The Grammy process is in the early stages for the awards to be presented in 2016, and music-industry leaders are now voting on the names that made it to a short ballot to determine which musicians will become official nominees.

Making the short ballot were:

Into the Mystic was released this past summer, and Rupert describes it as a jazz big band album that includes new innovative and repertory works. Songs on the album are classics by Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, James Brown, Van Morrison, Crosby Stills, Nash & Young, and others.

En Plein Air presents songs inspired by the art of Claude Monet. The Jazz Professors are made up of Rupert on tenor saxophone, Per Danielsson on piano, Richard Drexler on bass, Bobby Koelble on guitar, Michael Wilkinson on trombone, and Marty Morell on drums. A special guest on the album is Mike Mossman.

Both The Flying Horse Big Band and The Jazz Professors record on 麻豆原创鈥檚 Flying Horse Records.

Moore said Greensleeves was released in August and has been getting radio play in New York and Los Angeles. He said the arrangement of the traditional English song has a variety of influences, with predominantly an African and Afro/Cuban-inspired treatment.聽

The official Grammy nominations are expected by early January.

The festival鈥檚 opening-night concert at the Nicholson School of Communication Auditorium will be highlighted by Russell, who has performed and recorded with David Bowie, Paul Simon, Steely Dan and other stars. Individually, Russell has recorded five CDs and won a Grammy in 2012 for her appearance as a featured artist on the soundtrack for the HBO series 鈥淏oardwalk Empire.鈥�

The vocalist was born into a musical family. Her father was Louis Armstrong鈥檚 longtime musical director, and her mother was a bassist/guitarist/vocalist who attended Julliard and performed with several groups. Her next performance after leaving the 麻豆原创 is at Carnegie Hall the following week.

Opening up for Russell will be the 麻豆原创 All Star High School Jazztet. The group will be made up of select high school musicians who compete for the opportunity to perform at the festival. The band will be coached by the 麻豆原创 jazz faculty for two days culminating in the festival performance.

The second night of the 麻豆原创 festival will be kicked off by The Jazz Professors, who will be playing the music of composer Johnny Mandel. In 2010, the Jazz Professors recorded the album Live from the 麻豆原创-Orlando Jazz Festival, which reached the Top 20 on JazzWeek. 聽The band鈥檚 second recording Do That Again rose to No. 6 on the national jazz charts, and was No. 39 in the top 100 jazz albums for 2014.

The band is made up of Jeff Rupert, 麻豆原创鈥檚 director of jazz studies; Richard Drexler,聽 who teaches jazz bass; Per Danielsson, who teaches jazz piano; Michael Wilkinson, jazz trombone faculty member; and Marty Morell, who teaches jazz drum set.

Concluding the festival will be The David Hazeltine Trio, with Hazeltine on piano, David Wong on bass, and Jason Tiemann on drums.

Hazeltine, who made his professional debut at age 13, has performed with Charles McPherson, Ed Thigpen, Eddie Harris, Chet Baker and others. Currently he is on the faculty at State University of New York at Purchase.

Both Russell and Hazeltine have been featured on musician Marian McPartland鈥檚 NPR radio program.

鈥淲e strive to bring artists of the highest caliber to the 麻豆原创 campus, ones that are rarely, if, ever performing in the region,鈥� Rupert said. 鈥淎rtists and collaborations of this nature are unique and profound, and we are gratified to present Catherine Russell and David Hazeltine 鈥� who both swing with authority 鈥� to Orlando.鈥�

The 麻豆原创-Orlando Jazz Festival begins both nights at 8 p.m. Tickets each night are $20 or free for students with a current ID.

For more information and tickets, go to http://ucforlandojazzfestival.ucf.edu/.

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.