The Afternoon Cruise

Yonci interviews bassist and bandleader David Ambrosio. Aired May 2026.

Yonci interviews trombonist and composer Kalia Vandever. Aired April 2026.

Saxophonist Tony Exum Jr. will be in the Twin Cities November 15 performing at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel in Edina at 6pm. MN Smooth Jazz Vibes founder Stephanie Calloway and Tony Exum Jr. talk with Manny Hill about the upcoming event, and what attendees can expect to experience. Tony also shares a little about his background and how he got into Jazz.

Since it's founding in 1985, The Dakota has become a linchpin of the music world. The Dakota's founder, Lowell Pickett, has been at the helm since the beginning and the journey from it's beginnings as a no-cover, all local music spot to one of the premier performance venues in the world has been miraculous, but also serendipitous. Pickett shares stories from the club's beginnings, shines light on...

Pianist Yuko Mabuchi is bringing her trio to the Selby Ave Jazz Fest for a performance on Saturday, September 13. Mabuchi, who hails from Japan but is based in L.A., was nice enough to connect with Sean McPherson and talk about her trio, her repertoire and her love of improvisation.

Lawrence El, the distinguished keyboardist and songwriter from Mint Condition is reuniting with the members of Mint to celebrate a particular facet of their musical offerings; The Mintroludes. During Mint's decades long run as a band they satiated their musical appetites with short interludes that bring in a wider array of styles then their primary R&B offerings would permit. Lawrence El, so often...

After completing the long drive from the Upper Peninsula back to the Twin Cities, trumpet player and composer Adam Meckler was happy to pop in the booth at Jazz88 and discuss his upcoming gigs at Berlin on Friday, August 15. Meckler also talked about his upcoming record "Sampled" which drops in November. Meckler also shared what he and the rest of the team from the Michigan Technological Universit...

Professional pianist Abebi Stafford and student saxophonist Sam Stauning stopped by the Jazz88 studios to talk about the fundraiser concert the MN Hard Bop Collective is hosting on Monday, August 11. The concert will feature a student ensemble with Stauning alongside pianist Basil Saathoff and guitarist Kyle Baxter. The concert will also feature a professional performance with Abebi Stafford on or...

The celebrated multi-instrumentalist Dosh dreamed big a couple years ago when he put together the Larry Schaefer Memorial Orchestra. This fully improvised 12-piece unit has been performing for a handful of years and Dosh is ready to bring the show to Palmer's on the West Bank for a show this Saturday. The orchestra will be joined by LA Buckner, Little Lizard and more. Dosh was nice enough to stop...

The legendary guitarist Mark Whitfield is making his way back to the Twin Cities for a set at the Lakeside Guitar Festival. Whitfield is no stranger to Minnesota, having played here frequently at the beginning of his career when he was touring with Brother Jack McDuff. Whitfield covered the details of the trio he's traveling with, his reverence and love for education and his approach to improvisin...

Abinnet Berhanu and Yohannes Tona are elite musicians who can cover a lot of ground musically. But, given that they are both Ethiopian-Americans, they bring a lot of passion for Ethiopian music into our scene. After many successful individual efforts, the duo decided to reach out to a likeminded L.A. musician, Kibrom Birhane, and form a new group. ENGOCHA premieres this Friday and Saturday at Iceh...

JC Sanford, the organizer of the Northfield Jazz Festival, swung by the studios of Jazz88 to discuss the 2025 installment of the festival, which takes place July 11-13. The event is only its second year, but it's already tripled in size. Sanford and co will host events from Friday evening all the way to Sunday evening. Listen to find out more about the Northfield Jazz Fest and this year's headlini...

Joan Hutton from Take that Back was nice enough to visit the Jazz88 studios in anticipation of their upcoming performance at Taste of MN this weekend (Sunday July 6 at 5:45). Hutton was joined by Stephanie Wiesler, who is filling in on sax and flute for Sue Orfield. The duo discussed the upcoming gig, the joys and difficulties of subbing in and the fun of playing outside!

