In a prodigious recording career of almost 50 years, Peplowski has released over 70 recordings as a soloist and been on close to 400 as a sideman, alongside artists as diverse as Charlie Byrd, Mel Tormé, Hank Jones, Peggy Lee, Woody Allen, Benny Goodman and Madonna.
In recent years a double whammy of ill health brought things to a grinding halt. Ken suffered a bad case of Covid in 2020, and in 2021 was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (now hopefully in full remission). Fighting back with admirable resilience, he started a weekly streaming show, often with the rhythm section on this CD, scarcely repeating a song over almost a year.
Much recovered by 2023, he was invited by friend and promoter Sam Wilner to record a live session at his New York jazz club, Mezzrow. This fine CD contains the best, selected from two one-hour sets played straight through.
The balanced and varied repertoire reflects Ken’s wish to “find some interesting tunes that are not so often played” and to “revive some tunes that I haven’t played in years”. The performances sound spontaneous and fully committed, free from restrictive arrangement, with assured rapport and interesting, expressive solos.
Used on four tracks, the light-toned, fluently mobile tenor is mellow and sensitive in ballad mode on Prisoner Of Love and The Shadow Of Your Smile, and more raunchily fired up with fast-fingered bop phrasing in Like Young (somewhat reminiscent of Fever) and Vignette, a lively opener with spirited responses from pianist Tel Rosenthal.
Over the remaining six tracks, the clarinet weaves elegantly through a range of moods, confirming his expressive versatility, from the gently mellow (All The Things You Are, Cabin In The Sky), to the vigorously probing rhythmic attack used in Beautiful Love and in Bright Mississippi (Monk’s take on Sweet Georgia Brown). The fired up exchanges on this between clarinet and piano are a high spot on a captivating album which closes with spirited free-wheeling improvisation all round on Ellington’s Who Knows.
This is world-class, middle-of-the-road small-group jazz from one of today’s top exponents and his very capable quartet. Hopefully, restored health will enable him to continue to perform in such fine style.
Discography
Vignette; Prisoner Of Love; Beautiful Love; All The Things You Are; Like Young; The Shadow Of Your Smile; Cabin In The Sky; Bright Mississippi; Here’s To Life; Who Knows (60.07)
Peplowski (cl,ts); Ted Rosenthal (p); Martin Wind (b); Willie Jones III (d). NY, 5 February 2023.
Cellar Music CMSLF007
