The Afternoon Cruise

Yonci sits down with legendary guitarist Stanley Jordan, discussing a new single, a forthcoming album (the first in over a decade) and a new tandem guitar technique ahead of a solo show at the Dakota. Originally aired 6/26/26 More Posts for Show: This Just In

Yonci speaks with Dakota Jazz Club founder Lowell Pickett ahead of this year's Dakota Block Party on Saturday, September 26th from 2-10pm in Downtown Minneapolis.

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 its 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 its 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 the Minnesota music scene that is still so central to its success, and looks ahead to the 40 year anniversary block party coming up on Saturday, September 20.

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 the architect of these Mintroludes, decided he would call in the members of Mint Condition and friends and flesh those short tunes out into full on songs. The group will do just that on Monday, September 15 for two shows over at Icehouse. Special guests include: Stokley, Cory Henry, O’Dell, Ricky Kinchen, Jeffrey Allen, Keri Lewis, David Ginyard Jr and Kavyesh Kaviraj, Chris 'Daddy' Dave and more. Lawrence El was nice enough to visit our studios to discuss his musical journey and what inspired him to organize this concert.

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 University do to support their jazz students in Michigan.

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 organ, Jesse Simon on drums and Ian Duerr on guitar. Stafford and Stauning discussed navigating a rhythm section free performance and also reflected upon the skills one can learn performing in a casual setting like the Sit-In Series.