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…
The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has announced its 2005 finalists—individuals who were selected out of almost 15,000 entries from 80 countries and who represent the top 1.4 percent of all entries.
The fate of the finalists rest in the hands of ten record label presidents, and artists such as Loretta Lynn, Sonny Rollins, Tom Waits, Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Steve Vai, and Darryl McDaniels (RUN DMC). The 50 winners of the competition will be announced in March, and the prizes include over $150,000 in cash and merchandise, including the top honors of ISC 2005 Overall Grand Prize winner.
The Grand Prize winner will receive a package put together especially for the benefit of their song-writing and career. The package includes $10,000 cash; a college radio promotion campaign; legal services from a music attorney; a CD Duplication Package; premium recording software and hardware; music and recording equipment.
The people will also be able to choose a winner through the 2005 People’s Voice, an online voting contest.
The songs can be found at www.songwritingcompetition.com/pvwelcome_2005.htm.
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…
