Last Friday night, Cècile McLorin Salvant was on the same Los Angeles to St. Louis flight with me and my wife. That we were departing Los Angeles at the same time was not surprising as both of us were coming from our Journey of Jazz ’25 cruise. That we were both going to St. Louis is the headline here. I live there. She was heading there for an important show the next night.
Back in the day, there were numerous flights from Los Angeles to St. Louis as St. Louis was a key TWA and then American Airline hub. Those days are gone and you can either fly between those cities on a Barbie Jet with American or with Southwest Airlines. Both Cècile and us were on the American Airlines flight that was scheduled to arrive in St. Louis after 11 PM but pulled up to the jetway just before midnight. The issue was being delayed in Los Angeles as we waited for the plane to arrive from wherever else it had been.
At the LA gate, Cècile was sitting by herself, very unassuming, very quiet and seemingly quite content to be knitting. No, that wasn’t a typo. One of the greatest female voices in the world was knitting something red and delicate. Trying not to intrude upon her much deserved down time, I merely mentioned that she had been amazing on the cruise and that her duet with Gregory Porter was among the most memorable moments in the 25-year history of our cruises. I asked her if she needed something to drink or eat. She politely declined.
The scene reminded me of the first time I met her. She was at the Monterey Jazz Festival as a relatively new performer and I was there promoting our jazz cruises, imagine that! I saw her walking towards one of the food outlets. She was on the hunt for a hot dog. For those who know me, I have never met a hot dog I did not like. This particular food truck was famous for its bratwurst. Large, spicy sausage, grilled onions and spicy mustard on a toasted hoagie bun. They did not offer relish, but I was willing to overlook that faux pas.
In the heat of the hot dog moment, I almost lost my story. I made sure that I was in line immediately ahead of Cècile. I introduced myself. Told her that I was a huge fan and asked her how she liked her bratwurst dressed. Then, when I reached the golden moment of ordering, I ordered my dog and repeated her requested treat as part of my order. I would say that I bought Cecile dinner, but that would be an embellishment of epic proportions.
Upon arriving in St. Louis, I made sure she had a ride to her hotel and I thanked her again for her participation in the cruise. On that subject, when she and Sullivan Fortner perform as a duet, it is magic. I have been told that not every topflight piano player can accompany a vocalist. Sullivan is more than a topflight piano player. He is atop the piano food chain. His shows are filled to the brim with fans…as well as fellow piano players.
As I think about Cècile’s talents, I cannot help but fast forward to the upcoming sailing of Christian McBride’s World at Sea. We have had some amazing lineups of vocalists over the years, but the lineup of female singers for that cruise is unsurpassed. One cruise that features Cècile McLorin Salvant, Ledisi, Samara Joy, Angèlique Kidjo and Melissa Walker! “Epic” is the only way to describe this voyage.
They will be performing in various configurations, sharing the bandstand with Christian’s collection of amazing ensembles. Listening to Cècile on Journey of Jazz ’25 and then sharing a few moments with her on the way home focused my desire for more jazz vocals. In just 115 days, she will return to our cruises along with one of the most talented men in jazz, Christian McBride, his hand picked ensembles of top musicians and the most talented group of female vocalists ever assembled for a cruise.
Bring it on.
By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti at Sea, Christian McBride’s World at Sea, Journey of Jazz, David Foster: The Hitman Cruise and Top Shelf Country Cruise. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at michael@scecruises.com.
IN MEMORIAM:
Bill Grubbe
In the 25 year history of Signature Cruise Experiences, we have had the pleasure of meeting thousands of guests. Quite frankly, that is the best part of producing the cruises. Over 20,000 guests have sailed with us 4 or more times, so we have the opportunity to “know” many of them on a personal level.
Some, usually those with long tenure, even become friends. Bill and Kathy Grubbe sit atop that list. I cannot remember many sailings without them and they were always among the first to sign up for our land events. The highway between Columbus, Ohio and St. Louis was our lifeline. Besides being great fans of jazz and the cruises, the Grubbes made sure that our office never ran out of cookies. Their “care packages” were devoured in minutes.
On the ship, I could rely upon Bill and Kathy for candid responses, crafted opinions and constant smiles. I can see them now, sitting at the Sunset Bar enjoying their afternoon “pick me up.” Pretty sure that their favorite libation was a martini.
Bill passed on September 16, 2025. He had been ill and the last time we saw him, you could see how hard he was fighting. Kathy reached out and shared her desire to “keep on cruising” as that was Bill’s wish. His obituary sums up his love of music quite succinctly.
