Ken Peplowski and Big Band Wowed 'Em at Birdland
Clarinetist Ken Peplowski is not only a virtuoso of the licorice stick, but a darn good leader too. His assembled big band at Birdland on the eve of Duke Ellington's 120th birthday (April 29) was a knock-your-socks-off event. The show, chock full of wonderful jazz standards, smartly paced and rolled out, had the joint jumping, especially after the opener, Mary Lou Williams' "Roll 'Em." This driving swing piece (an ea…