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…
Kurt Elling performs during the 2018 North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
(Photo: North Sea Jazz Festival)
Vijay Iyer performs during the 2018 North Sea Jazz Festival.
(Photo: North Sea Jazz Festival)
Jazzmeia Horn performs during the 2018 North Sea Jazz Festival.
(Photo: North Sea Jazz Festival)At the 2018 North Sea Jazz Festival—held July 13–15 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands—DownBeat embarked upon an unparalleled, ambitious plan: Correspondent Dan Ouellette conducted onstage Blindfold Tests with three acclaimed artists during the event.
To read the Blindfold Test with vocalist Kurt Elling, click here.
To read the Blindfold Test with vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, click here.
To read the Blindfold Test with pianist Vijay Iyer, click here. DB
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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