Toussaint Morrison is a journalist, an actor and a recording artist. This Friday, Toussaint is premiering five new music videos and a live set of all new music at the Green Room in Minneapolis. The event is in celebration of his forthcoming new album, Shapeshifter. Morrison took the time to visit with Sean from Jazz88 to discuss his love of jazz and share a couple of his personal favorites.

Pianist and composer Emmet Cohen will be back in the Twin Cities to play at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival on Friday, June 20 at 8:30 with his trio and the Four Freshmen. Cohen took a break this week to catch up with Sean McPherson and talk about his latest studio release and what he still keeps on reaching for in the world of music.

Saxophonist Steve Cole is a Mack Avenue recording artist based in the Twin Cities preparing for a show at the Dakota on Saturday, June 14. Cole checked back in with Jazz88 to talk about his recent studio album "Without a Doubt" and the fun he's having with his band of Twin Cities heavyweights.

Bassist and composer Ted Olsen is back with a new disc titled Violette. The album comes out on June 6 and he is celebrating the release at the Cedar Cultural Center on Wednesday, June 11. Eric Mayson will be opening that show with a set. Olsen was nice enough to stop by Jazz88's studios to discuss the album. During the visit he did a portrait photo shoot with North High sophomore Devin Frelix.

Dayna Martinez is gearing up for a busy June but she took some time to visit Jazz88 and talk about the upcoming Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Festival events begin on June 19 with the main action happening June 20-21. Martinez talked about performances and masterclasses that she's excited about and she provided some tips on how to go even deeper with Jazz Festival activities.

Vocalist Connie Evingson is getting ready to do her final performance at the Woman’s Club. Next Wednesday, May 28 Connie and Lori Dokken are co-presenting a concert titled “Our Hearts Will Go On." The event features an incredible list of Twin Cities talent such as Mary Jane Alm, Doug Anderson, Ginger Commodore, Lori Dokken, Joan Griffith, Jennifer Grimm, Rachel Holder, Patty Peterson, T. Mychael R...

2025 marks the centenary year of Malcolm X's birth. For the occasion, Dr. Rose Brewer, Thandisizwe Jackson-Nisan and additional planners have organized an event uplifting the politics and vision of Malcolm X. The event is on Saturday, May 17 at UROC at Plymouth and Oliver. The event is described in the promotional materials as gathering of "conscious minds that will include panel discussion, break...

Michael Bland is a musical powerhouse who calls the Twin Cities home. He is best known for his tenure as the drummer for Prince, but he has been a part of so many great moments in Twin Cities music. This Saturday, Bland will be diving back into the music of Prince for a show titled “New Power Generation – A Tribute To Prince." The show is this Saturday at the Hopkins Center For the Arts at 8pm. Bl...

Friends of the station Thomas and Alex Streitz are celebrating the launch of their new non-profit, The Minnesota Poets Collective. The group celebrates the art of poetry in all its forms and seeks to bring together diverse voices from all around the state of Minnesota. The father/son duo were nice enough to stop by the Jazz88 studios to talk about their upcoming publications and their mission to c...

Grammy-nominated drummer, vocalist and producer Kassa Overall is bringing his approach full circle with a performance at The Dakota on Wednesday night. Some of Overall's earliest professional experiences were traveling with Geri Allen, Wallace Roney and others in very formal jazz bandstand settings. On Wednesday, Overall will bring all the enthusiasm and adventurousness that he's known for into a...

Somali blues & American gospel have a conversation in a show coming to the St. Thomas University campus (St. Paul) Sunday, April 6 and Saint John's University (Collegeville) April 27. Bobby Vandell spoke with the organizers JD Steele, Ahmed Yusuf and Beck Lee. Details at https://culturalfluencyinitiative.org/events/

Judi Vinar is a singer's singer. Her skills and her collaborative spirit have made her an in-demand vocalist and vocal instructor nationwide. She dropped by Jazz88 to discuss her upcoming shows with Dennis Spears and the Wolverines Jazz Trio at The Capri Theater on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6. Vinar talked about maintaining her calm, her longtime collaborators the Wolverines and more.