections with others, he often mines family stories. Carlisle performs at the Southern Theater this Friday and Saturday evenings, July 12 and 13 at 7pm. When Carlisle talked with Phil Nusbaum, Carlisle told how he learns stories of his family members.

In his interview with Sean McPherson this week Kavyesh Kaviraj said he is running on "two batteries". His debut album as a leader, Fables, is a culmination of at least a year of work for Kaviraj and his team. For his visit to Jazz88, Kavyesh Kaviraj focused on how a half decade of work as a sideman laid the groundwork for his arrival as a leader.

Manny Hill is the Executive Producer of MPS Voices and one of his closest colleagues is Olive Norvell who serves as host and producer on MPS Voices. MPS Voices is a central hub for student and staff audio content for and from Minneapolis Public Schools. Learn more about MPS Voices' triumphant first year in this interview and check out the station at MPSVoices.com.

The Minnesota Original Music Festival Comes to Multiple Locations in Saint Peter Wednesday July 17 through Sunday July 21. The festival has performances and workshops that focus on songwriting and instrumental performance across many music forms. It also has a way of combining individual musicians into bands who have 48 hours to come up with 3-song sets. When Phil Nusbaum talked with the festival’...

Sunday afternoon July 14, the Northfield Jazz Fest takes place. It is a multi-venue event, with much of the action taking plat at Northfield’s Way Park. The fest is funded by the Southeast Minnesota Arts Council to showcase local talent. Phil Nusbaum talked about some of the Northfield band leaders at the fest, and the conversation started with JC talking about his group, the Immanent Standards tr...

Accordo is a chamber music string ensemble composed of present and former members of the St Paul Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra. Members of the group are busy with other musical projects. But Accordo helps them fulfill important musical goals. Violinist Steven Copes spoke with Phil Nusbaum.

Jazz88 honors our Minnesota Jazz Legends 2024 Mikkel Romstad, Dr. Henry Blackburn, Brian Grivna and the late Roberta Davis and hosted by Patty Peterson. The live concert and conversation took place April 14th at the Minnesota History Center’s 3M theater. Minnesota Jazz legends 2024 is funded by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and Jazz88.

Kevin Gamble leads his trio into Icehouse in Minneapolis for a show next Thursday night, June 27. Kevin’s trio plays many kinds of music, but on this performance preview, we’ll listen to a couple of Kevin’s Jazz fusion originals. When Kevin got together with Phil Nusbaum, Kevin talked about how he got started in music.

Mark Weisberg on the bass, Michael Pilhofer the drummer and Phil Kadidlo on the piano. The trio could be called Weisberg, Pilhofer and Kadidlo. But in a conversation with Phil Nusbaum, Mark Weisberg quipped that it sounded a bit too much like the name of a law firm, so the group is called the WPK trio. It performs at Crooners Supper Club at 6:30 Friday June 28. Then Mark described the special cont...

Choreographer Leslie Parker and musician DeCarlo Jackson have been working together in a larger group toward a Black Dance Improvisation concert coming up on Saturday at Cedar Cultural Center. The event is a part of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival and it represents the culmination of work done with a cast of dancers and many of Leslie Parker's mentors from the Twin Cities dance world. Listen to the...

Patty Peterson talked to saxophonist Claudia Medina as she talked about her life in Peru, her passion for jazz, and her appearances at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Not only did she have a concert on the main stage with her band but she was instrumental in leading the Walker West Women In Jazz Retreat and concert.

Trumpet player and composer, Ella Grace, joined Patty Peterson to talk about her upcoming performances at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival 2024. She is a part of the Walker West Women In Jazz Retreat, and will also be leading her own band at Metronome.

Jazz88's Peter Solomon caught up with singer and songwriter Nicole Zuraitis, whose 2023 recording How Love Begins received the Grammy award for best jazz vocal album. Zuraitis plays Thursday evening June 20th at the Dakota in an appearance billed as a pre-Twin Cities Jazz Festival show.

Damian Kulash, the singer and guitarist for Ok Go is getting ready for a show at First Ave on July 11 and he was eager to connect with Jazz88 and discuss how he has connected with jazz throughout his life. During his conversation with Sean McPherson, Kulash discussed the way jazz got him to focus on what is central to the power of music. The conversation focused in particular on New Orleans legend...

The annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival is staged at multiple venues this Friday and Saturday. The event presents some of the biggest names in Jazz, as well as highlight performances by local performers. Dayna Martinez is executive director of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, and she talked to Phil Nusbaum about a few local artists doing big things, such as Kaviesh Kaviraj.

Monday nights at Icehouse in Minneapolis are curated by Sophia Kickhofel. This Monday, bands led by Sophia and Peter Goggin pay tribute to the great composer Ornette Coleman. The show starts at 8pm at Icehouse. When Sophia told Phil Nusbaum about this Monday’s presentation, she told why she chose Ornette Coleman music as a special point of emphasis.

In anticipation of their Courtyard Concert appearance at MIA on Thursday, June 20 Sean McPherson connected with artists Queen Drea, Pavielle and Tish Jones. In addition to hailing from the same part of Saint Paul (Rondo), Jones, Queen Drea and Pavielle have served as "co-conspirators" for decades at this point. Throughout the conversation the themes of Black liberation and shared history came to t...