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…
In 1955, after his appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival, Miles Davis came into his own as an innovator. Shortly after Newport, the trumpeter formed his seminal 1950s quintet, composed of John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones. Over the course of three studio dates, the quintet recorded five albums for Prestige—The New Miles Davis Quintet, Cookin’, Workin’, Relaxin’ and Steamin’.
On May 23, these recordings will be released together as the Prestige boxed set The Miles Davis Quintet: The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions by the Concord Music Group. The music, all of which was recorded by Rudy van Gelder, has been remastered in 24-bit from the original analog masters and presented in the sequence recorded at sessions beginning in November 1955 and concluding in October 1956.
The box contains 32 selections, including such compositions as “Four,” “Trane’s Blues,” “My Funny Valentine” and “When Lights Are Low.” A bonus CD features eight previously unreleased radio and television audio performances. Included on Disc 4 are two tunes from “The Tonight Show With Steve Allen”: Oscar Pettiford’s “Max Is Making Wax” and Rodgers and Hart’s ballad “It Never Entered My Mind.”
The set is packaged in a box that features cover art by Davis and includes five complete musical transcriptions of Davis’ solos and a 40-page booklet with annotations by Bob Blumenthal. It has a $59.98 list price.
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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