Ken Peplowski: Profiles in Jazz
Scott Yanow
March 30, 2026
Although Ken Peplowski had been battling multiple myeloma for five years, his sudden death on February 2 is still a bit of a shock. He
Although Ken Peplowski had been battling multiple myeloma for five years, his sudden death on February 2 is still a bit of a shock. He
When most jazz fans think of James P. Johnson (1894-1955), it is of a brilliant and pioneering stride pianist who also wrote some notable songs.
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Thomas Morris was a casualty of the rapid evolution that jazz underwent during the 1920s. The cornetist fit very securely
Pianist Sue Palmer has led her Motel Swing Orchestra for 25 years. Remarkably the personnel has remained the same for all of this time (trombonist
Django Reinhardt (1910-53) was one of jazz’s most original and brilliant guitarists, certainly the top guitarist to emerge during the 1930s. But despite that, at
An excellent jazz singer based in Chicago ever since he moved there from his native Buffalo in 2003, Paul Marinaro has excellent elocution (one can
The Upbeat label from England has compiled many rewarding CDs through the years. Their “Great Jazz” series previously released Various Artists sets CDs titled Great
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Earl Hines (1903-83) was always a true original. When he emerged on the scene in the 1920s, he sounded unlike
Clarinetist Ricky Alexander’s fourth album as a leader (following Just Found Joy, Strike Up The Band, and I’m In Love Again) straddles the often-artificial boundaries
A top-notch swing and classic jazz pianist based in Germany, Chris Hopkins is also an excellent alto-saxophonist. In 2025 he released an album on his
Archeophone, the top label in reissuing pre-1920 music, has 23 CDs in their very valuable series of Phonographic Yearbooks. The program consists of two volumes
A superb all-round trumpeter, Billy Butterfield had a warm tone, strong technical skills, and a versatile style that found him equally at home playing swing,
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Although Jack Pettis never became a major name, he was one of the top tenor and C-melody saxophonists of the
Chip Deffaa has gained fame as a prolific playwright and a producer of plays and recordings. He wrote for the New York Post for 18
The Rag Messengers consists of Exequiel Celada on clarinet and soprano-sax, pianist Auguste Caron, and drummer Orphélie Luminti. The trio is very much in the
Today, Sophie Tucker (1886-1966) is primarily remembered for being billed as “The Last Of The Red Hot Mamas” and for introducing her trademark song “Some
The only time that Django Reinhardt recorded with a harmonica player was on May 31, 1938, when Larry Adler was joined by the Quintet of
Cornetist Muggsy Spanier always had a distinctive sound, was consistently enthusiastic in his playing, and was very reliable whether leading a Dixieland ensemble or taking
The genesis of this work occurred in 2010 when Steven Bowie dreamt that he was in a book store with Cootie Williams. When he asked
While they never recorded together, Frank Signorelli and Rube Bloom had several similarities in their careers. Both were excellent jazz pianists who appeared on many
Bassist John Joyce, whose earlier experiences were in the worlds of punk rock and rockabilly, has gained fame in the traditional jazz world with the
