On January 19, The Jazz Professors performed with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra for a tribute to Stan Getz at the Plaza ‘LIVE’ Orlando, including the rarely performed album Focus. The performance included original music and classics recorded and performed by Stan Getz.
In December, Jeff Rupert, Director of Jazz Studies at UCF and a member of The Jazz Professors, performed as a guest soloist at the Midwest Clinic alongside famous trumpeter Michael Philip Mossman. They appeared with the West Orange High School jazz band under the direction of Ken Boyd, a UCF jazz alumnus.
Last year, Rupert was honored with UCF’s top academic award, the Pegasus Professor Award. Rupert’s numerous recordings as a featured soloist include appearances with Diane Schuur, Mel Torme, Benny Carter’s Grammy winning recording, Harlem Renaissance, Sam Rivers, Maynard Ferguson, and his own quartet recordings.
The Jazz Professors have topped the JazzWeek charts with albums in 2012 and 2013.