“(Bill) found joy on jazz cruises, where music, travel and friendships blended into some of his happiest memories.”
If you ever wonder why we try so hard to make the cruises great for our guests, this note shows why. Music makes us happy. Music makes us share. Music creates bonds and relationships that last forever. The cruises provide a crucible for these emotions to come together in the most beautiful way.
If the cruises made Bill happy, we are pleased. I assure you that knowing him and watching him and Kathy over the years has made our team very happy and very proud.
– Michael Lazaroff
SFJAZZ Concert Season + At Home Access
Our friends at SFJAZZ, who hosted two concerts with us during Journey of Jazz, have recently kicked off their ’25/’26 concert season. Coming up next month are concerts by Kurt Elling, Ledisi, Branford Marsalis and many others.
For those residing outside the Bay Area, SFJAZZ At Home features weekly livestreams and an expansive on-demand selection of live archival performances captured at the SFJAZZ Center. Ron Carter‘s Foursight Quartet concert will be added to the on-demand library on September 26! You can also watch Marcus Miller, Samara Joy, the SFJAZZ Collective, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lakecia Benjamin, John Scofield Trio, Ravi Coltrane, Chucho Valdés & Irakere 50, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and many more. World-class performances from the stages at SFJAZZ are available wherever and whenever you want them.
Vinyl Edition of BOOP! The Musical
BOOP! The Musical may be closed on Broadway, but the original cast recording is continuing to stream well on all DSP’s and the cast album is now out on vinyl. Since the cast album was released to all streaming services on June 6, the soundtrack has been one of the most successful Broadway recording launches of the year. The vinyl release is a special edition double LP that includes a red disk to pay respect to Betty herself and an all-new cast cover. BOOP! The Musical Original Broadway Cast Recording is produced by the show’s composer David Foster.
“I’ve worked on so many albums over the years but none more personally satisfying than this BOOP! album for so many reasons,” said David. “To have something ‘marinate’ over so many years was a completely new experience for me. I think that’s why crossing the finish line felt so different than any other project. Major shoutout to our lyricist Susan Birkenhead for her stellar and uncompromising lyrics. The musicians were world class, and the cast worked so hard to get to the perfection that I always try for a one-in-a-million experience.”
Veronica Swift with Texins Jazz Band / Bank of America Theatre
The Texins Jazz Band has a 39-year history of producing concerts featuring great guest artists. The band is bringing back a guest they introduced to the DFW area in 2018 – vocal sensation Veronica Swift – on Sunday, November 2. Veronica stormed onto the jazz scene with a musical maturity well beyond her years. She’s been compared to everyone from Anita O’Day to Ella Fitzgerald, but she has already established her own voice. Veronica was runner up in the 2015 Thelonious Monk vocal competition. Four years later, Mack Avenue Records released her acclaimed album Confessions when she was only 25 years old.
Veronica’s latest album Veronica Swift, her third for Mack Avenue Records, is a masterful story. On her previous albums, Confessions (2019) and This Bitter Earth (2021), she ascended to the upper echelon of early 21st century jazz singers because of her virtuosic brilliance, interpretive ingenuity, bracing songwriting and keen arrangements. While Swift’s first two albums solidified her position in modern jazz, Veronica Swift shows that she’s more than a jazz singer, exploring French and Italian opera, European classical music, bossa nova, blues, industrial rock, funk and vaudeville.
Acclaimed Jazz Artist Brian Culbertson Announces
New Tour & New Album Day Trip
Renowned jazz artist Brian Culbertson is set to release his highly anticipated new album, Day Trip, on September 26th. The project showcases Culbertson’s genre-bending artistry and features an all-star lineup of collaborators, blending contemporary jazz, funk, fusion and deeply soulful grooves into a vibrant musical journey. In support of the release, Culbertson will be heading out on the “Day Trip Tour,” with the first leg kicking off October 17th making stops in 27 major cities across the country. The tour promises a high-energy, captivating live experience led by Culbertson with a 10-piece band.
“With Day Trip, I wanted to go back to how the records that shaped me were made – no computer sequencing, no shortcuts – just real instruments and live takes in the studio,” said Culbertson. “I brought in some of the best musicians in the world to make this album different from anything I had ever done before. Compositionally and sonically this album is a total adventure, which is how I came up with the title, Day Trip.”
