"He battled the often fatal disease with a unique combination of courage, fortitude and humor. After all, humor was just one of Ken's many remarkable gifts. He was without question the quickest and sharpest wit amongst all our artists. Ken always brought joy to every gig or occasion. No one came away from a conversation with him without a laugh or smile."
"Born and raised in Cleveland, jazz clarinetist Ken Peplowski spent his life playing famed concert halls, sharing the stage with some of the world's most legendary musicians. Despite his far reach around the globe, in the music community of the Central Oregon Coast, Peplowski was one of their own. Peplowski died Feb. 1 on the final day of The Jazz Cruise '26 in the Gulf of Mexico. He was 66."
""I couldn't think of a better person to turn it over to, because he really understood the genre that the people who listened to jazz really wanted to hear. He was very aware of the audience, and many are not." Peplowski wore the title of artistic director for about six years, but he also had the distinction of appearing and performing at the Jazz Party more than any other artist in the event's history, said Jason Holland, executive director of the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts, which presents the event."
Ken Peplowski was born and raised in Cleveland and built a global career as a jazz clarinetist, performing in famed concert halls and with legendary musicians. He served as artistic director of the Oregon Coast Jazz Party from 2020 until his death and appeared at the event more than any other artist. Since 2021 he had been battling multiple myeloma, and he died Feb. 1 on the final day of The Jazz Cruise '26 in the Gulf of Mexico at age 66. He was known for incisive, self-deprecating humor and an ability to connect with audiences.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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