Drummer and bandleader L.A. Buckner lovingly describes fellow drummer/bandleader Brandon Commodore as the "big homie". These two great drummers and bandleaders have years of history and the love will come through loud and clear on Saturday at Crooners when they share a bill. In their visit with Jazz88 Commodore pointed out that not only is it great to see two drummer/bandleaders sharing a bill but also pointed out that seeing two Black drummers who both hail from Minneapolis sharing a bill together is a beautiful thing. Listen to hear more about these dynamic players, their bass drum preferences and the range of emotions they share on stage with their groups BiG HoMiE (Buckner) and NRG (Commodore).

Jazz88's Peter Solomon speaks with NEA Jazz Master and Grammy-Award Winning trombonist and composer Delfeayo Marsalis about what inspired his recent recording 'Crescent City Jewels.' Marsalis will be featured in two sets with the JazzMn Orchestra Sunday afternoon at the Dakota. (Attached photo by Eric Waters and Girard Mouton).

Voz En Punto, the wildly talented acapella group out of Mexico City visited Jazz88 on Monday September 16. It was a beautiful coincidence that the group was visiting on Mexican Independence Day. Voz En Punto is visiting the Twin Cities in partnership with VocalEssence. The group talked about their thirty plus year history and performed two songs: Tilingolingo and La Negra.

Riktika Ganguly, the Twin Cities composer and anthropologist, debuts a new folk opera this Friday and Saturday at Luminary Arts Center in Minneapolis. Titled The Mushroom That Swallowed the Moon Whole, the production explores both mobility and rootedness and features Indian music. In a conversation with Phil Nusbaum, Ritika explained the inspiration for the new folk opera.

Pat Donohue’s Prairie All-Stars became a household name as the house band for the Prairie Home Companion radio show. Over the years, the group members have learned to anticipate each other’s musical moves, which helps them cruise through lots of interesting and compelling songs. When Pat got together with Phil Nusbaum, they talked about the group’s repertoire which includes both original and very well-known songs.

Trombonist Dave Graf has been a fixture in the Twin Cities jazz scene for decades but he spends most of his time behind the scenes. That changes on Sunday when he steps out on the Crooners Main Stage leading a band that includes Jennifer Grimm (voice), Phil Hey (drums), Doug Haining (sax), Mary Louise Knutson (piano) and Matt Peterson (bass). Graf took the time to connect with Jazz88 to discuss his lengthy career and his approach to presenting his own music. Dave even stuck around to play a little jazz trivia!

Vocalist extraordinaire Samara Joy is coming to the Ordway on Saturday September 14. During a break in her schedule Samara Joy connected with Sean McPherson to discuss her technique for picking songs, her quick rise to become one of the biggest names in the world of jazz and her love of ensemble singing.

Celebrated vocalist Ashley DuBose took some time out of her day to chat about her songs, her love of jazz and her upcoming performance at the Selby Ave JazzFest on Saturday, September 14 in Saint Paul.

Jazz88's Peter Solomon speaks with Brent Von Rensberg, co-founder of Zip Zap Circus of Cape Town, South Africa. They have put together a show for their new touring arm called 'Moya' which they are staging at the Children's Theatre in Minneapolis from September 12th through October 20th.

There are no names bigger in jazz than Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis. And for aspiring trumpet players it is essential learning to understand the careers and influences of these two icons. For Solomon Parham and Omar Abdulkarim the invitation to pay tribute to these icons at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis gave them the opportunity to revisit two of the heroes they grew up studying. The duo visited Jazz88's Afternoon Cruise to talk about the show and Armstrong and Davis's oversized influence in the world of music.