The album’s lead single, “On The Road,” featuring Sheila E. and Marcus Miller, is already in the Top 20, offering fans a taste of the energy and innovation that defines the new record, available for pre-order, includes 11 dynamic tracks featuring a powerhouse roster of special guests: Branford Marsalis, Randy Brecker, Eric Marienthal, Isaiah Sharkey, Kirk Whalum and Mike Stern. Longtime collaborators and top-tier musicians including Nicholas Cole (who co-wrote 9 of the songs with Brian), Nathan East, Lil’ John Roberts, Lenny Castro, Paul Jackson, Jr., Ray Parker, Jr., Michael Stever and Michael “Patches” Stewart also contribute to the album.
Signature Cruise Experiences Program Update
’26 CRUISES
- David Foster: The Hitman Cruise (on sale)
- Sailing Dates: 1.15.26 – 1.20.26
- Remaining Inventory: Veranda/Ocean View/Inside Staterooms
- Cruises Prices: For Best Cruise Prices, call office or email us at BestPrices@scecruises.com
- Christian McBride’s World at Sea (on sale)
- Sailing Dates: 1.20.26 – 1.27.26
- Remaining Inventory: Concierge/Veranda/Ocean View/Inside Staterooms
- Cruises Prices: For Best Cruise Prices, call office or email us at BestPrices@scecruises.com
- The Jazz Cruise ’26 (on sale)
- Sailing Dates: 1.27.26 – 2.3.26
- 90%+ Reserved
- Remaining Inventory: Concierge/veranda/Ocean View/Inside Staterooms
- Cruise Prices: As shown on website
- The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 (waitlist only)
- Sailing Dates: 2.3.26 – 2.10.26
- 100% Reserved
- Remaining Inventory: Waitlist Only (All Categories)
- Cruise Prices: Not applicable
- The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.2 (waitlist only)
- Sailing Dates: 2.10.26 – 2.17.26
- 100% Reserved
- Remaining Inventory: Waitlist Only (All Categories)
- Cruise Prices: Not applicable
- Top Shelf Country Cruise (on sale)
- Sailing Dates: 2.27.26 – 3.6.26
- 75% Reserved
- Remaining Inventory: Concierge/Veranda/Ocean View Staterooms
- Cruise Prices: As shown on website
- The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 (on sale)
- Sailing Dates: 9.11.26 – 9.18.26
- 85% Reserved
- Remaining Inventory: Concierge/Veranda/Ocean View Staterooms
- Cruise Prices: As shown on website
- Botti at Sea III (’26) (on sale)
- Sailing Dates: 9.18.26 – 9.25.26
- 50% Reserved
- Remaining Inventory: Concierge/Veranda/Ocean View Staterooms
- Cruise Prices: As shown on website
’26 CRUISES
- New Cruise TBA
- Sailing Dates: 1.12.27 – 1.17.27
- Announcement: 11.4.25
- The Jazz Cruise ‘27
- Sailing Dates: 1.17.27 – 1.24.27
- Announcement: 11.13.25
- Journey of Jazz ‘27 (on sale)
- Sailing Dates: 1.24.27 – 1.31.27
- Guests on Journey of Jazz ’25: Now through 11.26.25: Past Guests may Rebook Stateroom from Journey of Jazz ‘25
- Guests Not on Journey of Jazz ’25:
- Starting on 9.30.25: New Guests may complete a Pre-Sail Reservation
- Starting on 12.15.25: Guests with Pre-Sail Reservations may start to select Staterooms
- Open Booking Starts: 12.30.25
- Cruise Prices: As shown on website
- The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.1 (on sale)
- Sailing Dates: 1.31.27 – 2.7.27
- Guests on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1: Now through 11.26.25: Past Guests may Rebook Stateroom from Journey of Jazz ‘25
- Guests Not on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1:
- NOW: New Guests may complete a Pre-Sail Reservation
- Starting on 12.4.25: Guests with Pre-Sail Reservations may start to select Staterooms
- Open Booking Starts: 12.29.25
- Cruise Prices: As shown on website
- The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.2 (on sale)
- Sailing Dates: 2.7.27 – 2.14.27
- Guests on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.2: Now through 11.26.25: Past Guests may Rebook Stateroom from Journey of Jazz ‘25
- Guests Not on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.2:
- NOW: New Guests may complete a Pre-Sail Reservation
- Starting on 12.4.25: Guests with Pre-Sail Reservations may start to select Staterooms
- Open Booking Starts: 12.29.25
- Cruise Prices: As shown on website
- Top Shelf Country Cruise ’27
- 4.9.27 – 4.16.27
- Announcement: TBD
- Botti at Sea IV (’27)
- 10.6.27 – 10.13.27
- Announcement: TBD
- The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3
- 10.13.27 – 10.20.27
- Announcement: TBD