{"id":68528,"date":"2015-10-09T14:44:47","date_gmt":"2015-10-09T18:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528//?p=68528"},"modified":"2025-06-25T12:03:32","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T16:03:32","slug":"jazz-is-alive-and-happening-at-ucf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528//jazz-is-alive-and-happening-at-ucf/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528//","title":{"rendered":"Jazz is Alive and Happening at Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ Jazz program is combining classic repertory and new works in its fall performance schedule, which runs through December./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
Jeff Rupert, director of the Jazz Studies program at Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½, believes it is critical for students to be working side-by-side with active professional musicians./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cWe are bringing in guest artists who have a strong presence in the professional world, so our students can communicate and interact with them,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d said Rupert. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cThis fall we are collaborating on repertory works with in-demand artists Harry Allen and Chuck Redd, and learning and performing new works for jazz groups, like our suite for Miles Davis and James Brown at the Florida Music Educators convention in Tampa this January./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
The fall jazz season kicked off Sept. 24 with a performance and master class by jazz vibraphonist Chuck Redd. Rupert said Redd was impressed with Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u2019s students./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cChuck Redd told me that this has got to be one of the top jazz programs in the country, and certainly the best small jazz program,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d Rupert said. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cOther jazz programs have several hundred students. We have forty. This is a big deal./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
Alex Lewis, a trumpet player in his senior year, was conversely enthralled with Redd. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cHis improvisation is beautiful. It was not only how he was playing, but how he was listening and reacting musically to whatever someone else did. That allowed the music to grow and develop./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
Lewis has been a member of the Flying Horse Big Band since his first semester at Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½, in the fall of 2012. The Big Band is the premier student jazz ensemble on campus and students audition for a seat every semester. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cThis band has been the defining point of my university career. It is the highest thing I could have hoped for./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
The Flying Horse Big Band has a free concert in Winter Park at the Winter Park Autumn Art festival on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
The group will also be performing with tenor saxophonist Harry Allen on Friday, Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. in the Communications Building Auditorium on the Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ campus. Tickets for /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cHarry Allen plays Harry Allen with the Flying Horse Big Band/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d cost $10 and can be purchased in advance./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
Allen has more than 30 recordings to his name and frequently tours the U.S., Europe, and Asia. His many accolades include the New York Nightlife Award for Outstanding Jazz Combo Performance and Gold Disk Awards for three of his CDs. He has performed and recorded with Rosemary Clooney, John Pizzarelli, Tony Bennett, James Taylor and Ray Brown, among many others./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
Ryan Wasner, a junior jazz studies major focusing on jazz guitar, says that performing with guest artists such as Redd and Allen gives the students insight into the world of jazz. This semester, he is particularly excited to be on the stage with Allen./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cWe are playing music that [Allen] wrote, specifically for this concert,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d he said. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cThese guys have a lot of experience and insight. They/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u2019ve experienced what we are trying to do. Most of the time, people in jazz are wanting to give back. It/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u2019s a social art; they want to be mentors to a younger generation./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
The Flying Horse Big Band will give its final performance of the fall semester on Dec. 4 in the Nicholson School of Communication auditorium. In addition to the Flying Horse Big Band performances, jazz enthusiasts can attend free performances by student jazz combos and ensembles in the Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ Rehearsal Hall at 8 p.m. Oct. 20 and 27, and Nov. 10, 17 and 24./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n
In addition, two of the university/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u2019s jazz ensembles, the Jazz Professors and The Flying Horse Big Band, are producing albums for Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u2019s record label, Flying Horse Records. The record label has produced six albums and another is in the works. The most recent release by the Jazz Professors, En Plein Air, reached No. 29 on JazzWeek/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u2019s charts this summer and the Big Band/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u2019s recent release, /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cInto the Mystic/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d was listed as /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201cChartbound/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/u201d by JazzWeek this July./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n Performances at a glance:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n Flying Horse Big Band Concert/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n Sunday, October 11, 2015; 1:00 pm/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n The Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ Flying Horse Big Band will perform at the band shell in Central Park, Winter Park, as part of the Winter Park Art Festival./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n Cost: Free and open to the public/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n Location: Central Park, Winter Park Band Shell/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/68528/n