Ken Peplowski: Profiles in Jazz

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 played at the Jazz Cruise several times during his last week and had performed earlier that day in typically brilliant form. When the very reliable musician did not appear at his next scheduled performance, a search found that he had passed away in his cabin. He was just 66.

During the past 20 years, Ken Peplowski was arguably among the top four clarinetists in jazz, holding his own with Eddie Daniels, Anat Cohen (who he encouraged), and Paquito D’Rivera. Each of these clarinetists had their own associations with swing. The virtuosic Daniels was usually heard in more modern settings but recorded (with vibraphonist Gary Burton) a tribute to Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. D’Rivera, who generally has played bebop, Brazilian music and Afro-Cuban jazz with alto being his main instrument, credits his start in music with hearing Benny Goodman’s 1938 Carnegie Hall recordings. Cohen sometimes performs swing and trad in addition to being heard on more adventurous projects. Peplowski, who was also a very good tenor-saxophonist, had opportunities to play with all three of these contemporaries along the way.

Ken Peplowski was one of what could be called “the Young Lions of Swing” who helped lead to the style’s comeback after suffering from the gradual passing of the veterans of the Swing era, tired recreations, and old age. From 1920 until the 1970s, the evolution of jazz took place at such a dizzying pace towards total “freedom” that many onlookers thought that new styles had permanently replaced earlier ones which were mostly only played by survivors of past decades.

But starting with tenor-saxophonist Scott Hamilton and cornetist Warren Vache in the mid-1970s and continuing with trombonist Dan Barrett, guitarist Howard Alden, Peplowski, and later on tenor-saxophonist Harry Allen, and Dan Levinson (C-melody sax, clarinet and tenor) along with a handful of others, a group of younger musicians who were world-class players revitalized swing and 1920s jazz. They showed that it was perfectly acceptable for new musicians to find their own voices in styles and approaches that had been formed decades before they were born.

Not that Peplowski was a revivalist, for he always had an open mind towards other styles of jazz beyond swing and trad. He never lost his love for Dixieland and Benny Goodman even as he ventured on his own musical path.

Ken Peplowski was born on May 23, 1959, in Garfield Heights, Ohio. He began playing clarinet at a young age. His father, who was also a policeman, enjoyed playing music and led a family poker band that Peplowski played in when he was ten. He performed locally as a teenager, attended Cleveland State University, and was featured with his quartet at the Cleveland Jazz Festival in 1980. Trombonist Buddy Morrow, who was leading the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, heard him at the festival when the two groups shared the same bill, was quite impressed, and offered him a position in his big band. Peplowski joined Morrow and toured with the Dorsey group for two years.

After leaving Morrow in 1982, Peplowski settled in New York. He studied saxophone with the great bebopper Sonny Stitt, freelanced around town, and in 1984 made his recording debut as an altoist with the Bad Little Big Band and with tenor-saxophonist Loren Schoenberg’s orchestra. When Schoenberg’s big band was taken over by Benny Goodman, Peplowski continued with the group, Goodman’s last, as the lead altoist. While he naturally did not have an opportunity to play clarinet with the King of Swing, he learned from observing Goodman. Peplowski was part of the orchestra when it appeared on their PBS special and was with the ensemble until Goodman’s death in 1986.

Ken Peplowski, who also worked with Leon Redbone, started to emerge as a soloist on records in 1986. That year he recorded with violinist Andy Stein, with a variety of all-stars (including Jimmy McPartland and Yank Lawson) at what was billed as the Chicago Jazz Summit, and the Blue Bird Society Orchestra. A duet performance of “Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me” with pianist Terry Waldo from Sept. 20, 1986 (which was released years later on a Stomp Off album) shows that his playing was already quite fluent, inventive, and recognizable.

Peplowski, who turned 28 in 1987, was not only on his way but he had arrived. In 1987 he recorded with the Loren Schoenberg Orchestra (on tenor and clarinet), signed with the Concord label, and started recording regularly not only for Concord (including his Double Exposure album and as a sideman on Dan Barrett’s Strictly Instrumental) but for Stomp Off. Very quickly he was recognized, not only as a masterful clarinetist and tenor-saxophonist, but as a witty presence onstage who was both warm and funny. He would be in great demand for the remainder of his life.

Peplowski became a regular in jazz clubs around the world, at classic jazz festivals, on cruises, and in the recording studios. He led over 40 albums and as a sideman recorded with quite a long roster of talents. A partial list includes singers Mel Torme, Susannah McCorkle, Peggy Lee, Daryl Sherman, Rebecca Kilgore, Terry Blaine, Barbara Lea, Eden Atwood, Donna Byrne, Judy Barnett, Wesla Whitfield, Jessica Molaskey, Hanna Richardson, Wendee Glick, Carol Sloane, Barbara Carroll, Trisha O’Brien, Cheryl Bentyne, Dee Daniels, Typhanie Monique, Susie Meissner, Miyuki Koga, and Erik Leuthauser (in 2025), trumpeters/cornetists Ruby Braff, Randy Sandke, Jim Cullum, Peter Ecklund, Alain Bouchet, and Ed Polcer trombonists Dan Barrett and George Masso, tenor-saxophonists Scott Hamilton, Spike Robinson, Tommy Newsome, and Peter Anderson, clarinetists Allan Vache, Kenny Davern, Alan Barnes, and Adrian Cunningham, flutist Holly Hofmann, vibraphonists Lars Erstrand, Chuck Redd, and Ed Saindon, guitarists Marty Grosz, Charlie Byrd, Howard Alden, John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzasrelli, and Diego Figueiredo, pianists Dick Hyman, Eddie Higgins, Steve Allen, Hank Jones, George Shearing, Mark Shane, Brian Lemon, Ben Aranov, Keith Ingham, Renee Rosnes, and Ted Rosenthal, bassists Nicki Parrott, Jay Leonhart, Michael Moore, and Katie Thiroux, and drummer Les DeMerle, not to mention Stanley’s Washboard Kings (which featured Bob Barnard), David Ostwald’s Gully Low Jazz Band, and even Madonna!

