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 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, is in currently full swing. The University of Idaho is home to the Lionel Hampton School of Music. Approximately 18,000 junior high, high school and college students are expected to attend the festival this year, running from Feb. 20-23, which features student competitions and masterclasses during the day and all-star concerts during the evening.
Some of the artists performing at this year’s festival include: John Pizzarelli, Roy Hargrove, Freddy Cole, Jane Monheit, Slide Hampton, Howard Johnson, Lou Rawls, David “Fathead” Newman, Ray Brown, Robin Eubanks and Claudio Roditi.
Vibes legend Hampton attends the festival every year, and he’s there once again this year. The last night of the festival he is scheduled to lead his New York Big Band through a performance. In addition, the entire festival this year is a tribute to Hampton and his musical and educational legacy.
For more information on the festival, go to www.jazz.uidaho.edu/home.html.
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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