In Memoriam: Ken Peplowski, 1959–2026

By Michael J. West I Feb. 3, 2026

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.
(Photo: Courtesy Ken Peplowski)

Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2 on the Jazz Cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. He was 66. His death was confirmed by Gianni Valenti, a longtime friend and the owner of Birdland Jazz Club, who had been with Peplowski on the Jazz Cruise. Exact cause of death was not announced at press time; however, Peplowski had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2021.

Described by British jazz critic Russell Davies as “arguably the greatest living jazz clarinetist,” Peplowski was among the most prominent latter-day players of the instrument. He 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. “Peps,” as he was affectionately known, explored genres from Dixieland to the avant-garde, though he was probably best known as a torchbearer for both big band and small-group swing. However, Peplowski had an affection for bebop as well; his final studio album as a leader, 2024’s Unheard Bird, featured a set of string arrangements written for, but never performed by, Charlie Parker.

“I love playing that music,” Peplowski said of trad-jazz styles in a 2016 interview. “I like playing it my way without it being a musical dress-up situation. I’m not ashamed of playing that stuff because I love it, but just because you love one thing doesn’t mean that’s all you can do.”

Tributes to Peplowski poured in on social media from his friends, colleagues and protégés. “Beautiful Ken. I love you,” wrote vocalist Tierney Sutton on Facebook. “Have fun over there — they’re damn lucky to have you — and so were we.”

“We lost a true giant today,” said pianist Emmet Cohen. “A brilliant musician, a pioneer of the clarinet, and a gentle soul, he touched so many people through his artistry. Ken contained a quirky, comedic genius, and would light up any room or stage.”

Kenneth Joseph Peplowski was born May 23, 1959, to Norbert and Estelle Peplowski in Garfield Heights, Ohio, where he grew up. His father, a police officer, was also an amateur musician who created a family polka band with clarinet-playing Ken and his older brother Ted, who played trumpet (along with a neighbor who played accordion). As such, Peplowski made his professional debut at the age of 10.

Peplowski also took clarinet lessons, continuing to do so as a student at Cleveland State University. While studying there, he began playing local jazz gigs, including one at the Cleveland Jazz Festival in 1980 where his quartet shared a billing with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (then under the leadership of trombonist Buddy Morrow). An impressed Morrow offered Peplowski a job in the band, which he took, moving to New York and touring with the Dorsey band for the next two years.

A swing and trad-jazz scene was still surviving in New York, and Peplowski was able to make a living there after leaving the Dorsey band. He also studied saxophone with Sonny Stitt. In 1984, clarinet legend Benny Goodman formed what would become his last band, and Peplowski signed on as a tenor saxophonist, remaining with the band until Goodman’s death in 1986.

Signing to Concord Records in 1987, Peplowski made his debut recording as a leader with that year’s Double Exposure. It was the first of over 70 albums he would record as leader or co-leader over the next five decades. He also worked frequently as a sideman, with a resume that ran the gamut from Peggy Lee to Woody Allen to Madonna. He was a frequent performer at the New York venues Birdland, Smalls and Mezzrow, where he was known for his comical stage persona as well as his instrumental virtuosity and imagination.

In recent years, Peplowski was frequently sidelined by health concerns. He had a severe case of COVID in 2020, during the pandemic; the following year he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. It left him with almost no work for three years, before Smalls and Mezzrow owner Spike Willner offered to sponsor him for a quartet recording at the latter club. Live At Mezzrow, recorded in February 2023, became his penultimate release.

In addition to his New York staples, Peplowski was a mainstay of the annual Jazz Cruise; he passed away shortly after a performance on the Celebrity Summit cruise ship that was, by all accounts, typically brilliant. DB