Ken Peplowski (born May 23, 1959) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

clarinetist and

tenor saxophonist The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while t ...

. He was born in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, United States, and known primarily for playing swing music. For over a decade, Peplowski recorded for

Concord Records Concord Records is an American record label owned by Concord and based in Los Angeles, California. Concord Records was launched in 1995 as an imprint designed to reach beyond the company's foundational Concord Jazz label. The label's artists have ...

. In 2007, Peplowski was named jazz advisor of Oregon Festival of American Music and music director of Jazz Party at The Shedd, both in Eugene, Oregon.

Awards and honors

* Best Jazz Record of the Year,

Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik The Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik ("German Record Critics' Award") was established in Germany in 1963 by publisher Richard Kaselowsky with the aim of setting the "most rigorous standards for supreme achievement and quality" in the field ...

, ''The Natural Touch'' (1992) *The ''Satchmo Award'' presented by the Jazz Club of Sarasota in March, 2014

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* ''Double Exposure'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the j ...

, 1988) – recorded in 1987 * ''Sonny Side'' (Concord Jazz, 1989) * The Ken Peplowski Quintet, ''Mr. Gentle and Mr. Cool'' (Concord Jazz, 1990) * ''Illuminations'' (Concord Jazz, 1991) * ''Natural Touch'' (Concord Jazz, 1992) * ''Steppin' with Peps'' (Concord Jazz, 1993) * ''Ken Peplowski and Howard Alden'' with

Howard Alden Howard Vincent Alden (born October 17, 1958) is an American jazz guitarist born in Newport Beach, California. Alden has recorded many albums for Concord Records, including four with seven-string guitar innovator George Van Eps. Early life How ...

(Concord Jazz, 1993) – recorded in 1992 * ''Live at Ambassador Auditorium'' (Concord Jazz, 1994) * ''Encore'' with Howard Alden (Concord Jazz, 1995) * ''It's a Lonesome Old Town'' (Concord Jazz, 1995) * ''The Other Portrait'' (Concord Concerto, 1996) * ''Grenadilla'' (Concord Jazz, 1998) * ''Last Swing of the Century'' (Concord Jazz, 1999) * ''The Feeling of Jazz'' with Tommy Newsom ( Arbors, 1999) * ''Just Friends'' with

George Masso George Masso (November 17, 1926 – October 22, 2019) was an American jazz trombonist, bandleader, vibraphonist, and composer specializing in swing and Dixieland. Masso is notable for his work from 1948–1950 as a member of the Jimmy Dorsey band ...

( Nagel-Heyer, 2002) * ''Easy to Remember'' (Nagel-Heyer, 2004) * ''Memories of You'' (

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

, 2006) – recorded in 2005 * ''When You Wish Upon a Star'' (Venus, 2007) – recorded in 2006 * ''Happy Together: Live at Birdland Volume One'' with

Jesper Thilo Jesper Thilo (born 28 November 1941) is a Danish jazz musician, mainly known as a tenor saxophonist, alto saxophonist and clarinetist. He is considered to be one of the top European straight-ahead jazz musicians of the post-1970 period. Ben ...

(Nagel-Heyer, 2008) * ''Pow-Wow'' with Howard Alden (Arbors, 2008) * Ken Peplowski Gypsy Jazz Band, ''Gypsy Lamento'' (Venus, 2008) – recorded in 2007 * ''Every Time We Say Goodbye'' (Venus, 2008) – recorded in 2007 * ''Stardust'' with the New York Trio (

, 2009) – recorded in 2008 * ''E Pluribus Duo'' with Dick Hyman (Victoria, 2009) * ''Noir Blue'' ( Capri, 2010) * ''Like a Lover'' with Nicki Parrott (Venus, 2011) – recorded in 2017 * ''In Search Of'' (Capri, 2011) * ''Live at the Kitano'' with Dick Hyman (Victoria, 2013) * ''Maybe September'' (Capri, 2013) * ''The Clarinet Maestros'' with Julian Marc Stringle, Craig Milverton (Merfangle, 2015) * ''At the Watermill'' with Alan Barnes (Woodville, 2015) * ''Enrapture'' (Capri, 2016) * ''Duologue'' with Adrian Cunningham (Arbors, 2018) – recorded in 2010 * ''Amizade'' with Diego Figueiredo (Arbors, 2019) * Ken Peplowski Quartet, ''Petite Fluer'' (Venus, 2019) – recorded in 2018

As sideman

With Charlie Byrd * ''The Bossa Nova Years'' (Concord, 1991) * ''Aquarelle'' (Concord Concerto, 1994) * ''Moments Like This'' (Concord, 1994) * ''Homage to Jobim'' (Concord Picante, 2005) With

Eddie Higgins Edward Haydn Higgins (February 21, 1932 – August 31, 2009) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and orchestrator. His performance and composition in 1959's " Cry of Jazz" is preserved in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. Bi ...

