Ken Peplowski: Live at Mezzrow
Author: Peter Vacher
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Musicians: |
Ted Rosenthal (p) |
Label: |
Cellar Music |
Magazine Review Date: |
August/2024 |
Media Format: |
CD, DL |
Catalogue Number: |
CMSLF 007 |
RecordDate: |
Rec. 5 February 2023 |
Peplowski’s health broke down during the Covid period, knocking him for six physically and financially. Now, he’s back, not quite replicating his former improvisatory prowess, but pretty near it on this showing.
On purportedly a live session (although no announcements or applause are heard) the 63-year-old moves between tenor and clarinet in consort with a group which came together during lockdown and appeared on numerous podcasts with him. That said, I don’t detect any very special compatibility; this feels more like a pretty decent pick-up band where all concerned seem to know what’s expected of them.
The Peplowski tenor sound is almost ethereal, the tone quite hollow, the variations side-on to the harmonies rather than confronting them directly, much like Paul Gonsalves used to do. ‘Vignette’ opens with a drum fusillade, tenor foremost in a skittering run, Wind busy and Rosenthal quietly effective. ‘Like Young’ gets a similarly choppy treatment, Peplowski’s tenor at its most Gonsalves-ian, with a long Wind solo while ‘Prisoner of Love’ is taken slow, as a tenor ballad, eloquent and restrained, much like ‘Shadow of Your Smile’, the tenor perfectly centred, allowing this sublime melody to work its magic.
Peplowski’s clarinet playing is still his stronger suit, pure-toned and technically assured, as on ‘Beautiful Love’ and a quite lovely reading of ‘All The Things You Are’, taken slowly and carefully. Monk’s ‘Bright Mississippi’ worked best for me with clarinet and piano in fast-moving, boppish mode. So, an engaging return with more to come, I expect.
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