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…
Vocalist Ledisi is one of the artists featured on International Jazz Day from Australia, a concert special that premieres on PBS on Friday.
(Photo: Steve Mundinger/Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz)With the concert industry at a complete halt due to the coronavirus pandemic, jazz fans are turning to their computer screens and TVs to see performances.
Typically, fans look forward to an annual all-star concert to celebrate International Jazz Day. This year, however, the April 30 event will be a “virtual” one that takes place online. Fans can visit the International Jazz Day website for more information.
On Friday, the PBS network will premiere the special International Jazz Day from Australia, which was filmed during last year’s International Jazz Day celebration. The special features footage shot during the All-Star Global Concert at the Melbourne Arts Centre’s Hamer Hall in Australia on April 30, 2019.
This new special will include performances by UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, Joey DeFrancesco, Kurt Elling, Ledisi, Jane Monheit, James Morrison, Antonio Sánchez, Somi, Ben Williams, Lizz Wright and John Beasley, who served as musical director.
The special also will be streamed at pbs.org. 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…
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Richie Beirach was particularly renowned for his approach to chromatic harmony, which he used to improvise reharmonizations of originals and standards.
Jan 27, 2026 11:19 AM
Richie Beirach, a pianist and composer who channeled a knowledge of modern classical music into his jazz practice,…
“I play what I want and what I like,” said Andrew Cyrille. “I use my knowledge artistically and professionally.”
Feb 3, 2026 12:15 AM
Midway through August, a few days after concluding a week at the Village Vanguard with the quartet that Andrew Cyrille…
Marsalis will, if he chooses to use it, have a strong voice in perpetuating his vision through a role in choosing his successors.
Feb 3, 2026 12:09 AM
For the better part of a year, rumors have been swirling that Wynton Marsalis was going to step down as artistic and…
