Nate Beversluis, conductor
featuring Jeff Rupert & The Jazz Professors
DaVonda Simmons, vocals
with the strings of the Philharmonic

Jeff Rupert & the Jazz Professors lead the orchestra and guest vocalist DaVonda Simmons in a program of music that made Stan Getz a jazz improvisation icon, including tunes like "Round Midnight," "I'm Late, I'm Late," "Tenderly" and "Desafinado."

A Note from Jeff Rupert

Fellow musicians nicknamed Stan Getz “the Sound.” This program includes new works, as well as classics from Getz’s career, which spanned the swing era, modern jazz, third stream music, and of course the Bossa Nova craze. Three movements from Focus, Stan’s collaboration with Eddie Sauter and one of his favorite albums, are part of the program.

In the midst of the turbulent sixties, the Bossa Nova movement swept in from Brazil. Loosely translated, Bossa Nova means New Flair, or New Beat. The Bossa Nova gained popularity in the U.S. with the Charlie Byrd/Stan Getz recording Jazz Samba, and Getz/Gilberto with Joao and Astrud Gilberto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. These albums made Stan Getz a household name, and continue to be best sellers in jazz today. Tenor saxophonist John Coltrane said, “We all wish we could sound like Stan Getz.”

While tonight’s concert reflects on his lyrical acumen, beautiful tone and swinging nature, it is impossible to recreate those classic recordings, or Getz’s solos. We strive to stand on the shoulders of greatness, and hope to convey the impressionistic and introspective side of jazz. To quote Getz, “No matter how complicated the music is, it’s ultimately just about playing a beautiful melody,” and therein lies our course for this concert.

Enjoy!

Meet the Band

Multi-instrumentalist, composer/arranger and producer Richard Drexler, an Illinois native, has been based in Florida since 1985 and is now on the road frequently with the Jeff Berlin Trio. A couple of long house pianist stints kept him busy for nine years in the Tampa Bay area, where he performed with many visiting artists. More recently he has done some touring with the Jeff Berlin Trio and with the Woody Herman Orchestra and trombonist John Allred, among others. He has been working as bassist in the Kenny Drew Jr. trio and regularly appearing as a bassist or pianist/vocalist in the jazz clubs of central Florida. Singers he has accompanied include Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Frankie Laine, Bob Dorough, Mose Allison, Roseanna Vitro, Vic Damone, Al Jarreau, Connie Francis, Dena DeRose and Karrin Allyson.

He has been active in the studios, appearing on dozens of CDs ranging from salsa to avant-garde to country and western to the thrash metal group Saigon Kick. He has assisted guitarist/composer/producer Richie Zellon on much of the Songosaurus label catalog, devoted to jazz fused with South American rhythms. On these projects he has recorded with Bob Mintzer, Paquito dRivera, Jerry Bergonzi, Gato Barbieri, Claudio Roditi, Alex Acuna and others.

Richard produced his first album of originals, Flaming Spirit in 1978 with Dave Liebman, Tom Harrell, Steve laSpina and Clay Hulet. The list of noted jazz musicians Richard has gigged with runs in the hundreds. His playing has had very favorable reviews in magazines such as Jazz Times, Down Beat, Jazz Improv and Jazziz, and in dozens of online publications.

A major direction in his music has been combining classical music with jazz and Latin forms, as in his Songosaurus CD Senor Juan Brahms and arrangements of works by Mahler, Chopin and other composers.

"I have heard the future of Jazz, and it is Richard Drexler", Eric Addeo, Joel Chriss and Company, Jazz Times Magazine, 2004

MARTY MORELL (drums, percussion, vibes, piano, producer) was a member of the Bill Evans Trio for seven years–longer than any other drummer. A highly inventive player, capable of both great subtlety and fiery dynamics, Morell attended the Manhattan School of Music and studied mallets with Morris Goldberg, and tympani with Saul Goodman at the Julliard School of Music. Prior to joining Bill Evans, Morell worked and/or recorded with the Al Cohn-Zoot Sims Quintet, Henry "Red" Allen , Gary McFarland, Steve Kuhn and Gabor Szabo.

He recorded prolifically and toured the world with pianist Bill Evans and bassist Eddie Gomez from late 1968 through 1974. After leaving the trio, Marty settled in Toronto, Canada where he became a highly sought after studio drummer and percussionist. He fronted his own bands as a drummer and also worked as a vibist and pianist with his Latin band. Morell has played on numerous jingles, films, and has worked and recorded with many jazz artists such as Don Sebesky, Stan Getz, Kenny Wheeler, Claus Ogerman, Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass, Gabor Szabo, and many others (see discography) He did many drum clinics and percussion seminars across Canada and was the head of the Percussion Department at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario for two semesters from 1986-1987.

