Benny Goodman honored with Ken Peplowski
and The Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra, July 30

If you close your eyes, you might think that swinging clarinet
sound you hear comes straight from Benny Goodman; that's the consensus among jazz aficionados about the artistry of Ken Peplowski who will perform with the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra at the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival on Tuesday, July 30.
The concert will bring the excitement and sophistication of the
best hopping bands of the swing era as Peplowski and Bill Elliott pair up for the first time.
About Peplowski, the late Mel Tormé said, "There have been too few clarinetists to fill the void that Goodman left. Ken Peplowski is most certainly one of those few. The man is magic." Peplowski, who has recorded 16 solo albums and tours the world in concert all year, at the tender age of 19 joined the Tommy Dorsey band, and
in 1984 was hand-picked by Goodman himself to play in his orchestra. Since then, he has recorded and performed with major musicians including Mel Tormé, Charlie Byrd, Peggy Lee, Hank Jones, Woody Allen, Erich Kunzel, and Rosemary Clooney.
Besides being highly regarded for his outstanding musicianship, he thoroughly entertains his audience with wit and humor. "When you grow up in Cleveland playing in a Polish polka band, you learn to think fast on your feet," said Peplowski.
With fifteen musicians and four singers, the Bill Elliott Swing
Orchestra plays music in the styles of the '30s, '40s, and '50s, much of it actually written in the '90s by Elliott himself. Elliott, who has toured and recorded with Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks and many others, has written and arranged music featured in many films and TV shows, including the recent ABC movie "Child Star: the Shirley Temple Story." His music emphasizes colorful arrangements, sophisticated and light-hearted lyrics, and dance-ability.
His band has played for 1,100 dancers at the Hollywood Palladium, at Merv Griffin's Coconut Club, at the Avalon Casino Ballroom on Catalina Island, and at swing events in Boston and Washington, DC. With four recorded CDs, the band is in demand for private and corporate events, and its resumé includes Emmy Award balls, America's Cup Ball, and parties for most of the major Hollywood studios.
This concert will mark the first time Peplowski and the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra have appeared together. True to jazz concert style, the program will be announced from the stage. At 3:00 p.m. before the concert, Peplowski will present "Clarinet with Swing!" at the Children's Summer Festival Workshop at the First Congregational Church, 2 W. Olive Street in Redlands. The workshop is free and open to children from five through twelve years.
This concert, sponsored by Empire Marine Boat Sales and Service,
will begin 8:15 p.m., preceded at 7:20 p.m. by the Community Sing led by Curtiss Allen, Sr. Intermission ushers will be members of Trinity Episcopal Church, and the speaker will be Sheila Cannon of Coldwell-Banker Realty in Redlands.
Continuing the tradition begun in 1924, this and all concerts are
free of charge, and a free-will offering will be collected at intermission. For more information about this concert, call the Redlands Bowl office at 909/793-7316 or visit the web site at www.redlandsbowl.org. Redlands Bowl is located between Grant and Eureka Streets in Redlands, off of Brookside Avenue.