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…
“The Night Tripper” cast a spell on jazz fest yesterday, playing classics mixed with tunes from his new album, “Dis, Dat and Dudda,” at the fairgrounds. Like his earlier work, Dr. John’s new songs tell long, involved stories about the dark side of the swamp, and his annual Jazz Fest performance is always a local favorite.
Another standout on yesterday’s Jazz Fest program were sacred steel stars, the Campbell Brothers, who tore it up at the blues tent, with three pedal steel guitars, a six string bass and two gospel singers. The band hails from New York, but their backwater blues sound is reminiscent of the North Mississippi Allstars’ jams, with lines that build and build to crescendos then break back down to their steel roots like the singers’ hymnal lyrics.
Before a crowd of would be second liners, the afternoon wrapped up with sets by Big Chief Bo Dollis and the Hot 8 Brass Band at the new Jazz and Heritage stage. As clubs opened their doors to bands around town last night, Bingo! at Preservation Hall’s late night series stole the title for the most innovative act. The band, which hasn’t played together in a year, digs back into the history of Appalachian music for its repertoire, covering dusty tunes with drums, upright bass and a keyboard player who has more than few tricks up his sleeve. Singing into a bullhorn and inviting circus performers onstage, he played along to the silent film behind him as the Hall’s Ben Jaffe and Galactic’s Stanton Moore danced across the tiny wooden room.
The Jazz Fest continues next weekend, with Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard and Astral Project.
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…
