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 honor of Jazz Appreciation Month 2008, the National Endowment for the Arts will present A Masterly Milestone: Celebrating 100 NEA Jazz Masters. The program will take place on March 28 as part of the spring meeting of the National Council on the Arts, the NEA’s advisory council.
The program features music and conversation with 2006 NEA Jazz Master and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera, a discussion with 2008 NEA Jazz Master and scholar Gunther Schuller, and a preview of the television broadcast of Legends Of Jazz Presents the 2007 NEA Jazz Masters≤/i>.
With the 2008 class of NEA Jazz Masters the roster strikes the mark of 100 master artists.
“The NEA Jazz Masters initiative is a critical component in the NEA’s pursuit of its mission to support art of the highest quality for the benefit of all Americans,” said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. “This presentation highlights the many ways the NEA accomplishes that goal through performances, education, publications and broadcast programs.”
To celebrate this centennial milestone, D’Rivera will play clarinet with his trio including Alex Brown on piano and Dana Leong on cello and trombone. Following his set, D’Rivera will talk about his experiences as an NEA Jazz Master and what that title has brought to him and his music.
Following D’Rivera, Schuller will take a big picture perspective when he discusses jazz in America, the partnership between the nation’s music and its government. In addition to being an NEA Jazz Master, he served on the National Council on the Arts and was instrumental in developing the agency’s jazz support policy.
More info: arts.gov
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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