The Morning Show

Latin jazz legend Paquito D'Rivera is the subject of a documentary premeiring on PBS this month called "Paquito D'Rivera: From Carne Y Frijol to Carnegie Hall." It tells his story from his earliest days as musical progidy growing up in Cuba and follows his first encounter with Dizzy Gillespie, his defection to the United States, and his unparalleled career in Latin, jazz, and classical music in th...

Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon speaks with vocalist and composer Chenxi Pan, who changed her life path in her early twenties when she left her native country of China and came to the US to study jazz. She talks about her unique musical path, the artists that influenced her singing and writing, and talks through some of the music on her debut recording, "This Very Moment," wheich was released in...

In this case, the Elephant is Adam O'Farrill's recently formed quartet, and the room is the Minneapolis jazz venue Berlin. The trumpeter and composer speaks with Jazz88's Peter Solomon about the literary, cinematic, and musical influences that inform his compositions. Adam O'Farrill and Elephant will play at Berlin on Tuesday, September 15th.

Jazz88's Peter Solomon speaks with Twin Cities based saxophonist Brandon Wozniak, who has been selected as September Artist in Residence at Minneapolis jazz venue Berlin. Wozniak will perform in a series of Sunday night concerts, including collaborations with musicians such as drummer Dave King, cellist Michell kinney, guitarist Zacc Harris, among others. Information at www.berlinmpls.com.

Charles Tolliver's professional career began in earnest in 1964, when he recorded as a sideman with alto saxophonist Jackie McLean. In subsequent years, Tolliver worked with Max Roach, Horace Silver, Andrew Hill, Sonny Rollins, Gerald Wilson, and others. Recently, Mack Avenue records reissued his first session as a leader, under the title "Right Now... And Then." In this conversation with Jazz88's...

Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon speaks with composer and saxophonist Stephanie Wieseler and bassist Charlie Bruber about the long awaited new recording by Society of Chemists. The Twin Cities-based ensemble has a unique musical approach with they describe as "chamber jazz fusion." They discuss what that means, and Wieseler talks about the ways she sometimes finds inspiration for her compositions...

Logan Richardson in a saxophonist, composer and producer who will be Artist in Residence July 29th through 31st at Berlin in Minneapolis. He speaks with Peter Solomon about growing up in Kansas City in the 1980's and how that shaped him as an artist. Richardson will be working with a group of Twin Cities-based artists, including pianist Kavyesh Kaviraj, trumpeter Omar Abdulkarim, bassist Kevin Gib...

Tom McDermott moved to New Orleans in the early eighties and has quickly himself as a leading voice in early jazz and New Orleans roots music. He brings a personal and inventive approach to the repertoire of Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Professor Longhair, and James Booker, as well as ragtime and Brazilian Choro music. McDermott spoke with Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon about his...

Jazz88's Peter Solomon speaks with guitarists Joe Cruz and Scott Keever about the new guitar duo they are bringing to Aster Cafe on July 23rd. Both musicians have diverse musical interests, ranging from Americana to Latin, Blues, Jazz, and more.

Russell Ferrante is a founding member of the legendary fusion band, the Yellowjackets. He spoke with Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon about his musical path, including an eye-opening first tour with blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon. He also discussed the collaboration with guitarist Robben Ford that led to forming the Yellowjackets, and the leaderless philosphy that has helped the band stay togethe...

Choro Borealis is a Twin-Cities based Brazilian ensemble that performs a variety of musical styles from South America’s largest country, including choro, samba, forro, and original compositions that incorporate jazz influences. The term choro references a type of instrumental music that evolved in the late nineteenth century from the fusion of European dances like polkas, schottisches, and walzes,...

Twin Cities-based guitarist Zacc Harris speaks with Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon about his latest trio project "American Reckoning," the upcoming Zacc Harris group appearance at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, and his work in the Atlantis Quartet. You can catch Harris's set at the TCJF Saturday, June 20th at 4 PM at Mears Park.

Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon speaks with Andrew Wallesch, the Artistic Director of the JazzMn Orchestra, about their Saturday, June 20th appearance with singer Michael Mayo at the 2026 Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Wallesch, a singer himself, discusses Mayo's unique gifts as a vocalist and improvisor. More information on that and other Twin Cities Jazz Festival performances can be found at www.t...

Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon speaks with Andrew Wallesch, the Artistic Director of the JazzMn Orchestra, about their Saturday, June 20th appearance with singer Michael Mayo at the 2026 Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Wallesch, a singer himself, discusses Mayo's unique gifts as a vocalist and improvisor. More information on that and other Twin Cities Jazz Festival performances can be found at www.t...

Guitarist Kenny Reichert is an artist who splits his time between the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, Chicago, and a teaching job in Oklahoma. He is Artist in Residence at the Minneapolis venue Berlin this month, and through the month of May he is featuring several of his different projects in a series called "Letters from the Road." In this conversation with Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon, he discusse...

Two Twin-Cities based musicians, guitarist and singer Caro Bernardini and bandoneon player Charles Gorczynski, join Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon for an in-studio performance and conversation. They discuss the evolution of the music, which was a cultural fusion of European immigrants that came into contact with African-descended people that lived in Buenos Aires in the late nineteenth century....

Riley Mulherkar is a Seattle native and Julliard-trained trumpeter and composer who has embraced both jazz roots and modern production techniques in crafting his art. In a conversation with Jazz88's Peter Solomon, he discusses his musical influences, the brass ensemble The Westerlies that he helped to found, and his solo debut project "Riley." Mulherkar will appear at Berlin in Minneapolis on Apri...

Jazz88's Peter Solomon speaks with Jenny Klukken, a Twin Cities-based marimba player who is releasing a new album on March 27th called "Marimba Standard." She talks about her musical journey and how she came to embrace the marimba, and about the artists that she colaborated with to create her new recording. An album release celebration will take place Saturday, March 28th at Art House North in St....

Jazz88 Morning Show Host Peter Solomon speaks with Tony Balluff, a clarinetist who leads the Twin Cities-based traditional jazz ensemble, The South Side Aces. Balluff is something of a jazz historian, and speaks eloquently about the innovative artists that created the artform. Sunday, March 22nd, the South Side Aces and some friends will be featured playing Bechet's music at Jazz Age Rumpus V, tak...

Arne Fogel Visited with Peter Solomon on the Morning Show to discuss his new recording "Arnthology," a compilation featuring recordings made between 1971 and 2026. Fogel will celebrate the release of the album Saturday, March 14th at Crooners with a performance featuring Rick Carlson, Maude Hixson, bassist Graydon Peterson, and other special guests. In this segment, you'll hear some tracks from th...

Peter Solomon speaks with Greg Brosfske, writer and composer of a jazz-infused operetta called "Strange Heart," in spired by Pulitzer-winning poet John Berryman's writings. Actors Anna Hashizume and Bradley Greenwald also join the conversation. "Strange Heart" opens at Open Eye Theatre opened March 5th and runs through March 22nd.

Theo Bleckmann is an vocalist with a penchant for creating experimental, boundary-pushing recordings drawing on a wide range of musical styles. His latest recording, called "Love and Anger," is no exception. It includes highly personal and sometimes radical arrangements of two Kate Bush songs, Sylvester’s disco hit “Mighty Real,” “Hide Your Love Away” by the Beatles, “Dido’s Lament” by Henry Purce...

Peter Solomon speaks to Paul Fonfara and Spencer Roth of The Brass Messengers, a Twin Cities-based brass band that blends elements of Balkan, Macedonian, Afrobeat, Free Jazz, New Orleans sounds. The group will play a Mardi-Gras show called "Dance Your Brass Off" Tuesday, February 17th at the Turf Club, presented by Jazz88.

On his latest album "Sampled," trumpeter, composer, and educator Adam Meckler collaborated with several different hip hop producers, rappers, and instrumentalists to reimagine and recontextualize his original big band music. He talks about his collanorative process with Jazz88's Peter Solomon.

Joanne Lundberg is a Financial Counseling Supervisor with Lutheran Social Services. She speaks with Jazz88's Peter Solomon about debt consolidation, with an an explanation of the process and when and for whom it might be a good option.