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…
Some of the artists with recent releases on Mack Avenue, acquired by Exceleration Music.
(Photo: Courtesy of Mack Avenue)Exceleration Music, a music company dedicated to independent music, has acquired Mack Avenue Music Group, a jazz label that has been home to such artists as Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett, Veronica Swift, Christian Sands, Yellowjacket, The Bad Plus, Emmet Cohen, Mike Stern and many more.
After the 2019 purchase of Candid Records, bringing Mack Avenue under the umbrella broadens the scope of the company in the jazz and improvised music space. The overall jazz group will be led by Denny Stilwell, who had served as president of Mack Avenue before the purchase. The collective also features other key executives from both Mack Avenue and Candid.
Founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a passionate jazz fan and former chair of the American apparel brand Carhartt, Mack Avenue has been a driving force in the jazz world earning several dozen Grammy nominations and awards, as well as featuring many DownBeat Readers and Critics poll winners.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Denny, his team, and the incredible Mack Avenue artist roster into the Exceleration family,” said John Burk, partner at Exceleration Music, who founded the company in 2019 after leaving his post as the COO of Concord Records. “The combining of Mack Avenue and Candid Records represents an important step in our mission to build the ultimate independent label home for today’s greatest jazz artists. Together, we will continue to honor the labels’ remarkable heritages while providing the resources and expertise to help our artists reach new heights.”
“Joining forces with Glen, John and the like-minded team at Exceleration is a transformative opportunity for Mack Avenue and our unique artist roster,” said Stilwell. “With Exceleration’s support, knowledge and enthusiasm, we are confident our special brand as artist advocates will thrive as we continue to bring this fantastic music to the world.”
Exceleration Music plans to leverage the expanded roster and catalog with its robust distribution, marketing and technological resources to enhance Mack Avenue’s global impact, according to Exceleration executives.
The acquisition demonstrates Exceleration’s continued commitment to preserving and advancing independent music in an evolving marketplace for recorded music. Other labels under the Exceleration umbrella — whether through ownership or strategic partnership — include including +1 Records, Alligator, Azadi, Bloodshot, Candid, Down The Road, Heroic, Kill Rock Stars, Mom+Pop, Redeye Worldwide, SideOneDummy, The Ray Charles Foundation/Tangerine Records and Yep Roc Records.
Mack Avenue Music Group is a Detroit-based independent jazz label founded in 1999 by businesswoman and philanthropist Gretchen Valade. The label has been expanding its family of imprints to include Rendezvous Music, Artistry Music, MaxJazz, Brother Mister Productions and, most recently, the historic Strata-East Records. The label has also partnered with the estate of Oscar Peterson/Two Lions Records and the Erroll Garner Project/Octave Music with a goal of celebrating the legacy their music.
Learn more at www.mackavenue.com. 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…
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