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…
Steve Coleman (left) and Jonathan Finlayson perform at the historic Sixth & I Synagogue in Washington, D.C., as part of the DC Jazz Festival on June 14.
(Photo: Michael Wilderman)The 2016 DC Jazz Festival climaxed with a rousing set by tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington on June 19, a fitting culmination to more than two weeks of numerous performances at venues all around the District.
Coordinated by Executive Director Sunny Sumter and Artistic Director Willard Jenkins, the festival included concerts at The Hamilton Live (featuring violinist Regina Carter, vocalist Kurt Elling, saxophonist Maceo Parker and pianist Harold Mabern), the CapitalBop Loft (with pianists Michele Rosewoman and Orrin Evans), the Kennedy Center (featuring an all-star salute to Howard University Jazz), the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue (with Steve Coleman & Five Elements), and the extensive Jazz In The Hoods presentations.
More than 90 bands and 300 emerging and veteran artists performed during the fest. One unique event was the DC Alley Museum Live Mural Project by artist Bill Warrell, in which visitors young and old were invited to pick up a paintbrush and add to a montage of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, commemorating the group’s 1982 Washington, D.C. concert.
That mural—as well as many other moments from throughout the fest—is captured in the photo album below, which was constructed by photographer and D.C. resident Michael Wilderman.
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…
