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 Portland Jazz Festival will present numerous free performances throughout Portland, February 13-22. Performances will take place at venues that include The Art Bar at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, Rogue Ales Public House, West Café and Dragon Fish at the Paramount Hotel. The ongoing PDX Jazz @ RiverPlace series at the RiverPlace Hotel will also present Portland vocalist Rebecca Kilgore, saxophonist Devin Phillips and pianist/vocalist Dave Frishberg.
The festival will also include late-night jam sessions hosted by members of the Portland Jazz Orchestra at various venues. Along with all performances, the jam sessions will be free and open to the public.
In celebration of the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records, all Portland Jazz Festival ticketed concerts will feature current and past Blue Note artists. A package of Blue Note anniversary events will include performances, plus Jazz Conversations with Blue Note officials and artists, panel discussions with jazz writers and journalists, and archival Blue Note film screenings. Current Blue Note artists Terence Blanchard, Joe Lovano, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves and Patricia Barber will headline the 10-day event, which will also feature Blue Note heritage artists McCoy Tyner, Bobby Hutcherson, Lou Donaldson and Pat Martino.
More info: pdxjazz.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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