Jeff Rupert, director of the Jazz Studies program at 麻豆原创, believes it is critical for students to be working side-by-side with active professional musicians.

鈥淲e are bringing in guest artists who have a strong presence in the professional world, so our students can communicate and interact with them,鈥� said Rupert. 鈥淭his 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.鈥�

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 麻豆原创鈥檚 students.

鈥淐huck 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,鈥� Rupert said. 鈥淥ther jazz programs have several hundred students. We have forty. This is a big deal.鈥�

Alex Lewis, a trumpet player in his senior year, was conversely enthralled with Redd. 鈥淗is 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.鈥�

Lewis has been a member of the Flying Horse Big Band since his first semester at 麻豆原创, in the fall of 2012. The Big Band is the premier student jazz ensemble on campus and students audition for a seat every semester. 鈥淭his band has been the defining point of my university career. It is the highest thing I could have hoped for.鈥�

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.

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 麻豆原创 campus. Tickets for 鈥淗arry Allen plays Harry Allen with the Flying Horse Big Band鈥� cost $10 and can be purchased in advance.

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.

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.

鈥淲e are playing music that [Allen] wrote, specifically for this concert,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese guys have a lot of experience and insight. They鈥檝e experienced what we are trying to do. Most of the time, people in jazz are wanting to give back. It鈥檚 a social art; they want to be mentors to a younger generation.鈥�

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 麻豆原创 Rehearsal Hall at 8 p.m. Oct. 20 and 27, and Nov. 10, 17 and 24.

In addition, two of the university鈥檚 jazz ensembles, the Jazz Professors and The Flying Horse Big Band, are producing albums for 麻豆原创鈥檚 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鈥檚 charts this summer and the Big Band鈥檚 recent release,听鈥淚nto the Mystic鈥� was listed as 鈥淐hartbound鈥� by JazzWeek this July.

Performances at a glance:

Flying Horse Big Band Concert

Sunday, October 11, 2015; 1:00 pm

The 麻豆原创 Flying Horse Big Band will perform at the band shell in Central Park, Winter Park, as part of the Winter Park Art Festival.

颁辞蝉迟:听Free and open to the public

Location: Central Park, Winter Park Band Shell

407-823-1500

听

Harry Allen Plays Harry Allen, with 麻豆原创鈥檚 Flying Horse Big Band

Flying Horse Big Band

Special Guest Harry Allen, tenor saxophone

Friday, October 16, 2015; 8:00 pm

颁辞蝉迟:听$10, $5 non-麻豆原创 students, free with 麻豆原创 ID
Location:听麻豆原创 Communications Bldg., Auditorium (101)

4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816

407-823-1500

Jazz Chamber Group Concert Series: Concert I

Tuesday, October 20, 2015; 8:00 pm

Featuring performances by 麻豆原创 Student Jazz Combos

Cost: Free and open to the public

Location: 麻豆原创 Rehearsal Hall, Auditorium (116)

4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816

407-823-1500

Jazz Chamber Group Concert Series: Concert II

Tuesday, October 27, 2015; 8:00 pm

Featuring performances by 麻豆原创 Student Jazz Combos.

Cost: Free and open to the public

Location: 麻豆原创 Rehearsal Hall, Auditorium (116)

4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816

407-823-1500

Jazz Ensemble II Concert

Tuesday, November 10, 2015; 8:00 pm

The 麻豆原创 Jazz Ensemble II presents a concert under the direction of Michael Wilkinson.

Cost: Free and open to the public

Location:听麻豆原创 Rehearsal Hall, Auditorium (116)

4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816

407-823-1500

Jazz Chamber Groups Concert Series: Concert III

Tuesday, November 17, 2015; 8:00 pm

Featuring performances by 麻豆原创 student Jazz Combos.

Cost: Free and open to the public

Location:听麻豆原创 Rehearsal Hall, Auditorium (116)

4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816

407-823-1500

Jazz Chamber Groups Concert Series: Concert IV

Tuesday, November 24, 2015; 8:00 pm

Featuring performances by 麻豆原创 student Jazz Combos.

Cost: Free and open to the public

Location:听麻豆原创 Rehearsal Hall, Auditorium (116)

4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816

407-823-1500

Flying Horse Big Band Concert

Friday, December 4, 2015; 8:00 pm

颁辞蝉迟:听$10, $5 non-麻豆原创 students, free with 麻豆原创 ID
Location:听麻豆原创 Communications Bldg., Auditorium (101)

4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816

407-823-1500

听

The Jazz Professors’ new album, Do That Again,听has climbed to No. 13 on the JazzWeek album chart in its third week of release. Meanwhile, The Blues is Alright, a CD of performances by 麻豆原创 students, is keeping famous company among the “Most Added” albums.

