Tom Melito Archive

Ken Peplowski Quintet – Live At Ambassador Auditorium – Concord Jazz 

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 11, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews

Ken Peplowski Quintet – Live At Ambassador Auditorium – Concord Jazz CCD-4610 59:13**** An exhilarating session that works to the strengths of the individual members (Ken Peplowski – tenor saxophone, clarinet; Howard Alden – guitar; Ben Aronov – piano; Murray Wall – bass; Tom Melito – drums; Special Guest: Harry “Sweets”Edison – trumpet tracks 3 ,4, 9) Since this session was recorded in 1994, much has changed in the music world in general and jazz in particular. However what has not changed is a clear, consistent, sense of enthusiasm from the bandstand. Live At Ambassador Auditorium featuring the Ken Peplowski Quintet delivers the goods in exhilarating fashion. Ken Peplowski, while he may not be considered an innovator on either the tenor sax or the clarinet, is nevertheless more than accomplished on both instruments. On tenor his tone is mellow and breezy, while on clarinet he is more boppish in style rather than Woody Herman-like. Surrounding himself with a coterie of like-minded players, plus guest trumpeter “Sweets” Edison, the band romps through a selection tunes that works to strengths of the individual members. Starting with Dizzy Gillespie’s “Birk’s Works” a blues in style if not in form, opens with Peplowski’s tenor […]