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…
Trumpeter Steven Bernstein is back with his latest recording Diaspora Suite, the fourth installment from his Diaspora series on Tzadik Records. The disc was released on Jan. 27 in San Francisco and there will be a release party at The Jazz Standard in New York on Feb. 10. Diaspora Suite evolves the concept of radical Jewish music, however, this time around Bernstein contributes all twelve original compositions. The music was recorded in one day during a session at Bay Studios in Bernstein’s hometown of Oakland, Calif.
He was joined by a nonet of fellow California-native musicians, including Jeff Cressman on trombone, Peter Apfelbaum on tenor saxophone and flute, Ben Goldberg on clarinets, Nels Cline, John Schott and Will Bernard on guitars, Devin Hoff on bass, and Josh Jones and Scott Amendola on drums and percussion.
“I’d been performing the music from Diaspora Soul, Diaspora Blues and Diaspora Hollywood around the world,” Bernstein said. “With each performance I’d gained greater insight into the cantorial melodies that I had transcribed over the years, and like any folk music these melodies transformed as we played them night after night for different audiences.”
More info: tzadik.com
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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