Swings Basie and Ellington

Battle Royale! Swing into the golden age of jazz with the Flying Horse Big Band as they pay tribute to the legendary bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Directed by Saul Dautch ’18, this electrifying evening celebrates the timeless music of the swing era, featuring iconic tunes inspired by Basie, Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and more. Special guest vocalist Carla Cook will join the band for this unforgettable night.

The Flying Horse Big Band is one of the premier performing ensembles of the UCF Music Department. Under the direction of American saxophonist Jeff Rupert, they have appeared at the Montreux, Switzerland, and the North Sea Jazz Festivals, as well as numerous festival and concert appearances domestically. The band has featured Randy Brecker, Bob Berg, Michael Mossman, James Moody, Nick Brignola, Harry Allen, Steve Turre, Rodney Holmes, Terry Gibbs, Marvin Stamm, Mulgrew Miller, John Swana, Kevin Mahogany, Lou Donaldson and Eric Alexander with the band.

The group has eight recordings. In 2011, the Flying Horse Big Band’s debut album Jazz Town climbed to 43 on the JazzWeek chart, and the band has been hitting national jazz charts ever since. Their 2012 release, The Blues is Alright topped out at 35 on JazzWeek’s chart. Subsequent recordings include The Blues is Alright (2012), Into the Mystic (2015), Big Man on Campus (2017), The Bat Swings (2018), Good News (2019), and The Florida Rays (2020). Most recently, in 2023, the band released A Message from the Flying Horse Big Band as a tribute to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Both The Florida Rays and A Message from the Flying Horse Big Band have charted to #1 on national (professional) music charts.

Student tickets: $10 off with code ILOVEUCF2025, valid UCF or student ID required.