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…
Brazilian bassist and music producer Sérgio Brandão passed away on April 2 due to gastric interstitial complications, according to a press release. He was 65.
Born Sérgio Luiz Brandão, he was a respected behind-the-scenes legend and conduit of Brazilian music outside of Brazil.
Known as the “Brazilian Jaco” in honor of comparisons to the legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius, Brandão had a hand in hundreds of landmark recordings over his 40-year career.
For example, Quincy Jones hired Brandão to co-produce the album Juntos by Ivan Lins in the 1980s. The album featured major artists from the United States and Brazil including George Benson, Patti Austin, Elis Regina, Djavan, Paulinho da Viola, Beth Carvalho, Marcus Miller and Tim Maia.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brandão began playing guitar at age 11. At 17, he switched to acoustic bass, and shortly after that, electric bass. He attended the Villa Lobos Institute in Rio, where he studied music theory. During his teens and early 20s, Brandão refined his technique while working with the likes of Joao Bosco, Ivan Lins and Johnny Alf.
In 1978, he moved to New York and became a sought-after bassist on the Brazilian and Latin scenes. He toured and recorded with a number of jazz notables. In 1982, Brandão joined Jan Lucien, with whom he toured and recorded with before joining Flora Purim and Airto Moreira in 1984. He collaborated with them for three years, touring and recording in addition to being part of the New York Samba All Stars in 1985–’86. That high-profile group included the likes of Jaco Pastorius, Michel Camilo, Claudio Roditi and other top names in Latin jazz.
In the late ’80s and ’90s, Brandão joined forces with Paquito D’Rivera, which later led to performances with Herbie Mann, Chico Freeman, Naná Vasconcelos and Trilok Gurtu, Tania Maria and others.
In 1994, Brandão set up a business in New York with Jose Gallegos from Colombia forming Gallco Enterprises Inc., a production company specializing in soundtracks for film as well as jingles for radio and television, all with Latin and Brazilian flavor.
Brandão won a number of awards, including a Latin Grammy in 2006 for his work on the Sérgio Mendes album Timeless.
He died with his wife, Zorina Rodionova, by his side and lifelong friend Dolly Garcia holding vigil via Skype from New York. DB
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…