Do That Again is the second album from The Jazz Professors, a group of six 麻豆原创 faculty members who are also seasoned performers. Having recorded and toured with a veritable 鈥渨ho鈥檚 who鈥� of the jazz realm, The Jazz Professors include director and saxophonist Jeff Rupert and Marty Morell, a former member of the Bill Evans Trio.

麻豆原创’s student ensemble players are rubbing shoulders with the likes of Kevin Eubanks, the Wayne Shorter Quartet, and Grace Kelly on JazzWeek’s “Most Added” chart. The Blues is Alright, by the 麻豆原创 Jazz Ensemble I and Jazz Workshop, features three original songs as well as new and classic arrangements of several jazz standards.

Do That Again and The Blues is Alright are published by 麻豆原创 Music鈥檚 label, Flying Horse Records. Both records are available for purchase. Digital downloads are available from most major online music retailers.

JazzWeek is the definitive Jazz and Smooth Jazz national radio airplay chart鈥攁 weekly report of the top 50 jazz and smooth jazz recordings played on radio stations across the United States and Canada. Radio reporters and industry subscribers receive the weekly Jazz Fax or Smooth Fax with the current chart each Friday.

The Jazz Professors: Live at the 麻豆原创-Orlando Jazz Festival features director of Jazz Studies Jeff Rupert, Per Danielsson, Marty Morrell, Richard Drexler, and Bobby Koelble.

Having performed, recorded and toured with a veritable 鈥渨ho鈥檚 who鈥� of the jazz realm, these musicians contradict Mencken鈥檚 adage: 鈥淭hose who can鈥揹o. Those who can鈥檛鈥搕each.鈥� The performance was recorded live at the 3rd-Annual 麻豆原创-Orlando Jazz Festival on March 20, 2010, featuring a guest appearance from preeminent saxophonist Grant Stewart.

is the definitive Jazz and Smooth Jazz national radio airplay chart鈥攁 weekly report of the top 50 Jazz and Smooth Jazz recordings played on radio stations across the United States and Canada. Radio reporters and industry subscribers receive the weekly Jazz Fax or Smooth Fax with the current chart each Friday.

The Jazz Professors is the second release from 麻豆原创 Music’s new label Flying Horse Records. Flying Horse Records’ previous release Jazz Town peaked at No. 43 on the chart. Find out more about The Jazz Professors CD at the Flying Horse Records website.

On April 13, 2010, the 麻豆原创 Jazz Ensemble, comprised of freshmen, sophomores, and a few juniors in the emerging Jazz Studies program, recorded seven pieces with director Jeff Rupert.

The resulting collaboration, includes not only classics but also new works such as 鈥淏ad Moon鈥� and the title track written specifically for the 麻豆原创 Jazz Ensemble.

Jazz singer Vance Villastrigo joins the band on the jazz standard, 鈥淭he Eternal Triangle鈥�, arranged by Cliff Pecota and on the soul classic, 鈥淢e and Mrs. Jones鈥�, arranged specifically for this collaboration.

Repertory works include the Fletcher Henderson arrangement of 鈥淏ugle Call Rag鈥�, featuring several student soloists along with Allan Vach茅 on clarinet, whose contribution is exciting and flawless.

Thomas Potter (麻豆原创 voice faculty) joins the 麻豆原创 band and Villastrigo for a remake of the James Brown classic, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a Man鈥檚 World鈥�, inspired by the James Brown/Luciano Pavarotti collaboration. 鈥淟ush Life鈥� and 鈥淪pring Can Really Hang you Up the Most鈥� are live performances by the 麻豆原创 Jazz Professors at the internationally-acclaimed 麻豆原创 Orlando Jazz Festival.

Jazz Town was professionally recorded, mixed and mastered in Orlando at Starke Lake Studios by Kendall S. Thomsen. The album is distributed by 麻豆原创 Music’s new label . Packaging design and marketing materials were produced by 麻豆原创 Senior Art Specialist Matthew Dunn.

Thomas Potter is an associate professor in the

Jeff M Rupert is a professor in the Department of Music, and the program director of the Department of Music Jazz