I was able to enjoy several shows during Jazz Appreciation Month. All were good, but, on one night, I was treated to one of those jazz experiences that not only exceeded your expectations, but will be part of your musical memory for a long time. The venue was Jazz St. Louis, the most prominent jazz venue in my hometown. The event was part of my subscription which provides a jazz show every other week from September to May. Our seats (a four top table) are for the first show on Friday nights, the same seats we have had for two decades.
I do not and cannot attend every show. I miss a bunch in January and February as we are “at sea” enjoying our own jazz shows. And when I am in town, quite frankly, not every show appeals to me. If the performer is one of our musicians on the ships, I am there early to say hello and to take in the show.
The atmosphere is friendly and familiar. Most of the people around our table have had their seats for years. There are some casual attendees, but, for the most part, this is a jazz setting, filled with jazz fans watching great jazz musicians.
I know I introduced Gene Dobbs Bradford to you recently as being the newest member of the Signature Cruise Experiences’ team. Gene oversaw Jazz St. Louis for more than 20 years before taking a festival job in Savannah. Now back in St. Louis, we were very fortunate to be able to add him to our team. Gene and his wife joined us this night for the show.
Time to get back to the special musical event. My tickets for that night said “Chucho Valdés.” I had no idea if this were to be a group, a trio or some other configuration. To riff the Jerry Maguire line, they had me at “Chucho.”
Even though the show started at 7:30 PM, Paula and I arrive early enough to order dinner. That is our common plan, not because we like the food, but because we want to avoid the traffic generated around the venue. Three of the most prominent performance venues in St. Louis are located next to Jazz St. Louis. From 7 PM on, the narrow city streets become combat zones for cars trying to navigate the other cars, pedestrians and the other city type vendors.
Arriving at 6:30 PM, we walked in and went straight to our table. C4 is the designation for our seats, a location that I have scoped out and secured from the start. My rationale for where we sit will be shared later. As we sat down, we saw that the bandstand included a Steinway piano and two microphones. Nothing else. Clearly Chucho was performing solo.
That recognition brought a huge smile to my face. We were about to hear 75+ minutes of some of the finest piano music in the world today and, perhaps, ever. No accompaniment. No horns or drums interfering with the magical sounds of a Chucho Valdés tune.
Back to the raison d’etre for the location of our seats. Almost always, the piano at Jazz St. Louis is set up stage right, near the front, with the keys facing the audience. From our seats you can see every key being struck, every time the player crosses hands, plays with only one hand and more. It is a level of inside the music that cannot be duplicated from other seat locations.
That night, Chucho was mesmerizing. He did not speak or announce any tune. He had a play list and, in between selections, he smiled, accepted the thunderous applause with a slight head gesture and moved on to the next tune. The tunes covered the gamut of jazz tunes with a smattering of American Songbook and some original compositions.
Whether he was at his bebop best with “A Night in Tunisia” or being the balladeer with “My Funny Valentine,” his touch was supple, his sound filled the room and the presentations were clean, crisp and strong. He was magnificent.
Once he completed the list, he quietly stood up and thanked the crowd for coming to see him and told us how much he enjoyed performing that night. Total word count from Chucho was fewer than 40.
I have been to shows where the performer said very little during the performance. Most of the time I found that to be annoying or just weird. Chucho did not talk at all during his show, and I found it to be lovely, endearing and the stuff that dreams are made of. I consider that evening to be one of the most memorable music experiences of my life and my personal highlight of Jazz Appreciation Month.
Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences
September ’26 –
Signature Cruise Experiences’ Month to Remember
I can remember every minute of Journey of Jazz ’25, our first West Coast cruise in more than 10 years. Vancouver. Victoria. San Francisco. Los Angeles. Napa. Sonoma. Top restaurants in the City by the Bay. Live Music at SFJAZZ. Napa Valley Wine Train. Whale Watching. Alcatraz. All that plus nearly 200 hours of music on the ship!
I do not recall having more fun and being more active in all the years I have been sailing (26+)! In September, I will be back in the great Northwest for, not one, but two sailings. I have decided to sign up for the land excursions that I missed the first time. Whale watching in Victoria for sure, but, when we are in San Francisco, it will be difficult to pass up our two shows at SFJAZZ.
