Feb 3, 2026 12:10 AM
In Memoriam: Ken Peplowski, 1959–2026
Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
CHICAGO—The Chicago Jazz Ensemble (CJE) has announced this season’s American Heritage Jazz Series, which features four concerts at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance and a 13-city Midwest tour. In addition to these concerts, members of the CJE will perform at various clinics and special events at Columbia College Chicago.
The Harris Theater concerts feature the CJE and include special guest Lalo Schifrin on Nov. 2; “The Music of Duke Ellington: Featuring Ellington’s Sacred Concert” on Dec. 14; “Happy 90th Birthday to Nat, Diz, Ella & Monk” on March 14, 2008; and “A Triumph of Trumpets” on April 11, 2008. All concerts begin at 8 p.m.
The Harris Theater for Music and Dance is located at 205 East Randolph Street, near Chicago’s Millennium Park. Tickets for this series are $45, $35, $20 and $15, with a 10 percent discount to senior citizens and students and a 20 percent discount to groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased at (312) 344-6600, (312) 334-7777 or harristheaterchicago.com. For more details and a complete list of dates for the tour, please see chijazz.com.
Peplowski first came to prominence in legacy swing bands, including the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra, before beginning a solo career in the late 1980s.
Feb 3, 2026 12:10 AM
Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
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