* ''It's Magic'' (

, 2006) * ''It's Magic Vol.2'' (Venus, 2007) * ''A Handful of Stars'' (Venus, 2009) With Dick Hyman * ''Swing Is Here'' (Reference, 1996) * ''E Pluribus Duo'' (Victoria, 2009) * ''Live at the Kitano'' (Victoria, 2013) With

Susannah McCorkle Susannah McCorkle (January 1, 1946 – May 19, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Life and career A native of Berkeley, California, McCorkle studied Italian literature at the University of California at Berkeley before dropping out to move to ...

* ''No More Blues'' (Concord Jazz, 1989) * ''From Bessie to Brazil'' (Concord Jazz, 1993) * ''From Broadway to Bebop'' (Concord Jazz, 1994) * ''Easy to Love: The Songs of Cole Porter'' (Concord Jazz, 1996) With Nicki Parrott * ''Like a Lover'' (Venus, 2011) * ''The Look of Love'' (Venus, 2014) * ''Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Song Book'' (Venus, 2016) With

Leon Redbone Leon Redbone (born Dickran Gobalian; August 26, 1949 – May 30, 2019) was a singer-songwriter and musician specializing in jazz, blues, and Tin Pan Alley classics. Recognized by his hat (often a Panama hat), dark sunglasses, and black tie, Re ...

* ''Red to Blue'' (August 1985) * ''Sugar'' (Private Music, 1990) * ''Up a Lazy River'' (Private Music, 1992) * ''Whistling in the Wind'' (Private Music, 1994) * ''Any Time'' (Blue Thumb, 2001) With

Randy Sandke Jay Randall Sandke (born May 5, 1949 in Chicago, Illinois) is a jazz trumpeter and guitarist. While a student at Indiana University in 1968, he and Michael Brecker started a jazz-rock band (Mrs. Seamon's Sound Band) that performed at the Notre ...

* ''Stampede'' (Jazzology, 1992) * ''I Hear Music'' (Concord Jazz, 1993) * ''The Bix Beiderbecke Era'' (Nagel-Heyer, 1993) * ''The Re-discovered Louis and Bix'' (Nagel-Heyer, 2000) * ''Inside Out'' (Nagel-Heyer, 2002) * ''Randy Sandke Meets Bix Beiderbecke'' (Nagel-Heyer, 2002) * ''The Music of Bob Haggart'' (Arbors, 2002) With

Loren Schoenberg Loren Schoenberg (born July 23, 1958) is a tenor saxophonist, conductor, educator, and jazz historian. He has won two Grammy Awards for Best Album Notes. He is the former Executive Director and currently Senior Scholar of the National Jazz Museum ...

* ''Time Waits for No One'' (Musicmasters, 1987) * ''Solid Ground'' (Musicmasters, 1988) * ''Just A-Settin' and A-Rockin' '' (Musicmasters, 1990) With

Mel Torme Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

* '' Mel Tormé and the Marty Paich Dektette – Reunion'' (Concord, 1988) * '' Mel Tormé and the Marty Paich Dektette – In Concert Tokyo'' (Concord, 1988) * '' Sing Sing Sing'' (Concord, 1992) * '' A Tribute to Bing Crosby'' (Concord, 1994) With others *

, ''The Howard Alden Trio Plus Special Guests Ken Peplowski & Warren Vache'' (Concord Jazz, 1989) *

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-cre ...

, ''Steve Allen Plays Jazz Tonight'' (Concord Jazz, 1993) *

Lucie Arnaz Lucie Désirée Arnaz (born July 17, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Early life Arnaz was born at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of act ...

, ''Just in Time'' (Concord Jazz, 1993) *

Eden Atwood Eden Atwood is an American jazz singer and actress. She is the daughter of composer Hubbard Atwood and the granddaughter of the novelist A. B. Guthrie Jr. Career Atwood was born in Memphis, Tennessee. When she was five, her parents got a divorc ...

, ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' (Concord Jazz, 1994) * Dan Barrett, ''Strictly Instrumental'' (Concord Jazz, 1987) * Cheryl Bentyne, ''the Gershwin Songbook'' (ArtistShare, 2010) *

Ruby Braff Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927 – February 9, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Garry Moore television show and described Ruby as "the Ivy League Louis Armstrong". Braff ...

