The Morning Show

Sousaphonist Erik Jacobson’s romance with New Orleans brass bands started when we was in high school and was exposed to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band record “My Feet Can’t Fail Me Now.” After sharing the album with fellow University of Wisconsin-Madison music student Christopher “Roc” Ohly, he started up Mama Digdown’s Brass Band. They’ve kept it going for thirty years and have toured all over, inclu...

Minneapolis-based pianist and composer spoke with Jazz88's Peter Solomon ahead of his December 30th birthday celebration at KJ's Hideaway in St. Paul. (Photo by Evin Rodriguez-Sosa)

Ben Monder, guitarist for The Bad Plus, recently connected with Peter Solomon to discuss The Bad Plus's upcoming residency at the Dakota, which starts on December 25 and runs until December 28.

Dave King, co-founder and drummer for The Bad Plus, recently connected with Peter Solomon to discuss The Bad Plus's upcoming residency at the Dakota, which starts on December 25 and runs until December 28.

Some changes are coming to Minneapolis Public Schools in the next couple of months. There will be new leadership with a permanent Superintendent set to take over soon for the current interim Superintendent Rochelle Cox, who MPS Voices Executive Producer Manny Hill recently caught up with. Manny and Rochelle talk about a few topics, as the winter break is coming up, but first they discussed the new...

Stacey Kent is a critically acclaimed jazz singer beloved the world over. She has sold more than two million recordings and her music has been downloaded a half a billion times. Her latest recording, “Summer Me, Winter Me” was recently issued on Naïve records. Jazz88’s Peter Solomon caught up with Kent via Zoom to discuss the new recording. (Photo by Judy Maxwell. )

Dayna Martinez, the Executive Director of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, stopped by during the Morning Show to announce the artists that will be featured in Winter Jazz Fest coming up on February 24, 2024.

Enrollment Season has gotten underway again at Minneapolis Public Schools. It started November 15, and MPS Voices Executive PRoducer Manny Hill talked with MPS Director of Enrollment Managment Martha Swanson about important dates for families to remember, and also the upcoming School Finder Fair happening on January 13!

Jazz 88's Peter Solomon spoke with Erinn Liebhard, director of the St. Paul based dance troupe Rhythmically Speaking about their upcoming show "Chill," running Dec. 1 -3 at Amsterdam Bar & Hall in St. Paul, and featuring original choreography to a live jazz performance of Vince Guaraldi's score for A Charlie Brown Christmas. (Image by Jillian Bell).

Jazz88’s Peter Solomon spoke with trumpeter and composer Russ Johnson, who has described his own music as "too in for the out crowd and too out for the in crowd." He is performing Saturday November 18th at Jazz Central with drummer Abinnet Berhanu, Bryan Nichols, piano and Ted Olsen, bass. Johnson has performed with iconic musicians like Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz, Steve Swallow, and Bill Frisell. He...

Jazz88’s Peter Solomon speaks with Dr. Maya Sullivan about her work as Dean of Students at Metro State University and about Graduate Programs Preview Day, taking place November 14th from 5 – 7 PM.

Jazz88's Peter Solomon caught up with Mary Ann Sullivan whose band Mary Ann and the Money Makers will be featured in a Jazzclectic Concert Sunday at Mall of America.

Jazz88’s Peter Solomon spoke with David Radames Toro, Stage Director for Minnesota Opera’s production of Cruzar La Cara De La Luna, a mariachi opera showing at the Ordway through November 12th. (Attached photo by Dan Norman)

Jazz88’s Peter Solomon spoke with Sgt. Rick Denneson of the West Hennepin County Police Department about Crash Responder Safety Week, November 13 – 17. Sgt. Denneson says that the week was not just created to raise awareness about the safety of crash responders, but to encourage the driving public to consider their own safety in potentially hazardous driving situations. (Attached image from Oregon...

Alonzo King Lines Ballet will perform an original work called "Deep River," blending music from Jewish and African American spiritual traditions with a score by pianist, composer, and MacArthur fellow Jason Moran and vocals by Grammy-award winning singer Lisa Fischer. The work also incorporates compositions by Pharoah Sanders, Maurice Ravel, and James Weldon Johnson. The performance will take plac...

Payments on federal student loans resumed in October after a 3-year pause. More than 800,000 people in the state of Minnesota have federal student loan debt. That debt, combined with state and private loans, according to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, has made the median loan for student borrowers in Minnesota nearly $24,000. Jazz88’s Peter Solomon spoke with Kim Miller, financial couns...

Jazz88's Peter Solomon speaks with Amy Schendel and Mary Larew from the St. Paul Conservatory of Music about "Music Across Minnesota" and other musical outreach programs.

Jazz88 Morning Show host Peter Solomon had the opportunity to sit down with Andy Mannix, Minneapolis Policing Reporter for the Star Tribune, about a "Curious Minnesota" feature on the murder of journalist Walter Liggett and the gangster accused of the crime, Isadore “Kid Cann” Blumenfeld. Blumenfeld was a Jewish immigrant who became extremely rich and influential in the Twin Cities during the proh...

Jazz88's Peter Solomon speaks with Andy Mannix, Minneapolis police reporter for the Star Tribune, about the notorious Twin Cities Gangster Isidore "Kid Cann" Bluemenfeld and the 1935 murder of journalist Walter Liggett. Mannix wrote a feature on the story for the Star Tribune's "Curious Minnesota" series in September.

Jazz88’s Peter Solomon speaks with Dr. Maya Sullivan, Dean of Students at Metro State University about two open house events the school is holding for prospective students this week. She discusses some of the things she feels make Metro State University unique including the affordable tuition costs, flexible opportunities for adult learners, the individualized studies program, and the fact that Me...

Peter Solomon spoke with Gary Hines, music director for the Grammy-winning Twin Cities ensemble Sounds of Blackness about their participation in a program called “Behind the Curtain: Ever After in Concert” The story is a developing musical, an extension of the Cinderella Story and incorporates historical figures like The Brothers Grimm and Leonardo Da Vinci. Performances are Friday, October 6th an...

Celebrated trumpeter, bandleader and composer Randy Brecker is swinging back into town to join the JazzMN Orchestra at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater on Monday night. Jazz88's Peter Solomon caught up with Brecker to find out about the program on Monday and much more!

Veronica Swift, preparing for two shows on Friday at the Dakota, took time to visit with Morning Show host Peter Solomon and discuss her new eponymous record.

MsArnise joins Patty Peterson on the Morning Show to talk about her upcoming tribute to Gladys Knight and The Pips at Chanhassen Dinner Theater July 9th.

Mushroom expert Melany Kahn visits on the joys of mushroom foraging, especially with kids. She will present public events this Thursday and Friday around the Twin Cities area and show off her new children's book, "Mason Goes Mushrooming."