Bluegrass Saturday Morning

On air

Saturday · 7 AM – 12 Noon

KBEM-FM · 88.5 FM · Minnesota

Modern;Traditional;Progressive

About the show

Dr. Philip Nusbaum is a monumental figure in Upper Midwest bluegrass, holding an elite dual legacy as both a master broadcaster and a highly accomplished music scholar. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Phil holds a Ph.D. in Folklore from Indiana University's world-renowned Folklore Institute. He has dedicated his life to researching, teaching, and preserving American acoustic traditions, previously teaching university courses in folk music, radio, and folklore. Phil has been the defining voice of weekend acoustic roots music in the Twin Cities for over 32 years. He stepped behind the microphone at KBEM-FM / Jazz88, Minnesota's premier public roots station, to launch Bluegrass Saturday Morning. Beyond his legendary Saturday block, Phil is the producer of The Bluegrass Review, a highly successful, nationally syndicated weekly program. When he isn’t broadcasting, Phil is an active, professional bluegrass banjo player who regularly performs and records with prominent regional string bands like The Double Down Daredevils and The Eclectics. On-Air Style & Sound A Five-Hour Weekend Tradition: Airing live every single Saturday from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM, the show has become an essential, multi-generational weekend soundtrack across Minnesota. Value-Added Radio: Leveraging his background as a musicologist, Phil avoids just reading song titles. He structures his talk sets to connect the tracks historically, giving listeners deeply informative context about the writers, the picking styles, and the evolution of the music. Tracking the Vanguard: Phil is deeply passionate about tracking what is actively coming out in the industry. Playlists feature a heavy emphasis on tracking and supporting brand-new releases and contemporary bluegrass songwriters. Instrumental Spotlights: True to his personal love for string instruments, Phil frequently builds specialized, thematic hours dedicated to highlighting specific acoustic techniques, such as a dedicated hour focusing purely on historic clawhammer and bluegrass banjo picking.