, ''Cornet Chop Suey'' (Concord Jazz, 1994) * Jim Cullum Jr., ''Fireworks! Red Hot & Blues'' (Riverwalk, Live from the Landing, 1996) *

Kenny Davern John Kenneth Davern (January 7, 1935 – December 12, 2006) was an American jazz clarinetist. Biography He was born in Huntington, Long Island, to a family of mixed Jewish and Irish-Catholic ancestry. His mother's family originally came from ...

, ''The Jazz KENNection'' (Arbors, 2001) * Peter Ecklund, ''Peter Ecklund and the Melody Makers'' (Stomp Off, 1988) * Lars Erstrand, ''Beautiful Friendship'' (Sittel, 1992) *

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...

, ''Easy Come Easy Go'' (Naive, 2008) *

Marty Grosz Martin Oliver Grosz (born February 28, 1930) is an American jazz guitarist, banjoist, vocalist, and composer born in Berlin, Germany, the son of artist George Grosz. He performed with Bob Wilber and wrote arrangements for him. He has also worked ...

, ''Acoustic Heat'' (Sackville, 2006) * Scott Hamilton, ''Groovin' High'' (Concord Jazz, 1992) * Hank Jones, ''Lazy Afternoon'' (Concord Jazz, 1989) * Rebecca Kilgore, ''Rebecca Kilgore with the Keith Ingham Sextet'' (Jump, 2001) * Erich Kunzel, ''Route 66: That Nelson Riddle Sound'' (Telarc, 2000) * Barbara Lea, ''At the Atlanta Jazz Party'' (Jazzology, 1993) * Peggy Lee, ''Love Held Lightly'' (Angel, 1993) *

Jay Leonhart Jay Leonhart (born December 6, 1940) is a double bassist, singer, and songwriter who has worked in jazz and popular music. He has performed with Judy Garland, Bucky Pizzarelli, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra, and Sting. Leonhart is noted for his cle ...

, ''Sensitive to the Touch: The Music of Harold Arlen'' (Groove Jams, 1998) *

, ''Trombone Artistry'' (Nagel-Heyer, 1995) * Michael Moore, ''The History of Jazz, Volume 1'' (Arbors, 2000) * Michael Moore, ''The History of Jazz, Volume 2'' (Arbors, 2000) * Tommy Newsom, ''The Feeling of Jazz'' (Arbors, 1999) *

John Pizzarelli John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960, in Paterson, New Jersey) is an American jazz guitarist and vocalist. He has recorded over twenty solo albums and has appeared on more than forty albums by other recording artists, including Paul McCa ...

, ''Let There Be Love'' (Telarc, 2000) * John Pizzarelli, ''Italian Intermezzo'' (Menus and Music, 2000) * Spike Robinson, George Masso, ''Play Arlen'' (Hep, 1992) * Marilyn Scott, ''Every Time We Say Goodbye'' (Venus, 2008) *

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 ...

, '' George Shearing in Dixieland'' (Concord Jazz, 1989) * Andy Stein, ''Goin' Places'' (Stomp Off, 1987) * Various, ''Sweet and Lowdown'' (soundtrack) (Sony Classical 1999) * Frank Vignola, ''Let It Happen'' (Concord Jazz, 1994) * Terry Waldo, ''Footlight Varieties'' (Stomp Off, 1990) *

Carol Welsman Carol Welsman (born September 29, 1960)"Carol Welsman." ''Gale Biography in Context''. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 2018-03-25. is a Canadian jazzy pianist who accompanies her own easy listening,conversati ...

, ''I Like Men'' (Welcar, 2009) * Carol Welsman, ''Memories of You'' (Fab, 2009) * Paula West, ''Come What May'' (Hi Horse 2001)

Publications

Frank Barrett and Ken Peplowski (Sep. - Oct., 1998) "Minimal Structures within a Song: An Analysis of 'All of Me, ''Organization Science'' Vol. 9, No. 5

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peplowski, Ken 1959 births Living people Jazz musicians from Ohio Musicians from Cleveland 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century clarinetists 20th-century saxophonists 21st-century clarinetists 21st-century American saxophonists American jazz clarinetists Concord Records artists Dixieland clarinetists Dixieland revivalist clarinetists Dixieland revivalist saxophonists Dixieland saxophonists Jazz clarinetists Mainstream jazz clarinetists Mainstream jazz saxophonists Statesmen of Jazz members Swing clarinetists Swing saxophonists Arbors Records artists Nagel-Heyer Records artists