Swingin’ and Singin’ with the Flying Horse Big Band

Jeff Rupert, director

The Flying Horse Big Band is one of the premiere performing ensembles of the UCF Music Department. 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. In 2005, the Flying Horse Big Band premiered Sam Rivers’ work for double big band, with Rivers’ RIVBEA orchestra. The group has had six recordings  on the national jazz charts.Recordings include Jazz Town, The Blues is Alright, Into the Mystic, Big Man on Campus, The Bat Swings!, and most recently, Florida Rays. The last two albums climbed to #1 on the national (professional) jazz charts.  

Lucy Yeghiazaryan is an American Armenian vocalist who has become a leading voice in American straight-ahead jazz by bringing the real richness of her heritage together with her love for the ultimate American artform. She has shared the stage with Harold Mabern, Houston Person, Grant Stewart, Terell Stafford, Bernadette Peters, Arto Tuncboyaijian and many more. She regularly works with the Emmet Cohen trio and can be found performing in and outside of the United States. Her debut album, Blue Heaven, was released in 2019 on Cellar Live Records and was followed by the album In Her Words on La Reserve Records in 2021 which was sponsored by The Women’s Fund of NYFA. Her third album, Lonely House, was released in late 2022.

Wycliffe A. Gordon is an American jazz trombonist, arranger, composer, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. His performance experience includes work with David Sanborn, Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Natalie Merchant, Rene Marie, Dianne Reeves, Anat Cohen, Ricky Skaggs and more. Gordon has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the 2019 Sonny Award and 2018 “Louie Award” by the Louis Armstrong House Museum. He is a dedicated and inspirational educator, and frequently presents master classes, clinics, workshops, children’s concerts and lectures to students from elementary schools to universities all over the world.

Jeff Rupert has recorded over 100 albums, and has recorded and toured with jazz singers Diane Schuur, Mel Tormé, Kevin Mahogany, Veronica Swift, T-Bone, and Ernestine Anderson. He is a featured soloist on Benny Carter’s Grammy winning Harlem Renaissance. Rupert toured for 15 years with Sam Rivers; 4 albums ensued. From 1997- 2002 he toured and recorded with Maynard Ferguson. Jeff Rupert’s 11 recordings as a leader all charted on Jazz Week. Let’s Sail Away reached #1. Jeff Rupert is Pegasus  Distinguished Professor, Trustee Endowed Chair, and Director of Jazz Studies at UCF, and founder of Flying Horse Records. For twenty seven years Rupert has directed UCF’s Flying Horse Big Band, which has released 6 big band albums. The Bat Swings!, music from the 60’s T.V Show, Batman charted on RMR, JazzWeek, and NACC, and was the #1 album of the week in the U.S. on two of these charts, simultaneously. The band’s latest release Good News! was #1 on the jazz charts this past fall.  Rupert’s most recent solo album The Ripple with tenor saxophonist George Garzone, Marty Morell, Richard Drexler and Jeremy Allen was the #5 album of 2020 on Jazz Week. Jeff Rupert is a YAMAHA performing artist. 

Flying Horse Big Band Roster