The first sailing is The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 (9.11.26 – 9.18.26) and the SFJAZZ show for that cruise features Brian Simpson and Grace Kelly. That will be fun and exciting. The second sailing is Chris Botti at Sea III (’26) (9.18.26 – 9.25.26). We are very proud to be able to produce the Branford Marsalis Quartet at SFJAZZ on that cruise.
These shows are produced just for our cruise guests. Tickets are available now. There will be a few seats available to past cruise guests who are not sailing on either The Smooth Jazz Cruise or Chris Botti at Sea III.
Stay tuned for information about upcoming Livestream presentations about both The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 and Chris Botti at Sea III.
Donald Harrison – Master Saxophonist and Big Chief
The last time Donald Harrison Jr. sailed on one of our jazz cruises was years ago when The Jazz Cruise stopped for two days in New Orleans, his hometown. He was performing with the Cookers, an all-star ensemble of jazz veterans led by David Weiss. I remember walking off the ship with him and asking him what he was planning to do. He said that he was going to have dinner with the family, but most of his time would be spent sewing and gluing. Because, in addition to being an accomplished saxophonist and bandleader, Donald is the Big Chief of the Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group, a Mardi Gras Indian tribe. He inherited that prestigious position from his father, Donald Harrison Sr. That means Donald needs to create a colorful new costume each year in time for Mardi Gras Day in March.
For those not familiar with the tradition of the Mardi Gras Indians, it was said to have originated as early as the 18th century when African-Americans were only allowed to congregate with music and dance in Congo Square. In addition, runaway slaves found shelter with and support from native Americans, whose masking traditions blended with African culture to produce the unique practice of forming costumed and masked tribes each with its own identity. The tradition of Mardi Gras Indians evolved to the present day in New Orleans, where there are dozens of tribes (ranging in size from a half dozen to a few dozen members) who march in full regalia on Mardi Gras Day and St. Joseph’s Day, as well as at events like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
For Donald, that tradition is part and parcel of his identity as a jazz musician. “I have a lot of respect for the guys who consider themselves to be Mardi Gras Indians, but I moved into describing what I do culturally in New Orleans to be Afro-New Orleans music from traveling all over the world,” Donald explained to Offbeat Magazine writer Geraldine Wyckoff. “Going to places like Cuba and Brazil, they always put Afro in front of things that are from their country but are a derivative of African culture. For instance, Eddie Palmieri always says Afro-Caribbean when describing his music.”
Most people outside the New Orleans community know Donald less for his role as a Big Chief than for his long career as an alto saxophonist, who first played with Roy Haynes and Jack McDuff before joining Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, alongside his fellow Crescent City native Terence Blanchard. In the ‘80s, the two left Blakey’s group to co-lead a band that released seven albums as part of the same Young Lions movement that included Wynton and Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr.
In 1990, Donald recorded the first of his nearly 20 albums as a leader. He also has recorded and toured with the Cookers, a group featuring jazz legends from the ‘60s and ‘70s (Eddie Henderson, George Cables, Cecil McBee and Billy Hart) alongside Harrison and Weiss. In 2022 Donald was named a NEA Jazz Master in honor of his dedication to preserving the music and culture of New Orleans.
We’re very fortunate to present Donald in a special concert for guests of Journey of Jazz on Wednesday, January 27 at the New Orleans Jazz & Blues Market. We don’t know if he will have his costume finished in time for that performance, but we do know he will be playing music that reflects the unique blend of jazz and music styles of his native Crescent City.
Lee Mergner
Jazz Consultant
Upcoming Livestreams
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise Encore Livestream
5.14.26 / 4PM ET
Join us for the David Foster: The Hitman Cruise Livestream to meet the lineup, including exciting new additions, learn about the ports, get the details about events performances and learn why one sailing is never enough!
Signature Cruise Experiences Upcoming Cruises
SCE Sailings in ’27
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3
9.11.26 – 9.18.26
34th Sailing of “The Greatest Party at Sea”
Known as “The Greatest Party at Sea,” The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3, which departs from Vancouver on 9.11.26 and sails to Victoria, BC and San Francisco, before terminating in Los Angeles on 9.18.26 is fully reserved. If you wish to try to join the cruise, go to the website and JOIN WAITLIST for any stateroom category you wish. All cancellations for this cruise will be filled from the waitlist.
