Jazz Notes: 12.10.25

Still Looking for a Perfect Holiday Gift?

I cannot take credit for the list below. A great friend of mine, who is not a jazz fan — at least not like you guys are — turned me on to the New York Times list of the Top 25 Best Jazz Albums of 2025.
 
Not knowing what the metric is for making this list, but admiring the gumption to do so, I was mostly impressed by the number of “winners” who have sailed on one or more of our programs. When I relate a “best” list to our cruises, I am never sure if I am applauding our good taste in hiring these musicians or the list creators’ good taste in liking the musicians that have sailed with us.
 
After pondering that conundrum for a while, I realize that it does not matter…not even a little bit. I can hear my father from up above telling me to stop analyzing and just enjoy the great music. He blamed my analytic nature for cutting my drum career short. That, and total lack of talent.

Back to the list, Signature Cruise Experiences’ alums fared very well:

• Marcus Gilmore – Journey to the New
• Billy Hart – Just
• Joe Farnsworth – The Big Room
• Sullivan Fortner – Southern Nights
• Larry Grenadier – First Meeting
• Charles Lloyd – Figure in Blue
• Ledisi – For Dinah
• Ambrose Akinmusire – Strange Heavens
• Cècile McLorin Salvant – Oh Snap
• Brad Mehldau – Ride into the Sun

It was particularly nice to see drummers leading three of the winners. The modern drummer is more than the heart of the rhythm section.
 
Any of these recordings would make a spectacular holiday gift. Not that I am trying to leave hints for my loved ones.
 
The holiday season is upon us…

Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences

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A Preview of Christian McBride’s World at Sea

On the first day, our cruise director Mario Vines, with an assist from DJ Rio, hosts the Sail Away Party on the pool deck as we say goodbye to Ft. Lauderdale. The pool deck is also the site each day of Morning Stretch and Morning Fitness sessions hosted by Dominique, our fitness guru on board, as well as a Walk For the Cure event. 

Our LEARN sessions, featuring conversations with our various performers, are hosted by both Mark Ruffin, from the “Real Jazz” channel on SiriusXM, and Christian, who will be taping episodes of his show “The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian” to air later on SiriusXM. Among his subjects will be Alonzo Bodden and George Wallace, Warren Wolf, Ledisi, Carl Allen, Benny Green and others.

I’ll be presenting three Jazz on Film sessions in which we show archival film or TV footage about a legendary artist and then discuss the subject with one of our performers. I’ll be showing film and video clips of Al Jarreau (with Josè James), Grover Washington, Jr. (with Gerald Veasley) and Milt Jackson (with Warren Wolf).

There will be several Listening Parties, during which artists like José James, Sullivan Fortner, Ben Williams and Dan Wilson play tracks from one of their recent recordings and take you behind the scenes of their creative process. In addition, pianist Peter Martin, drummer Carl Allen, saxophonist Eric Marienthal and trumpeter Frank Greene will present Master Classes to share insight into their respective instruments.

And, for the night owls, Mario hosts both Mario’s Dancing & Cocktails and Rendezvous @ Nite featuring music, dancing and drinking. 

Speaking of drinking, our artists host various events throughout the sailing, including Bourbon Tasting, Food & Wine Pairing, Galley to Kitchen Tour, Mixology 101, Macallan Tasting and Martini Master Class. For those who appreciate a good smoke with their drinks, a few of our artists host Cigars Under the Stars get-togethers at the Sunset Bar on the 10th deck. For the old school gamers, we have sessions of Bingo and Bid Whist & Dominoes.

A new feature is our Celebrity Basketball Challenge, which allows everyone onboard to join in the fitness fun. You may even see a few performers shootin’ hoops!

If you wonder how a cruise ship works, Alonzo hosts an Inside Access Tour of the ship. For those sailing solo, we even have a Singles & Solos hang so you can meet and make some new friends.

Every night that we sail has a different theme, including:

• White Night
• We Are One – All Colors, All Night
• On the Town (Formal Night)
• Ladies Day & Night
• Jersey Night
• Thank You Night

By the way, “Jersey Night” refers to sports, not the state, unless you want to wear a New Jersey Devils shirt.

Don’t forget our ports – Cozumel and Grand Cayman – where you can explore on your own or join a special excursion. You can sign into your Celebrity Pre-Cruise Planner to explore your excursion options.

In short, we have a lot planned for you and we look forward to seeing you aboard the ship. 

Lee Mergner
Jazz Consultant
Signature Cruise Experiences

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JR Robinson: The King of the Groove

A favorite of producers like Quincy Jones and, of course, David Foster, JR played on massive hits: Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You,” Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love,”  Eric Clapton’s “Change the World,” the Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited” and “We Are the World,” just to name a handful.

Not surprisingly, he’s also performed and recorded with numerous contemporary jazz greats, including Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, George Duke and George Benson and collaborated with keyboardists Jeff Lorber and David Benoit.That affinity for jazz started early in his life.

Born in Creston, Iowa, JR started playing piano was he was five, though he found the lessons tiresome. When he was eight, he started on the drums, inspired by the music his mother played for him. “When I was a little kid, my mom used to sit me down and tell me what the word ‘swing’ meant, because she was a kind of a frustrated drummer,” he said. “I was, like, ‘Swing! That’s a little cool word!’ And I associated swing with big bands, because she played me all these big bands’ records – Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa and the like – from the ’50s.”

Naturally, growing up in the ‘60s, JR got caught up in the emerging rock sound. “I put my first band together at age 10 and I knew I was going to be a professional drummer,” he explained. “We played surf tunes and early Beatles tunes, as the British invasion hadn’t hit yet. Then we started experimenting, so I changed it to Cream with Ginger Baker and then Hendrix showed up and we started doing all that stuff. And from there it was wide open.”

He also played in school bands and marching bands, as well as excelled in sports. When it came to college, he went to Berklee, where he studied with noted drum teacher Alan Dawson and where he found himself surrounded by other like-minded drummers including Steve Smith, Vinnie Colaiuta and Kenwood Dennard. Like many Berklee graduates, he headed to NYC, where he ended up getting asked to go on the road with the R&B band Rufus (which would launch the career of Chaka Khan). In short time, he ended up in LA being called for sessions produced by Quincy Jones and others.  

The rest is history, or his story, which is pretty great. Last year, JR released his memoir, aptly titled King of the Groove, which chronicles his journey from a small town in Iowa to the biggest stages in popular music. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of his career is its musical diversity. From Michael Jackson to Barbra Streisand. From Madonna to Toby Keith. He calls himself “a chameleon kind of drummer.” If all those recordings and tours weren’t enough, he’s also done dozens of television and film scores.

In short, you have heard JR, whether you know it or not. He’s worked with David Foster both in the studio and on the road and, during the Hitman Cruise, JR will play with David as well as in a trio with keyboardist Mitch Towne and guitarist/singer Myles Jasnowski. During his long and very prolific career, JR has performed on more than 50 GRAMMY®-winning recordings, so the Hitman title could just as well apply to him. As another noted drummer, Jeff “The Hammer” Hamilton, likes to say, “you can’t have a good band without a good drummer.”

Lee Mergner
Jazz Consultant
Signature Cruise Experiences

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Jazz Cruises Conversation Podcast
A Talk with the Brubeck Brothers

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Signature Cruise Experiences Programs