RIP Ken Peplowski

[EKE BBB]

Several realiable sources report that American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Ken Peplowski passed away on February 2, 2026. He was 66 years old. 

[Hardbopjazz]

RIP Ken. Thanks for the music.

[optatio]

... very sad news - R.I.P.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

This sucks. Ken will be missed and not just for his playing. I was lucky to see him and talk with him between sets at the old Jocko's Jazz Club in Methuen, MA. He played there solo as well as part of a "Four Brothers" front line. What wonderful memories.

[clifford_thornton]

Ah, too bad. He was great. RIP.

[Ken Dryden]

Ted Rosenthal announced Ken’s passing on FB. He will be missed, he had a brilliant career and he was a funny giy. 

[Dmitry]

Brilliant musician. I will remember his concerts dearly. Quite a clarinet band in the sky welcomes a new member.

[Dub Modal]

Great musician. I always enjoyed his playing. RIP

[HutchFan]

R.I.P.

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Emmet Cohen has posted on Facebook that Ken suffered a heart attack a few hours after leaving the stage after a performance on the last night of The Jazz Cruise. If you have a Facebook account, Emmet has posted a short video of one Ken's clarinet solos last night. Ken was doing what he loved to the end.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DSRHs5HxY/

[clifford_thornton]

Wow... at least he went out playing. Saw him a few times and I think the last was as part of an Allen Lowe concert in Brooklyn at IBeam (with Ursula Oppens).

[jlhoots]

Ken was terrific. R.I.P.

[EKE BBB]

1 hour ago, Dmitry said:

Brilliant musician. I will remember his concerts dearly. Quite a clarinet band in the sky welcomes a new member.

Sure! He will be up there with his admired Pee Wee Russell, with whom he shared that way of playing and improvising without safety net (in Whitney Balliett's words) over quite traditional/mainstream material.

[Milestones]

R.I.P.

That comes as quite a surprise.

Ken played tenor (and some alto), but mostly clarinet.  He will be remembered for the clarinet.  His approach was conservative, but he produced a lot of enjoyable music.  I particularly enjoy It's a Lonesome Old Town.

 

 

[jazzbo]

RIP to one of the faithful keepers of the flame.

[colinmce]

Sad news, he was phenomenal, especially his many recordings for Concord.

[JSngry]

What a player!

[Rabshakeh]

Oh no! That's too young

I was listening to his excellent work on that Charlie Byrd record just last night. 

[Peter Friedman]

Back perhaps a couple of years ago Ken was diagnosed with an illness, and had to cancel some appearances. After a period of time he returned and seemed to be doing well.

I have seen Ken play in person more than a dozen times over the past (roughly) 20 years. He was not only a fine clarinet and saxophone player, but was also a very funny guy who usually made humorous comments at his gigs. 

He will be missed.

R.I.P.

[jlhoots]

16 minutes ago, Peter Friedman said:

Back perhaps a couple of years ago Ken was diagnosed with an illness, and had to cancel some appearances. After a period of time he returned and seemed to be doing well.

I have seen Ken play in person more than a dozen times over the past (roughly) 20 years. He was not only a fine clarinet and saxophone player, but was also a very funny guy who usually made humorous comments at his gigs. 

He will be missed.

R.I.P.

I believe he had some type of malignancy that went into remission with treatment. Ironic that he then succumbs to a cardiac problem at his relatively young age.

[sgcim]

I'm devastated. First the guy gets cancer at an early age, overcomes it, and then dies of a heart attack at 66? I played on two albums with him, and used to drive him to gigs, because he didn't have a car back then. I idolized the guy, and when he walked up to me and told me that he liked the way I play during one gig, I was on cloud nine.

Most guys that double don't master BOTH instruments, but he was frightening on BOTH clarinet and sax. As jazzbo said, he was a true 'keeper of the flame' as he showed on his many albums for Concord. What a great loss for jazz. RIP, Kenny...

[Ken Dryden]

If anyone is interested, I have some digitized live broadcasts of Ken Peplowski that are not commercially issued:

Hotel Four Queens, Las Vegas 8/2/1993

Newport Jazz Festival with Evan Christopher and Anat Cohen 8/4/2012

 

 

[clifford_thornton]

4 hours ago, sgcim said:

I'm devastated. First the guy gets cancer at an early age, overcomes it, and then dies of a heart attack at 66? I played on two albums with him, and used to drive him to gigs, because he didn't have a car back then. I idolized the guy, and when he walked up to me and told me that he liked the way I play during one gig, I was on cloud nine.

Most guys that double don't master BOTH instruments, but he was frightening on BOTH clarinet and sax. As jazzbo said, he was a true 'keeper of the flame' as he showed on his many albums for Concord. What a great loss for jazz. RIP, Kenny...

my sincere condolences...

[Brad]

Sad news indeed. RIP.