Jazz Notes: 6.25.25

’25 is Nearly Half Over! Time to Assess Our Progress! 

In a few days, June will be over and, with the coming of July, it is time to assess how we are doing thus far in ’25. The “we” is jazz fans. The “doing” is the world of jazz. Though I am biased, but, from our point of view, the first half of ’25 was a winner. 

From all accounts, jazz events are doing well. There is certainly a lot of new music being produced and our artists and musicians are as busy as ever. Certainly, the travails that plague all live entertainment, rising costs and travel issues, are present, but we seem to be getting along just fine.

At Signature Cruise Experiences, our events earlier this year were wonderful and we are preparing the final the programming for Journey of Jazz ’25, rounding out the manifests and schedules for our ’26 programs, while assembling lineups and determining itineraries and lineups for our ’27 programs. 

From late February through July 4th, we are busy, but it is very manageable. From there through the Winter Sailing Season (ending in February ’26), it gets a bit harried, which is one of the reasons we take the week of July 4th off as a holiday. The team is told to go have some fun, but be more than ready to come back and do great things for our guests.

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In This Edition of Jazz Notes

In this edition of Jazz Notes, our jazz consultant, Lee Mergner will be sharing insights on Christian McBride‘s impressive work as the host for two national jazz radio shows. He also writes about our very special opportunity to enjoy both Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera on The Jazz Cruise ’26.

Michael Lazaroff will bring you up to date with the latest news with our ’26 Cruises and will profile a few of the “hidden gems” in the David Foster: The Hitman Cruise lineup.

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Signature Cruise Experiences’ July 4th Holiday – While We Are Away Protocol

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Christian McBride’s World at Sea
Christian McBride: Cruise Host AND Radio Host

When he started the show, he said “I’m not only excited about being able to expose different aspects of my personality, but also exposing different facets of the diverse guests who will appear on the show. Imagine hearing Chick Corea talk about football and to hear Angélique Kidjo imitating a New York cab driver. I mean, the show is special – if I do say so myself.”

In 2011, Mack Avenue released an album of 13 performances from the show including duets with Kidjo, Corea, Sting and Dee Dee Bridgewater.  Christian also presents the guests with a trivia pop quiz about sports, movies, comedy or other topics. Occasionally, he’ll give guests his version of a Blindfold Test, playing a track and asking the subject to identify the artist. Guests of The Jazz Cruise have been fortunate enough to watch many tapings of shows with everyone from John Clayton to Houston Person and can attest to the show’s lively and fun format.

But The Lowdown is not the only national jazz radio show that Christian is involved with. He’s also the host of the weekly NPR show Jazz Night in America, produced since 2014 by WBGO. Each episode of Jazz Night in America looks at a specific artist, scene, event or trend with a combination of documentary style interviews, footage and live performances. As the host, Christian acts as the narrator of these hour-long stories about the jazz community. Airing on more than 100 public radio stations nationwide, it’s more than a radio show, because many episodes feature video content which can be viewed online. This multi-platform format is something that NPR has had great success with its Tiny Desk Concert series.

Like his mentor, the late Dr. Billy Taylor, Christian has used broadcast media platforms to promote jazz artists, projects and organizations to a wider audience. Guests on McBride’s World at Sea will witness his unique gifts as an interviewer, honed through years of experience talking with his fellow artists for the radio.

– Lee Mergner

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The Jazz Cruise ’26
When Does 1 + 1 = 3?
When Paquito and Chucho Each Bring Their Own Bands & Perform Together

Paquito will present music from his upcoming release, La Fleur de Cayenne, highlighting his work with the Madrid-New York Connection Band, an ensemble of Cuban expatriates and a Colombian vibraphonist, who live in Madrid, Spain. The project began in the late 1990s. Paquito was enjoying a quiet evening at his New Jersey home when a car pulled up nearby. A handful of young musicians called out to him, explaining that they were Cuban musicians living in Spain who wanted to see where Paquito lived. That was how Paquito met Pepe Rivero, a pianist and composer originally from Manzanillo, thus beginning a long and fruitful musical relationship. Rivero introduced Paquito to other Cubans living in Spain, including drummer Georvis Pico, percussionist Yuvisney Aguilar, and bassist Reinier “El Negrón” Elizarde. While in Spain, Paquito would regularly reunite with his fellow Cuban musicians, along with the Colombian vibraphonist Sebastián Laverde. The Jazz Cruise audience will get a rare opportunity to hear the results of this unique collaboration.

During the cruise, Paquito’s longtime friend and colleague Chucho, who received the prestigious NEA Jazz Master award in April, will lead his acclaimed Royal Quartet, featuring three generations of top Cuban jazz musicians: Horacio “El Negro” Hernández (drums), José A. Gola (bass) and Roberto Jr. Vizcaíno (percussion). The group’s emphasis on percussion reflects the musical DNA from his homeland. “Every party in Cuba ends with the conga,” Chucho says. “Once the congas ignite, we all dance together.”

Chucho’s Royal Quartet recently released Cuba & Beyond, which pays homage to a few of his influences like Chick Corea (on “Armando’s Rhumba”) and Mozart (on “Mozart a la Cubana”), while remaining true to his unique blend of jazz and Afro-Cuban music. As the son of the legendary pianist Bebo Valdés, Chucho is in fact descended from Cuban music royalty, yet as our guests can readily attest, he, like Paquito, is both generous and humble with his fans and fellow musicians. We’re looking forward to hearing Chucho’s Royal Quartet during The Jazz Cruise ’26.

– Lee Mergner 

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David Foster: The Hitman Cruise
Behind the Stars…Lots of Talent

Totally understandable. Yet, when guests are pressed as to why they are excited about a particular program, most often the names you hear in response are those with less exposure for this particular cruise. 

It would be overkill to call them “hidden gems” of course, as they are often superstars in the genre. Perhaps, the best way to describe this phenomenon is that most Signature Cruise Experiences’ programs are an “embarrassment of riches” and it takes a minute to sort them all out.

In the case of David Foster’s cruise, there is David and Katharine, Babyface and, of course, Michael McDonald. If they were the only performers on the cruise, that would be more than enough to fill the bill. But the balance of the lineup is more than stellar.

We have shared our adoration for Take 6 many times. They are amazing. If you were on the last Botti at Sea sailing, you heard Peter Cincotti tear it up. The JR Robinson Band of JR Robinson, Myles Jasnowski and Mitch Towne combine legendary musicians at the top of their game. Nathan East is a monster.

Though I have not heard her perform live, the word on Pia Toscana is that she will be a huge hit on the cruise, as will Daniel Emmet and Frederic Yonnet.

Point made? One of the features of a cruise that sets this experience apart from any land based event is that the ship is more than a vessel for travel. It is a crucible in which very talented people are placed together for several days at a time. What emerges is a rich experience that includes the talents of superstars, stars and supporting performers.

As the old song said, “you can’t have one without the other.”

Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences

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Signature Cruise Experiences’ Programs