Ken Peplowski

• 

Ken Peplowski born 23 May 1959; died 2 February 2026

Ken Peplowski, arguably the greatest jazz clarinettist of his generation, tragically died this February onboard the jazz cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. He had only just finished a blistering set with his fellow clarinettists Anat Cohen and Paquito D’Rivera. A post on Facebook of his solo on ‘A Night In Tunisia’ from that performance shows him still at the top of his game: Swinging inventive lines, driving energy, a beautiful sound and effortless command of the instrument are all very much in evidence.

Have a look on YouTube  at Ken playing ‘Tiger Rag’ with guitarist Frank Vignola or his appearance in Bern in 1993 playing ‘China Boy’ to appreciate what an incredible ability he had on the clarinet. He was also instantly recognisable on tenor saxophone, where he exhibited a darker tone but with the same harmonic awareness and precision of thought. Ken was also one of the most humorous and well liked musicians on the scene. He was definitely not of the ‘gloom school’ and could really reach an audience and bring out the best in those around him. His on stage routines with Marty Grosz were hilarious and he enjoyed a daily call from vibist Terry Gibbs (now over 100 years old) to swap gags.

Ken was born in Garfield Heights, Ohio. His father was ‘a very conservative cop’ which Ken always credited as a major factor in his own development into ‘a very liberal liberal’. Ken was given a clarinet which he took to immediately  and soon had enough ability to join the ‘The Harmony Kings’ a polka band initiated by his father. Ken’s elder brother Ted was on trumpet and there was some intense rivalry and a sense that their father, a failed musician, was living out his own vicarious musical dreams. Ken was performing at professional level by the age of 11. Despite this his parents were discouraging about his professional chances: ‘They would say I’ll never make it.’ He later pointed out the similarity of the role of the clarinet in polka music and traditional jazz: both involve improvising around arpeggios.

Entirely self taught as a jazz musician, Ken studied for two years at Cleveland High with a classical teacher but was soon branching out into the jazz world. He was heard at the Cleveland Jazz Festival by trombonist Buddy Morrow who ran the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and was subsequently offered the lead alto chair in the band. This required incredible discipline, but he was given a clarinet feature every night with the rhythm section.

During this period Ken took some lessons off Sonny Stitt who was on the same tour as he Dorsey band. Ken had a book called something like ‘2000 Great American Standards’ and Stitt asked him to open it anywhere and call a key. He had such a tremendous command that he could play anything required. His teaching method was playing phrases at his student and making him play them back, which must have been daunting to say the least.

Ken used to love telling the story of how, one night, a young and well known altoist tried out blowing the master saxophonist in a swaggering and disrespectful way. Stitt responded with a solo ‘so great that the whole theatre rose to it’s feet. The other guy was in his car before he’d finished’.

After two years touring Buddy gave Ken a lecture about ‘not being a big fish in a small pool’ and persuaded him to move to New York.

There was a wave of superb musicians that descended on that City around the late 70’s early 80’s that liked older songs and styles: Scott Hamilton, Warren Vaché, Harry Allen, Howard Alden and Ken himself. He played a lot of traditional and swing gigs at venues such as Eddie Condon’s and Jimmy Ryan's which he loved doing but felt he eventually became ‘tarred with that particular brush’. He always performed more contemporary music with his own bands and played with musicians across a wide stylist range from dixieland to avant-garde. He could read and transpose the most difficult music at sight and was always open to playing any music that was brought along by another player on the gig. He reminded me of Dick Morrisey in that he was never controlling about repertoire and was always happy to play anything suggested.

He had a raft of interesting lead sheets in his case and would pull out unusual gems like Harold Arlen’s ‘Last Night When We Were Young’, Duke Ellington’s ‘Single Petal Of A Rose’ or Count Basie’s ‘Evening’.

He was invited many, many times to play Benny Goodman tributes and had indeed been part of one of the great clarinettists last bands, being impressed by his ability to shape a band and get great results from the players. Goodman, he felt, was a ‘complicated guy who was so wrapped up in music that it was sometimes to the detriment of everything else.’ Ken didn’t get much solo space in this ensemble but found that Benny, like Sonny Stitt, had a real focus to his playing, a great sense of time, and could lift a band by the quality his own playing.

The move to New York was a huge success and led to a 10 year period of recording for Concord Records with whom he signed in 1987. Subsequently he recorded for many other labels including Arbors, Nagel-Heyer  and Jazzology. He played with veterans like Max Kaminsky, Buck Clayton and Jimmy McPartland and recorded with so many great musicians: Hank Jones, Howard Alden, Marty Grosz, Ruby Braff, Kenny Davern, Leon Redbone, Mel Tormé and Peggy Lee. He produced a staggering 70 albums as leader or co-leader. He also played on several movie sound tracks including ‘Sweet and Lowdown.’ He frequently played at New York clubs Birdland, Mezzrow and Smalls and became an international touring star, appearing all over the world.

I was fortunate enough to tour with him in the UK , make four albums and play some Jazz parties including Blackpool and Topeka.

In the studio he was a first take enthusiast-two at the most. Feel, energy and soul were more important to him than absolute clinical accuracy. As in his live playing, he was happy to play anything placed in front of him and would constantly come up with material and ideas to inspire everyone.

Ken was in his own words ‘a news freak’. He and Houston Person would read all the quality newspapers in the Uk and in discussions of politics I was always the least well informed.

Some classic bits of Ken’s humour:

Playing late at a jazz party he would start with “We’d like to thank to thank the promoter for entrusting us with the all-important twenty-third set.”

Once at the Concorde Club, Eastleigh, we were playing some arrangements and half way through a tune Ken whispered to me ‘introduce the next one’. Turning the page as I announced, I was confronted by a huge obscene drawing which reduced me to uncontrollable laughter and I was unable to continue. ‘Come on, share the joke’ shouted Ken- which didn’t help.

We were once playing a gig where we started on two clarinets. Ken had, unbeknownst to me, loosened all my ligatures so the reeds would fall off. Realising a problem with the clarinet, I quickly grabbed my alto, breathed in and nearly inhaled my reed. My coughing and Ken’s laughter stopped the band.

His quips could be taken the wrong way. Great drummer Aaron Kimmel was a little crestfallen to have Ken ask: ‘Can I ask you a musical question?’, ‘Sure’, ‘Can you play better?’. In Ken’s own words: ‘ He looked like he was going to burst into tears. I had to say: "No no I like you. I always hurt the ones I love.’"

Similarly Robert Fowler joined us when we recorded a larger band. One track only needed one tenor so Robert was to play. Ken said ‘You better use my microphone because we’ve had yours switched off all day.’ He took it it quite well!

Ken’s health was not good in the last few years. He had a severe case of COVID during the 2020 pandemic and was diagnosed in 2021 with multiple myeloma which made it difficult for him to work for the next three years. His come back was very much helped by Smalls and Mezzrow owner Spike Wilner offering to sponsor a live recording at the latter club.

Ken Peplowski never once coasted or gave less than his very best even when gravely ill. His clarinet playing will set the standard to which others aspire for years to come.