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 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation is launching Sync Up, an initiative to connect the independent musicians of Louisiana with professional music buyers from around the world who will be in New Orleans for Jazz Fest.
The project is the result of a partnership between the foundation and three agencies of the Louisiana state government: Louisiana Economic Development, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
“We have long known that many music business people from around the world come to Jazz Fest,” said Don Marshall, the Foundation’s executive director. “For us, the goal is to find the right way to leverage the festival’s impact for the benefit of the local music industry–especially our performing artists.”
Sync Up’s goal is to connect independent artists with festival promoters, who hire bands for well-paying live performances, and music supervisors, who select music to be licensed for use in films, TV shows, commercials, videogames and other visual media.
For festival promoters, the foundation will host a series of breakfasts on both Jazz Fest weekends that will feature panel discussions with visiting festival buyers, digital media distributors and others.
More info: jazzandheritage.org/syncup
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…
