UCF, Ocoee High among performers at Winter Jazz Night Concert

A great night of jazz music is planned for Saturday, Feb. 3, when HapCo hosts its 2018 Winter Jazz Night Concert. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at Ocoee High School, 1925 Ocoee Crown Point Parkway.

The Ocoee High Jazz Band, directed by Bernie Hendricks, will open the concert. Headliners are The Jazz Professors and The Flying Horse Big Band, both from the University of Central Florida.

Advanced tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Group discounts also are available.

The Jazz Professors will lead a free jazz clinic during the day for middle- and high-school students, who will learn technique, form and performance from jazz professionals. The band is composed of Jeff Rupert, Per Danielsson, Richard Drexler, Bobby Koelble and Marty Morell, who are on faculty in UCF’s Jazz Studies Department.

Other clinicians are Danny Jordan, Scott Devlin, Mark Belfast, Derek Harris and Andrew Kennedy.

“This clinic connects students with local professional musicians and university professors,” Hendricks said. “We emphasize educational resources available to them through music programs as well as provide guidance for ways to pursue a professional musical career.”

“At all of our clinics throughout the year, I am always impressed by how much these kids really want to learn and become better musicians,” Joseph P. McMullen, HapCo chairman, said. “They feel great when someone shows they care. HapCo prides itself on giving students the best experience and access to the best in the industry.”

Students and school bands can register for the clinic by contacting HapCo at (800) 409-6133 or [email protected]. Space is limited. Concert tickets are available on Facebook or at hapcopromo.org.

The other headliner, The Flying Horse Big Band is one of the premiere performing ensembles of the UCF Music Department. The Flying Horse Big 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.

It has appeared at the Montreux, Switzerland, and the North Sea jazz festivals, as well as at numerous festival and concerts. The group has had four recordings on the national jazz charts.

HapCo Music Foundation’s programs give disadvantaged young people in Central Florida direct access to the arts, offering educational opportunities and exposure to top programs and talent.