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…
Malachi Thompson and his Freebop Band will celebrate their 25th anniversary at Chicago’s Green Mill jazz club on Aug. 27 and 28.
In 1978, the trumpeter migrated to New York from Chicago and formed the first version of the Freebop Band.
Thompson defines “freebop” as the experimentation and harmonic freedom of avant-garde jazz combined with various forms of traditional bebop, conjoined with elements of swing and Afro-Cuban rhythms.
Over the years Thompson and the Freebop band have toured and performed throughout the U.S., Europe, the Caribbean and Africa. The group recently received a grant from Chamber Music America to fund new compositions for their 25th year.
For more information about the anniversary performances, contact the Green Mill at (773) 878-5552.
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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