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…
New Orleans trumpeter Kermit Ruffins will headline the Louis Armstrong Wonderful World Festival in Queens, New York, on July 16.
(Photo: Courtesy Basin Street Records)The third annual Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World festival will take place July 16 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York. The festival, which celebrates the life and legacy of the iconic trumpeter and longtime Queens resident, showcases a diverse music lineup and family-friendly activities.
Keyboardist/vocalist Dr. John, an icon of New Orleans’ music, will headline the festival, along with funk-jazz trio Soulive and Crescent City trumpeter Kermit Ruffins. World-music bands Samba New York, Dahka Band and Folklore Urbano will round out the lineup, adding variety to an eclectic daylong program.
The festival is produced by the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College. Jeffrey Rosenstock, executive director of Kupferberg Center for the Arts said, “Not only did Louis Armstrong call Queens his home, he believed in ‘listening to all kinds of music,’ music that can be heard daily throughout our borough’s multicultural communities. Louis traveled around the world sharing his music. Our goal this year is to celebrate his New Orleans roots, and showcase some of the incredible music being played in and around Queens by artists whose origins span the globe.”
The free, all-ages festival also explores the growing culture in Queens beyond music, providing opportunities for face painting, arts and crafts, dancing and a circus.
When not at the music stage or the activities, festival-goers can tour the Louis Armstrong House Museum, which will present a special exhibit for the festival. Armstrong lived at this location, now a National Historic Landmark, from 1943 until his death in 1971.
DownBeat subscribers will recall that the cover story for the October 2014 issue featured a photo session with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon at the Louis Armstrong House Museum.
The third annual Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World festival will run from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 16. While the event is free, visitors are encouraged to register at the festival website.
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…