Clearly Ken Peplowski was in great demand for decades and considered a very valuable musician to have around. In addition to his foundation in swing and trad, he was able to play quite credibly in more modern settings. His 2024 album Unheard Bird found him featured with a string section on arrangements written for but never recorded by Charlie Parker. There are also moments in some of his other recordings where he sounds like a hard bop tenor-saxophonist and he even occasionally bordered on the avant-garde without losing his own musical personality. His main interest musically was being creative and true to himself rather than sticking to only one jazz style; he seemed to love them all.

Peplowski worked regularly in New York clubs including such venues as Birdland, Smalls, and Mezzrow where most of the other groups that were booked tended to be more modern. His consistently brilliant playing, wit, warm personality, and enjoyment at communicating not only with his fellow musicians but audiences kept him popular and continually busy.

At least until 2020. He was hit with a very serious case of COVID that kept him inactive for a time. After recovering from that, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. For three years he barely worked and, since he was not interested in teaching, he struggled with both his health and his finances. In 2023 Peplowski began what seemed to be a successful comeback, working at Mezzrow in New York and recording the album Live At Mezzrow. He resumed his busy schedule, performing duets with guitarist Diego Figueiredo, playing in a variety of settings, and appearing at clubs and festivals when his health permitted. There was no decline in his playing abilities and he faced his situation with courage, determination and a smile up until the end.

Fortunately Ken Peplowski has left behind not just warm relationships and memories with a countless number of musicians, friends and fans, but many recordings. Here are 13 of his most rewarding:

Double Exposure (Concord, 1987) His début as a leader features Peplowski with guitarist Ed Bickert and a top rhythm section playing an eclectic repertoire ranging from “I Would Do Anything For You” and “Careless Love” to Charlie Parker’s “Segment” and the lesser-known Hank Mobley hard bop tune “High And Flighty.”

Sonny Side (Concord, 1989) This quintet date with Howard Alden and pianist Dave Frishberg includes hot versions of “Ring Dem Bells,” “When I Take My Sugar To Tea” and “Hallelujah” in addition to a song apiece by Sonny Stitt, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis

Illuminations (Concord, 1990) While mostly heard with a full rhythm section that includes pianist Junior Mance, the highpoints of this set are three duets with Howard Alden, particularly “Panama.”

Concord Duo Series Vol. 3 (Concord, 1992) A full-length duo set with Alden has Peplowski (on both of his main axes) performing such numbers as “Blue Room,” “Changes,” “Just One Of Those Things,” and Bix Beiderbecke’s “In The Dark.”

Steppin’ With Peps (Concord, 1993) Alden, the lyrical trumpeter Joe Wilder, and trumpeter Randy Sandke have their moments on this swing-oriented set which has Peplowski romping on “The Lady’s In Love With You” and “The Courtship.”

A Tribute To Benny Goodman (Progressive, 1997) Leading “the Shoeless John Jackson Quartet,” Peplowski, vibraphonist John Cocuzzi, pianist Johnny Varro and drummer Joe Ascione play a full set of swing standards inspired by but not derivative of the King Of Swing.

Lost In The Stars (Nagel-Heyer, 2001) Beautiful ballad statements by Peplowski in a quartet with pianist Ben Aronov.

Noir Blue (Capri, 2009) Peplowski meets pianist Shelly Berg in a quartet for such numbers as “The Best Thing For You,” “Riverboat Shuffle,” and “Nobody Else But Me.”

Enrapture (Capri, 2015) Teaming up with pianist Ehud Asherie in a quartet, Peplowski plays a typically wide-ranging set of obscurities including James P. Johnson’s “Willow Tree,” Duke Ellington’s “The Flaming Sword,” and “An Affair To Remember.”

Sunrise (Arbors, 2017) Peplowski heads an 18-piece big band with predictably rewarding results.

Amizade (Arbors, 2018) Plenty of musical magic and fireworks occur during these duets with guitarist Diego Figueiredo.

Live At Mezzrow (Cellar Music, 2023) This was Peplowski’s comeback record with pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Martin Wind, and drummer Willie Jones III. It ranges from swing to bop to Thelonious Monk.

Unheard Bird (Arbors, 2023) This is Ken Peplowski’s his final recording as a leader so far, mostly performing “Bird with Strings” arrangements written for Charlie Parker but not otherwise recorded.

There will certainly be many more posthumous Ken Peplowski recordings coming out in the future, but this baker’s dozen is a perfect place to start. While the clarinetist is greatly missed, his musical legacy will live forever.

Scott Yanow

Since 1975 Scott Yanow has been a regular reviewer of albums in many jazz styles. He has written for many jazz and arts magazines, including JazzTimes, Jazziz, Down Beat, Cadence, CODA, and the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, and was the jazz editor for Record Review. He has written an in-depth biography on Dizzy Gillespie for AllMusic.com. He has authored 11 books on jazz, over 900 liner notes for CDs and over 20,000 reviews of jazz recordings. Yanow was a contributor to and co-editor of the third edition of the All Music Guide to Jazz. He continues to write for Downbeat, Jazziz, the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, the Jazz Rag, the New York City Jazz Record and other publications.