Results for "Ken Peplowski"

Ken Peplowski

Born: May 23, 1959

“When you grow up in Cleveland, Ohio, playing in a Polish polka band, you learn to think fast on your feet”, says Ken Peplowski, who played his first pro engagement when he was still in elementary school. “From my first time performing in public, I knew I wanted to play music for a living.”

Ken, and his trumpet-playing brother Ted, made many local radio and TV appearances and played for Polish dances and weddings virtually every weekend all through high-school. “That’s where I learned to improvise, ‘fake’ songs, learn about chord changes, etc.- it’s exactly like learning to swim by being thrown into the water!”

The Good Old Days

By Ted Rosenthal

Label: TMR Music
Released: 2026
Track listing: From This Moment On; Hot Sauce; Back Home in Okayama; Two Sleepy People; Maple Leaf Rag; The Good Old Days; Sultry Sweetie; Sunny Side Up; Autumn in New York; Schmatta Rag.

Introducing Saxophonist Jacob Chung

by Sanford Josephson
September 1, 2026

 Growing up in Toronto, Jacob Chung was introduced to jazz by his grandfather. “He had a record player," Chung recalled, “and he had Dave Brubeck's Time Out album. He also liked Duke Ellington and Ben Webster." Chung was playing classical piano when he entered middle school, “and they started giving you wind instruments. I ...

Rachelle Garniez, Virginia MacDonald, Jeff Lederer, Matt White's Dolly Parton Tribute, Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band & More

by Mary Foster Conklin
June 1, 2026

This broadcast includes new music from Rachelle Garniez, Virginia MacDonald, Jeff Lederer, Matt White and Julia Keefe, with birthday shoutouts to Jackie Cain, Ken Peplowski, Fats Waller, Rosemary Clooney, Jan Leder, Yoko Miwa, Cynthia Sayer, Sheryl Bailey, Carmen Souza, among others. Happy listening and please support the artists you hear--see them live, buy their music so ...

Ted Rosenthal, Bernie Senensky, Michel Petrucciani, Faye Carol & Ken Peplowski

by Joe Dimino
April 12, 2026

We kick off the 953rd Episode of Neon Jazz in style--guided by the elegant touch of Ted Rosenthal and the timeless voice of the late, great Ken Peplowski. Their music from the 2026 album The Good Old Days sets the tone--both a celebration and a heartfelt nod to a true legend whose sound remains woven into ...

The Legacy of Billy Strayhorn, part I: Lush Life, Take the A Train and more

by Larry Slater
April 10, 2026

Billy Strayhorn had one of the most unusual careers in jazz. Today his genius as a composer of jazz and song is uniformly acknowledged, but that was not the case during his lifetime. Strayhorn spent his entire career as in Duke Ellington's words, “his composing and arranging partner."Many of his most famous creations were ...

Plays Duke: Contemporary Covers of Early Ellington Classics

by Larry Slater
March 20, 2026

Duke Ellington is unquestionably the most important and prolific jazz composer. He composed over 1,500 tunes and quite a few have become both jazz standards and part of Americana. Even folks who don't listen to jazz know Ellington tunes like “ It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing," “Mood Indigo" and “Caravan."

Tom Oren, Julie Benko, Alfie Jackson, Yelena Eckemoff, Ingrid Jensen, Melissa Aldana & More

by Mary Foster Conklin
February 23, 2026

This broadcast includes fundraising for the station with new music from Tom Oren, Julie Benko, Alfie Jackson, Yelena Eckemoff, Ingrid Jensen and Melissa Aldana, plus birthday shoutouts to Nina Simone, Carmen Staaf, Sharel Cassity and Honorable Man Harold Arlen, among others. Happy listening and please and support the artists you hear -see them live, buy their ...

Ken Peplowski, Linda Oh, Phil Woods, Maja Jaku and Jacob Wutzke

by Joe Dimino
February 22, 2026

From the pulse and precision of Montreal-based modern drummer Jacob Wutzke, we launch into the 946th episode of Neon Jazz, featuring standout cuts from his stellar 2025 album Pedalling Falsehoods. From there, we turn up the heat with the electrifying force of Buddy Rich, spotlighting fire from his 2022 live release Sound of Fury--a blazing reminder ...

New Jazz Standards, Volume 7

By Marina Pacowski

Label: Summit Records
Released: 2025
Track listing: August in New York; High on Blueberry Pie; Theme for Jobim; Feels Like Home; Is That Asking Too Much?; Looking at You; I Need a Dream; Sweet Talk; You’re So Cute; Do Be Do Be Do; Alone; Can You Dig Being Dug?; Always in My Heart; Minute Waltz.