Justin Dudley

Flying Horse Big Band: Florida Rays

by Jack Bowers
January 28, 2021

On its seventh recording, Florida Rays, the University of Central Florida's always dependable Flying Horse Big Band abandons its usual modus operandi—straight-from-the-hip contemporary jazz--to survey music associated with R&B legend (and Florida native) Ray Charles. As Charles, an accomplished musician, was best known as a vocalist, one might anticipate (correctly) that a handful of Charles' progeny would be stopping by to unmask their vocal talents. There are four singers in all: Rob Paparozzi, Vance Villastrigo, DaVonda Simmons and, last but ...