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…
Although not aired on the prime time nationwide broadcast on CBS, several jazz awards were presented at the 44th annual Grammy Awards on Wednesday nights. Among these awards were:
Best Contemporary Jazz Album: M2 by Marcus Miller (Telarc)
Best Jazz Vocal Album: The Calling by Dianne Reeves (Blue Note)
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo: “Chan’s Song,” Michael Brecker, soloist; track from Nearness Of You—The Ballad Book (Verve)
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: This Is What I Do, Sonny Rollins (Milestone)
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Homage To Count Basie, Bob Mintzer Big Band (Digital Music Products)
Best Latin Jazz Album: Nocturne, by Charlie Haden (Verve)
In addition, other awards of note came from Best Spoken Word album, which went to Q: The Autobiography Of Quincy Jones (Simon and Schuster Audio); Best Historical Album, which went to Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday On Columbia 1933-1944 (Columbia/Legacy Recordings); and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, which went to Diana Krall’s The Look Of Love (Verve), which was engineered by Al Schmitt.
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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