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…
Riding the acclaim of Ropeadope’s Philadelphia Experiment and Detroit Experiment, the label has recently put the finishing touches on its latest laboratory creation, The Harlem Experiment.
Like its predecessors, the record takes musicians from a shared hometown but very different musical backgrounds, puts them in a recording studio and has them create spontaneous art.
This installment’s representatives are guitarist Carlos Alomar, bassist Ruben Rodriguez, drummer Steve Berrios, clarinetist Don Byron, keyboardist Eddie Martinez and trumpeter/arranger Steve Bernstein. Special guests include Queen Esther on vocals; Olu Dara on vocals, guitar and pocket trumpet; James Hunter on vocals and guitar; and DJ Mums on vocals.
The album is slated for release in September. A free preview track from Ropeadope is available here.
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.
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Richie Beirach was particularly renowned for his approach to chromatic harmony, which he used to improvise reharmonizations of originals and standards.
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“I play what I want and what I like,” said Andrew Cyrille. “I use my knowledge artistically and professionally.”
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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…
