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…
University Of The Arts in Philadelphia is among the 212 schools listed in this year’s Student Music Guide.
(Photo: Kevin Merinsky/University Of The Arts)DownBeat’s annual Student Music Guide contains essential information for students who are preparing to enter college or graduate school. This comprehensive guide includes detailed school listings, complete with deadlines, costs and key faculty members. Plus, we’ve got the DownBeat Jazz Education Awards, as well as articles that explore the challenges jazz education programs face due to the pandemic. DB
• The Importance Of A Music Degree: Jazz educators offer insights on the value of a music degree in the current environment, where online learning is a necessity for so many students.
• Best Practices For Online Music Instruction: Jazz educators explore the keys to “getting it right” when it comes to remote learning for student musicians.
• Teaching Asynchronous Ensembles: Jazz educators discuss their approaches to ensemble courses, now that it’s impossible for many combos and bands to assemble in the same room.
• Robert ‘Doc’ Morgan Demanded Excellence
• Lee Secard Sets High Standards
• Tina Raymond Leads By Example
• Academic Programs Restructure Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
• Schools Devise Multiple Plans For Fall
These stories originally were published in the August, September and October 2020 issues of DownBeat. Subscribe here.
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…
