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KAXE volunteer Paul Kivi hosts new weekend program 'History of Jazz'

Backed in yellow, the image features all kinds of instruments in black and white including drums, piano, upright bass, trumpet, trombone and more. The words, 'History of Jazz with Paul Kivi' are in the center of the image.
KAXE Staff
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KAXE Contributed
History of Jazz with Paul Kivi is a locally produced program that airs Saturdays at noon and Sundays at 4pm.

Paul Kivi is a KAXE volunteer with a deep love of connecting old and new music. In this new series, he will explore the roots of the truly American genre of music, jazz.

In 2025, KAXE introduced some new programming to the airwaves. This includes the staff-produced Headwaters, new times for On the River, Minnesota Mixtape and History of Jazz with Paul Kivi.

Jazz enthusiast Kivi, was a recent guest on the KAXE Morning Show, where he shared, "I think this is the finest music ever made and it's kind of gotten lost across time."

His love for jazz began in high school when he discovered Louis Armstrong’s groundbreaking recordings.

“Jazz is a really big tent,” Kivi explained. “There is a lot of overlap between what happened in popular music, [like] for example, blues.”

The show, which airs chronologically, kicks off with pre-jazz influences like ragtime and will dive deeper into how Louis Armstrong shaped the genre’s identity. "Louis really gave jazz its distinct voice,” Kivi said.

Music
In 2025, KAXE will have even more live, locally hosted programs including "Headwaters," our staff-hosted morning music program with great music curated by people, not algorithms.

Listeners can look forward to engaging stories, timeless music and an insightful journey through one of America’s most dynamic art forms. Kivi emphasized that early jazz is approachable and hopes the series inspires a deeper appreciation for the genre’s modern complexities.

Catch History of Jazz with Paul Kivi, Saturdays at noon and Sundays at 4 p.m. on KAXE.


What's your favorite genre of music? Let us know!

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Heidi Holtan is Director of Content and Public Affairs. She manages producers/hosts and is the host of the KAXE Morning Show, including a variety of local content like Phenology, What's for Breakfast, Area Voices, The Sports Page and much more, alongside Morning Edition from NPR.
The Music Director at KAXE since 2014, Kari (pronounced Car-ee) Hedlund reviews music on the daily. She hosts Headwaters every Wednesday (9 a.m. and 10 p.m.) and some Mondays, and is co-host to Heidi Holtan on the Thursday Morning Show.