Fri 6/12 @ 8-10PM

In March, as part of one of its regular season programs, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, inserted a tribute Cleveland jazz clarinetist Ken Peplowski who passed away in February. Peplowski, a versatile musician who also played tenor sax and performed in styles ranging from Dixieland to avant-garde jazz, and performed as a sideman or backing musician with artists such as Peggy Lee, Marianne Faithfull and Leon Redbone, among others, had released more than three dozen albums as a band leader or co-leader since the late 80s. Despite a move to NYC and later Oregon, he was a frequent guest with CJO.

Now, members of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra will perform an evening specifically in his honor, at the request of his family, taking place at the BOP STOP. “Ken was a guest soloist with the CJO as recently as November 2022,” says CJO artistic director Paul Ferguson. “He enjoyed long friendships with many members of the band including Jack Schantz and George Shernit.”

Members of CJO performing include trombonist Ferguson, baritone sax player Shernit, trumpeter Schantz, alto sax player Brad Wagner, drummer Jim Rupp, bassist Aidan Plank, sax player Chris Burge, tenor sax player John Klayman and pianist Jackie Warren. In addition, a good friend of Peplowski’s saxophonist/clarinetist/flutist/ composer Mark Vinci will be joining the CJO members to create a program of special arrangements just for this program.

For tickets go to cleveland-jazz-orchestra-little-big-band-tribute-to-ken-peplowski-featuring-mark-vinci-bop-stop