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 Monterey Jazz Festival announced the lineup and dates for the fourth annual Next Generation Festival. The weekend event will take place April 3–6 in downtown Monterey, Calif., and will include the 38th Annual National High School Jazz Competition, with big bands, combos, vocal ensembles and individual musicians vying for a spot on the stages of the 51st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival.
A special pre-festival opening concert with the Christian McBride Situation will be presented on April 3 at the Golden State Theater. Bassist McBride will be the 2008 Monterey Jazz Festival artist-in-residence.
All Next Generation Festival competition events will be free and open to the public. The Festival will also conduct clinics, workshops, jam sessions and auditions in the heart of Monterey, with music to be performed at the Monterey Conference Center, the host Portola Plaza Hotel, Golden State Theater, at Fisherman’s Wharf and at Monterey Live.
More info: montereyjazzfestival.org
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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