Writing and talking about music. Forever listening.
WRTI, NPR, formerly NYT. Author of a Substack newsletter, The Gig, and a book called 'Playing Changes: Jazz For the New Century.'
Ken Peplowski was an incredible musician, and he went out doing what he loved. Here is my obit, with testimonials from two artists who knew him well.

Ken Peplowski, master clarinetist and tenor saxophonist, dead at 66
With his exceptional fluency on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Ken Peplowski was a prominent voice in straight-ahead jazz. He died on Monday aboard the Jazz Cruise.
Wanna hear me and Josh Jackson break down the Jazz results at the Grammys? Sure you do
www.wrti.org/podcast/late...
Grammys Recap / Dezron Douglas
How do we feel about this year’s Grammy Awards? We'll attempt to answer that question before diving deep into a conversation with bassist Dezron Douglas, conducted onstage before a recent quartet show...
Pretty sure Jack DeJohnette was included in the Grammys In Memoriam montage, but because the camera was focused on Chad Smith, all I saw was the corner of his name 🤨
Some rapid response on jazz at the 2026 Grammys. (More news than commentary, but I snuck a little in.)

Jazz winners run both familiar and fresh at the 2026 Grammy Awards
The 68th Grammy Awards saw repeat jazz winners like Christian McBride and Samara Joy (and Chick Corea, posthumously), but also first-timers like Nate Smith and Remy Le Boeuf.
What remains of Skain’s Domain 🎺

When Wynton Leaves Jazz
Considering regime change at Jazz at Lincoln Center