Noted New York Times music critic John S. Wilson called Ken Peploski “a clarinetist with a Benny Goodman tone and a Buddy DeFranco style.” As Ken was a member of Goodman’s working orchestra, the comparison is not surprising.

With an astounding 16 solo albums on the Concord Jazz recording label, Ken is always a top contender in Downbeat magazine’s critics and readers polls. He tours the globe 12 months a year, performing in the top jazz clubs, performing arts centers, jazz festivals and symphony halls. In addition to his great musicianship, he is regarded as an extremely entertaining performer. His warmth, wit and humor delight audiences.

Born in Cleveland in 1959, Ken first played the clarinet when he was 7. He made local radio and TV appearances and played orchestral and jazz arrangements before joining the Tommy Dorsey Band under the direction of Buddy Morrow in 1978.

In 1980, he moved to New York and was soon playing in such musical settings as avant-garde jazz ensembles and symphony orchestras. He also began making movie soundtracks and commercial recordings. During the ‘80s, he began recording and performing with musicians as diverse as Mel Tormé, Charlie Byrd, Peggy Lee, George Shearing, Tom Harrell, Hank Jones, Leon Redbone, Woody Allen, Erich Kunzel and Rosemary Clooney.

In 1984, Benny Goodman put together a new band to do some touring. Benny personally auditioned Ken and hired him as a tenor saxophonist.