Considered a highly versatile musician, Morell also performed with the Toronto Symphony, Canadian Opera Company, the Hamilton Philharmonic and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and from 1989-97 he was the percussionist with the Phantom of the Opera orchestra in Toronto. In 1998, he moved back to his hometown, NYC, to play the Tony award-winning musical Ragtime. After a two-year run on Broadway, he toured nationally with the show. Following that, he did the revival of Kiss Me Kate (Tony award for Best Musical Revival 2001) and Suessical: the Musical starring Cathy Rigby. Marty Morell currently resides in Florida and is very active in the jazz community.

BOBBY KOELBLE is a graduate of Berklee College of Music with a degree in performance. He has been an adjunct professor of jazz guitar at Rollins College since 1998, taught at Seminole Community College from 2003 to 2005, and joined the UCF faculty in 2007. Aside from a busy schedule with his original projects and freelance/studio work, he is also an instructor and consultant at TalkingTabs, an Orlando-based company which produces guitar instruction for the blind and learning disabled. He has performed with several world-class musicians including Sam Rivers, Danny Gottlieb and Chris Potter.

Jazz pianist, composer, arranger, writer and educator, PER DANIELSSON is a native of Stockholm, Sweden. After formal piano studies in Sweden, which included lessons with Robert Malmberg and world-renowned jazz pianist Bengt Hallberg, his love of jazz brought him across the ocean to attend the internationally acclaimed North Texas State University. An active performing career followed, appearing often as a guest artist, soloist, clinician, and sideman. After fifteen years as a professional musician, Per received his BM from Rollins College and completed his Master's degree in jazz studies at The University of South Florida. While there he studied composition and arranging with one of the finest jazz writer/arrangers of today, Chuck Owen.

It was Per's close friendship with legendary educator Rich Matteson led him down the path of jazz education. As an educator, Per has shared his musical experience and expertise with students in schools and universities all around the United States, Europe and Australia. Per is especially honored to be a jazz clinician for the Rich Matteson Foundation. In 2005 Per and guitarist Corey Christiansen performed a clinic/concert tour of Australia, sponsored by Mel Bay Publications and Allan's music store chain, to promote the Mel Bay's Essential Jazz Lines Series.

Throughout the years, his career has included performances with many leading jazz artists and entertainers such as Louis Bellson, Clark Terry, Eric Alexander, Bill Pierce, Bobby Shew, Maureen McGovern to mention a few. As the pianist for Chuck Owen's innovative big band, The Jazz Surge, Per has recently performed and/or recorded with Slide Hampton, Gerald Wilson, Neena Freelon, Gordon Goodwin, Karrin Allyson, Bob Brookmeyer, Ingrid Jensen, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker and Danny Gottlieb. He has also performed with Swedish jazz legends Arne Domnerus and Jan Allan.

Per currently resides in Orlando Florida where he has been teaching a variety of subjects at the University of South Florida and Rollins College. These courses have included Applied piano lessons, Jazz Keyboard Skills for non piano majors, History of Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Jazz Arranging. He has also been instrumental in promoting and arranging jazz concerts for both faculty and students.

Per has recently accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Jazz Piano at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. He will be working closely with acclaimed saxophonist and educator, Professor Jeff Rupert at one of the fastest growing universities in the United States. His current projects include trio and quartet recordings with jazz great Danny Gottlieb. He can also be heard on the new SeaBreeze release "Here We Are" The Jazz Surge, and the newly released "Dear Old Stockholm", recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, with saxophonist Jack Wilkins, featuring revered Swedish trumpeter Jan Allen. Per also shares his knowledge in current publications by Mel Bay including Essential Jazz Lines in the style of Bill Evans, Essential Jazz Lines in the style of Miles Davis, First Lesson Piano, You can Teach Yourself Jazz Chords, Real Book DVD, Children's Piano Method Level One and others. Per is a long time member of the International association of Jazz Educators and is currently the treasurer for the Florida chapter of IAJE.

Saxophonist JEFF RUPERT is Pegasus Professor and Director of Jazz Studies UCF, and the founder of Flying Horse Records. Personal recording credits include dates with Diane Schuur, Mel Torme, Benny Carter’s Grammy winning Harlem Renaissance, Sam Rivers, Maynard Ferguson, Kevin Mahogany, Ernestine Anderson, plus four quartet recordings, all charting on Jazz Week. Performance venues include the Blue Note, Birdland, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Tokyo Forum. Rupert’s latest recording as a leader, Do That Again! charted for twenty weeks and peaked at #6 on JAZZWEEK.

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This performance is part of a subscription package.
Did you know that subscribers can save up to 50%?