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…
Pianist Ramsey Lewis sets five streaming dates ahead of his 85th birthday.
(Photo: ramseylewis.com)Chicago-bred pianist Ramsey Lewis, who recently took to streaming in order to help raise funds for MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, is planning a series of remote live performances to mark his upcoming 85th birthday on May 27.
The monthly “Saturday Salon” streams are set to run at 1 p.m. CST May 30, June 27, July 25, Aug. 29 and Sept. 26. Viewing the 50-minute solo performances on the Stageit platform will cost $20. A portion of the funds raised from each stream will be donated to Jazz Foundation of America, according to a press release.
“I have played all over the world, but not really,” the NEA Jazz Master, who retired from the road in 2018, said in the release. “I’ve played most of the major cities, but not every city in between, and it’s exciting to know that this will be available to every person in the world. And that thought in my mind excites me and makes me want to perform again.” 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…
