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.

The Marcin Wasilewski piano trio has been going for thirty years and their chemistry shines on and off stage. Tonight they're preparing for two shows at Berlin in the North Loop of Minneapolis. Sean McPherson connected with Marcin Wasilewski, Slawomir Kurkiewicz and Michal Miskiewicz to find out about their staying power, the Polish jazz scene and their love of Prince.

Like so many jazz performers, Davina discovered jazz music early on in her life through her father and has loved and studied the music ever since. Davina connected with Sean via phone in advance of her upcoming show at the Dakota to discuss some of her favorite songs including Fats Waller's rendition of "I'm Going To Write Myself a Letter".

Author and journalist Andrea Swensson visited the Afternoon Cruise alongside Youa Vang, the Vice-President of the Ramsey County Historical Society. Swensson will be doing a reading and signing of her new book "Deeper Blues: The Life, Songs and Salvation of Cornbread Harris" on September 12 at Springboard for The Arts for Ramsey County Historical Society's History Revealed Series. The book's subject, Cornbread Harris, will also make an appearance at the event. Listen to hear more context about Harris's remarkable life and Swensson's new book about that life.

A call from a storage unit manager lead George Benson down the path to releasing one of the most majestic and compelling albums of his entire career. Listen to George Benson in conversation with Sean McPherson as he reflects on the recording sessions that led up to this new release Dreams Do Come True.

Moore by Four is getting ready for a show this Friday over at Crooners. Members Ginger and Ashley Commodore stopped by to talk about the group's thirty plus year history and what gives them their staying power.

Twin Cities-based guitarist Pavel Jany and his Global Jazz Collegium are back with their latest disc, Labyrinth. Jany and many of the other members of the Collegium also work in the group Ticket to Brasil, but for this group, they follow their interests beyond Brazil and explore many of the international sounds that have become part of the jazz palette. Jany stopped in to connect with Sean McPherson and talk about the new release and discuss how the pandemic supercharged this passion project with new enthusiasm. They’ll be celebrating the release at MetroNOME Brewery on Sunday, August 4 at 6:30 PM.

Local mainstay and friend of the station Ginger Commodore came to visit Sean McPherson on Friday's Afternoon Cruise to discuss her new 4-show series "And the Melodies Still Linger On". The series launches on Thursday, August 1 at Crooners. Ms. Commodore discussed how she picks songs, accompanists and why she has been so focused on celebrating and expanding the Great American Songbook in the last handful of years.

Joyann Parker isn't one to slow down. Since finding blues and soul music in her mid thirties she has been on a campaign to learn, celebrate and perform Black American music. She's doing just that on Friday night at the Woman's Club in Minneapolis. She and Lori Dokken from the Woman's Club stopped by to chat about the concert with Sean from the Afternoon Cruise.

Bassist Greg Bryant is one half of the jazz duo Concurrence. On their new album, Indivisible, he and pianist Paul Horton use an entire toolbox of expression to tell the story of the impact of I-40 on Black neighborhoods in Nashville. Bryant, who hails from Nashville, discussed how he and Horton came to tell this story and how the music balances the shameful details of the highway and the optimistic and resilient response from the Black community in Nashville. Photo Credit: Giovanni Rodriguez