Ken Peplowski, an acclaimed American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, passed away suddenly last Monday, February 3. He was 66. Jazz critic Russell Davies called Peplowski “arguably the greatest living jazz clarinetist.” In his youth, he performed in the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra. As a soloist, he explored a range of jazz styles from Dixieland to bebop. In 2007, he was named jazz advisor for the Oregon Festival of American …
Richie Beirach, an American jazz pianist and composer, passed away last Monday, January 26 in southern Germany. He was 78. Born in Brooklyn, Beirach collaborated with saxophonist David Liebman, beginning in the late 1960s. Additionally, he was celebrated as a soloist and collaborator. Later, Beirach settled in Leipzig, Germany where he taught jazz piano at the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Conservatory. He collaborated extensively with ECM producer Manfred Eicher. Richie Beirach’s approach to jazz …
Ralph Towner, an American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer, passed away in Rome on January 18, 2026. He was 85. A founding member of the groundbreaking ensemble, Oregon, Towner’s music is a fusion of jazz, rock, and folk influences. In an interview, he listed George Gershwin, John Coltrane, John Dowland, and Bill Evans among his influences. Towner was never drawn to the electric guitar, instead preferring to play acoustic six-string nylon-string and 12-string steel-string …
Jazz standards, music from the great American songbook, had fallen out of fashion when, in 1983, the Keith Jarrett Trio recorded Standards, Vol. 1. The album’s final track is God Bless the Child, a 1939 song by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. Jarrett’s God Bless the Child blends elements of jazz, rock, gospel, and minimalism. It unfolds over a long, continuous cool groove. Pianist Keith Jarrett is joined by bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack …
In the notes for his album, After the Fall, American jazz pianist Keith Jarrett describes his “fall” into a bout of chronic fatigue syndrome in the fall of 1996. His return to the concert stage came on November 14, 1998 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, a venue close to his home. The title of the album, a document of the live concert, reflects Jarrett’s recovery after the two-year hiatus. Santa …
The Brazilian guitarist, André Geraissati, passed away on November 19. He was 74. Often wistful and atmospheric in tone, Geraissati’s music blends elements of jazz and Brazilian folk music. He collaborated with such artists as Grupo D’Alma, Egberto Gismonti, Bobby McFerrin, and Wynton Marsalis. From 1979 to 1985, he performed as part of the guitar trio, Grupo D’Alma. Geraissati’s 1988 solo album, DADGAD, explores an alternate tuning, as expressed in the title, in which …
In a recent interview, Rick Beato called Japanese jazz musician Hiromi “the most electrifying pianist alive.” Regarding the fusion of influences which can be heard in her music, Hiromi explains, I don’t want to put a name on my music. Other people can put a name on what I do. It’s just the union of what I’ve been listening to and what I’ve been learning. It has some elements of classical music, …