Botti at Sea III (’26)
9.18.26 – 9.25.26
The West Coast Edition – The Perfect Music Experience
When The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 docks in Los Angeles, we will turn around and head back to Vancouver (via San Francisco and Victoria BC) under the guidance of superstar Chris Botti. Chris Botti at Sea III will be the perfect combination of a topflight music cruise and exciting excursions.
Joining Chris on the cruise are several icons of the world of music: Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs, Melody Gardot, Peabo Bryson, Regina Belle and many others. When in San Francisco, guests may take winery tours in Napa and Sonoma, spend the day on the Napa Valley Wine Train, sample the finest cuisine in San Francisco and much more.
Another menu of excursions awaits guests when the cruise docks in Victoria, BC. Trust us, this is the perfect music experience!
SCE Sailings in ’27
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’27
1.12.27 – 1.17.27
Stay Tuned for the Lineup and Detail
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’26 (Foster ’26) was a runaway hit program. From the first note to the last song, the brilliance of David Foster was evident in every show and event.
The lineup for David Foster: The Hitman Cruise Encore Sailing ’27 includes Michael McDonald, Dianne Reeves, Leslie Odom Jr., Katharine McPhee, Erich Bergen and more.
This cruise is now in Open Booking, where anyone may reserve any available stateroom.
The Jazz Cruise ’27
1.17.27 – 1.24.27
Still the Greatest Jazz Festival at Sea
The Jazz Cruise is the first program that Signature Cruise Experiences ever produced. Since its first sailing in 2001, The Jazz Cruise has been the world leader in presenting “straight ahead” jazz at sea.
The Jazz Cruise has reached “fully reserved” every year it has sailed and The Jazz Cruise ’27 is on its way to reaching that goal again. Open Booking began on February 24, 2026 and the cruise is nearly 80% reserved.
Journey of Jazz ’27
1.24.27 – 1.31.27
Now in Open Booking
Journey of Jazz ’27 will be an amazing cruise program featuring hosts Marcus Miller and Gregory Porter, a full lineup of great musicians and vocalists, a special two days in New Orleans which features Wynton Marsalis and a group of his hand-picked musicians.
In its second season Journey of Jazz proudly combines the very best music with opportunities to live the jazz life and learn more about the history of jazz. As an example, Journey of Jazz ’27 will present Ledisi as a main show performer on the ship. In keeping with the theme of the cruise, Ledisi will perform her universally beloved Tribute to Dinah (Washington) program.
Journey of Jazz ’27 is in Open Booking.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise
’27.1 (1.31.27 – 2.7.27)
’27.2 (2.7.27 – 2.14.27)
The Greatest Party at Sea presents its customary back to back weeklong programs in the Caribbean. Tampa is the port of embarkation and disembarkation for the first time and both sailings will call on Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Grand Cayman.
The star studded lineup is led by hosts Marcus Miller and Boney James and features Brian Culbertson, Jonathan Butler, Candy Dulfer, Kirk Whalum, Peter White and more.
Both sailings are in “Open Booking” and both are nearly 95% reserved at this time.
Botti at Sea IV (’27)
10.6.27 – 10.13.27
Chris Botti Takes His Cruise from Boston to Quebec
A Canadian itinerary in the Fall is one of the most popular cruise itineraries in the industry. Fall colors, beautiful scenery, hands on adventures in famous ports-of-call. If nothing else was taking place on the ship, a cruise with these features would be in high demand. So, when Chris Botti decided to take his amazing cruise program from Boston to Quebec City, with a full complement of the entertainers and performers that you have grown to love and expect, not only was he gilding the lily, but he was creating one of the top music cruise experiences ever offered.
Stay tuned for more programming and reservation procedure details. As is always the case on a Signature Cruise Experiences program, guests on Botti at Sea III (’26) (’26 Guests) will be able to rebook their current staterooms and those who are not ’26 Guests will be eligible to submit a Pre-Sail Reservation which will establish their stateroom selection priority after the ’26 Guests complete their rebooking procedure.
Look for most of this to happen around 8.15.26!
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.3
10.13.27 – 10.20.27
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.3 program will be an exciting combination of our customary great music, Fall colors and other special events.
This cruise is currently in Open Booking, where anyone may reserve any available stateroom.