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…
Dee Alexander performs at the Women In Jazz Leadership Initiative concert in Chicago on March 10. (Photo: Lauren Deutsch)
(Photo: )March is national Women’s History Month. It’s an occasion to commemorate the role of women in the political, cultural and scientific history of the United States, as well as to honor the innovations and pioneering spirit of trailblazing women around the world. That sense of purpose was on full display at a recent concert in Chicago, where the Women In Jazz Leadership Initiative, a free program focusing on dialog, connection and musical exchange between professional women musicians, produced a star-studded event featuring some of the city’s best female artists.
Held at the Garfield Park Conservatory and produced in part by the Jazz Institute of Chicago, the concert coincided with the centennial anniversaries of Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Tadd Dameron and Lena Horne, and included numerous tributes to these groundbreaking musicians.
The performers on hand to pay homage included a host of Chicago treasures, including vocalist Dee Alexander, cellist Tomeka Reid, bassist Marion Hayden and drummer Gayelynn McKinney (who together formed the Chicago-Detroit Collective), as well as members of the SHE sextet, a dynamic ensemble spearheaded by former Chicago Jazz Orchestra members Bobbi Wilsyn (vocals), Deanna Witkowski (piano) and Audrey Morrison (trombone).
Below is a series of photos from the concert that capture the overwhelming sense of pride in this momentous occasion. For more information on the Jazz Institute of Chicago Women’s Leadership Initiative, visit www.jazzinchicago.org. DB
Anastasiya Kadukov (center) performs with her quartet at the Women In Jazz Leadership Initiative concert in Chicago. (Photo: Courtesy of the Jazz Institute of Chicago)
Tomeka Reid (Photo: Courtesy of the Jazz Institute of Chicago)
Gayelynn McKinney (Photo: © Lauren Deutsch)
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Kelly Brand (left), Marlene Rosenberg, Bobbi Wilsyn, Sarah Allen, Juli Wood and Audrey Morrison of the SHE sextet. (Photo: © Lauren Deutsch)
Bobbi Wilsyn (Photo: © Lauren Deutsch)
Marion Haden (left), Dee Alexander, Gayelynn McKinney and Tomeka Reid of the Chicago-Detroit Collective. (Photo: © Lauren Deutsch)
Chicago’s Garfield Park Conservatory, home of the Women In Jazz Leadership Initiative concert. (Photo: Courtesy of the Jazz Institute of Chicago)
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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