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…
Mama, You Can Bet! (SomeOthaShip Connect) is Georgia Anne Muldrow’s third album release under her spiritual name, Jyoti.
(Photo: Pricilla Jimenez)Georgia Anne Muldrow once described understanding herself as a medic—an artist who heals.
Throughout her career, the Grammy-nominated singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist has released music that defies genre, questions constructs and uplifts communities whose voices have been suppressed. Among her innumerable collaborators have been Pharoah Sanders, Robert Glasper and Jason Moran, who commissioned “Muldrow Meets Mingus,” a 2017 evening-length concert performed at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Symphony Center in Chicago.
In August, Muldrow is set to issue Mama, You Can Bet! as Jyoti, the sacred name she received from Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda—and an artistic persona she reserves solely for releases on SomeOthaShip Connect, the label and production company she cofounded with fellow artist and partner Dudley Perkins. The album features only one special guest, a frequent collaborator: saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin.
From her home in Las Vegas, Muldrow discussed the perks of playing synthesizer, musical alchemy and the age-old question: What’s in a name?
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
This record marks your third release under the name Jyoti.
Jyoti records are very close to my heart. [Jyoti is] not a nickname. It’s a dear name—it’s a spiritual name. Your name is the biggest mantra that you’ll ever say in your life. I believe it’s something you grow into; it takes a lot of time to fully understand who you are. There’s lots of layers to the meaning of my name. It’s light. But it’s also celestial flame [laughs]. Furthermore, it’s the fire from Shiva’s consciousness. The older I get, the more levels of the name unlock. And it seems as if there’s more I have to understand about myself in order for those levels to unlock.
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…
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Richie Beirach was particularly renowned for his approach to chromatic harmony, which he used to improvise reharmonizations of originals and standards.
Jan 27, 2026 11:19 AM
Richie Beirach, a pianist and composer who channeled a knowledge of modern classical music into his jazz practice,…
“I play what I want and what I like,” said Andrew Cyrille. “I use my knowledge artistically and professionally.”
Feb 3, 2026 12:15 AM
Midway through August, a few days after concluding a week at the Village Vanguard with the quartet that Andrew Cyrille…
Marsalis will, if he chooses to use it, have a strong voice in perpetuating his vision through a role in choosing his successors.
Feb 3, 2026 12:09 AM
For the better part of a year, rumors have been swirling that Wynton Marsalis was going to step down as artistic and…
