In his interview with Sean McPherson this week Kavyesh Kaviraj said he is running on "two batteries". His debut album as a leader, Fables, is a culmination of at least a year of work for Kaviraj and his team. For his visit to Jazz88, Kavyesh Kaviraj focused on how a half decade of work as a sideman laid the groundwork for his arrival as a leader.

Manny Hill is the Executive Producer of MPS Voices and one of his closest colleagues is Olive Norvell who serves as host and producer on MPS Voices. MPS Voices is a central hub for student and staff audio content for and from Minneapolis Public Schools. Learn more about MPS Voices' triumphant first year in this interview and check out the station at MPSVoices.com.

Choreographer Leslie Parker and musician DeCarlo Jackson have been working together in a larger group toward a Black Dance Improvisation concert coming up on Saturday at Cedar Cultural Center. The event is a part of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival and it represents the culmination of work done with a cast of dancers and many of Leslie Parker's mentors from the Twin Cities dance world. Listen to the conversation to hear about how this intensive workshop is the first of its kind in the Twin Cities and the way that Parker and DeCarlo have stretched themselves to present this concert.

Patty Peterson talked to saxophonist Claudia Medina as she talked about her life in Peru, her passion for jazz, and her appearances at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Not only did she have a concert on the main stage with her band but she was instrumental in leading the Walker West Women In Jazz Retreat and concert.

Trumpet player and composer, Ella Grace, joined Patty Peterson to talk about her upcoming performances at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival 2024. She is a part of the Walker West Women In Jazz Retreat, and will also be leading her own band at Metronome.

Damian Kulash, the singer and guitarist for Ok Go is getting ready for a show at First Ave on July 11 and he was eager to connect with Jazz88 and discuss how he has connected with jazz throughout his life. During his conversation with Sean McPherson, Kulash discussed the way jazz got him to focus on what is central to the power of music. The conversation focused in particular on New Orleans legend Snooks Eaglin's cover of "Careless Love".

In anticipation of their Courtyard Concert appearance at MIA on Thursday, June 20 Sean McPherson connected with artists Queen Drea, Pavielle and Tish Jones. In addition to hailing from the same part of Saint Paul (Rondo), Jones, Queen Drea and Pavielle have served as "co-conspirators" for decades at this point. Throughout the conversation the themes of Black liberation and shared history came to the fore. The interview also features portions of songs from Pavielle and Queen Drea.

The Grammy winning bassist Ben Williams is in the Twin Cities to play the "Black to Life" event at Schneider Theater on Friday June 14. Before he even got his checked baggage from the carousel he hopped on the phone to talk with Sean McPherson about how he has added producer, vocalist and leader to his already impressive resume and how it all connects to the legacy of Black music and his hometown of Washington, DC.

After studying at UW-Eau Claire and a stint in Chicago, Mike Wolter has firmly planted his flag in the Twin Cities jazz scene. This weekend he is celebrating the release of his band's debut album. The Early Planets release is called The Waits/In Between Music and alongside bassist Cody McKinney and drummer Cory Healey the crew has churned out a full length of Wolter originals. In the interview Wolter discussed how he arrived in the Twin Cities, what makes his relationship with the rest of the Early Planets so special and identifies some of his biggest guitar influences.

Joe Lovano connected with Sean McPherson from Jazz88 in anticipation of his performance at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival on Saturday June 22. Lovano and McPherson discussed Lovano's long running quartet, his legendary role in the Paul Motian Trio alongside Bill Frisell and Lovano's many great experiences in the Twin Cities including a show with the Woody Herman Orchestra back in the 1970s.