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…
Miguel Zenón’s third Marsalis Music release, Awake will be released April 1. It follows the alto saxophonist’s 2005 Jíbaro, a reinterpretation of the rural music of Zenón’s native Puerto Rico.
“The focus is more personal and philosophical than Jíbaro,” Zenón said. “Although that album also has a central theme. I wrote all of the music for Awake, and the individual compositions fell into an order around one of the older tunes, ‘Awakening,’ which represents a period of personal growth I went through. What resulted was an awareness of my priorities, and how I want to portray myself as an artist.”
Zenón incorporates the use of Fender Rhodes on four tracks, a string quartet and a three-piece horn section.
“I felt that the Rhodes would create a different sonic flow and push the music in different directions,” he said. “And once I realized that ‘Awakening’ would serve as a connection between the various elements of the record, I decided to add a string quartet for two tracks.”
The members of Zenón’s working band include Luis Perdomo on piano and Fender Rhodes, Hans Glawischnig on bass and Henry Cole on drums.
More info: marsalismusic.com
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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