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…
Roxy Coss is set to issue Quintet on Aug. 23.
(Photo: Desmond White)Saxophonist and bandleader Roxy Coss has released a batch of thoughtful recordings on the Origin and Posi-Tone labels, worked frequently in the company of top-tier players and in 2017 founded the Women in Jazz Organization.
She still had time to put together a new album.
Her new disc, Quintet, is slated for release Aug. 23 through Outside In. Below is a premiere for the New York bandleader’s arrangement of “All Or Nothing At All.”
Coss always has drawn on well-known tunes—slotting in “Crazy” among a batch of familiar jazz fare on Chasing The Unicorn. The arrangement here is a bit jauntier than on older, vocal versions, though, with Coss turning to soprano to dash off solos amid the Latin-tinged arrangement.
The rest of Quintet constitutes something of a self-assessment, as Coss returns to previously recorded material, cherry-picking bopish tunes like “Mr. President” and “Females Are Strong As Hell” for reappraisal. She’s in good company throughout: Pianist Miki Yamanaka, guitarist Alex Wintz, bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Jimmy Macbride all contribute. And the troupe is set for a pair of album-release dates on Sept. 6–7 at Smalls Jazz Club in New York.
For more information about the album, visit the Outside In website. 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…
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