Our Take: Miles at 100, Marcus at 23

Sonny Rollins died on Memorial Day. His legendary accomplishments and place in the history of jazz are shared by Lee Mergner in an article below.
 
Normally, we burst directly into June after Memorial Day, but this year we’ve had almost an entire week of May to enjoy before turning the calendar over. The traditional four-day week that follows Memorial Day was not disturbed. That schedule has always caused uncertainty in my mind.
 
Even our office building was confused. Not realizing that Monday was a holiday, the automatic lock system had the building wide open all day, despite there being only very few of us inside. The confusion continued, as almost everything that I did not need that day was available and the few items I would have liked to have had were not.
 
And most of us spent Tuesday thinking it was Monday. 

The saving grace was that SXM’s Real Jazz channel dedicated the entire holiday to Miles Davis in honor of his Centennial Birthday. It was not all Miles, but you could hear him play in just about every configuration known to music. Solo. Trio. Quartet. Big Band. I heard tunes from Miles for the first time. Songs I never knew he recorded. That was fun.

One song caught my attention more than the others, “Star on Cicely,” Miles’ tribute to the most important woman in his life, Cicely Tyson. Their relationship began in the ‘60’s and was famously an up and down affair until 1981 when they married. “Star on Cicely” was recorded in 1982, likely at the height of their relationship.
 
They divorced a few years later, but maintained a relationship for the rest of their lives and beyond. Their resting places are near each other in Woodlawn Cemetery, where so many jazz icons are, including our good friend Ken Peplowski. When I attended the service recently for Ken, I sheepishly asked our guide to direct me to Miles’ resting place. He pointed it out and we could see it from afar.
 
But the song “Star on Cicely” evoked another emotion in me altogether. I have learned since that the band on the song was called Miles’ Comeback Band. It included Mike Stern (guitar), Al Foster (drums), Bill Evans (reeds) and Mino Cinelu (percussion). Miles played trumpet and synthesizer.

No one needed to tell me who played electric bass. That sound could be produced by no one else but Marcus Miller. Confirming my intuition by Google made me smile. That would be the end of the story except it dawned on me that this tune was recorded 44 years ago. Marcus had just turned 23! (Note: Mark your calendar for June 14…an early Happy Birthday for Marcus and June 13, for his, and our, good friend Alonzo Bodden‘s birthday.)
 
I shared this moment with Marcus, and he offered his own memories on the Miles/Cicely relationship.
 
“I was in the band when they reunited in ’81. At that time, Miles’ health was beginning to fail. He was pretty weak moving pretty slowly. It was so beautiful to see the regal/legendary larger-than-life Cicely Tyson (of Roots fame!) lovingly attend to Miles Davis in the role of being a loving/supportive wife. She literally nurtured him back to life. 
 
I left Miles’ band in ’83 to develop my composing/producing skills. When I came back to do “Tutu” in ’85, I walked in the door on our first day working together and couldn’t believe how great Miles looked. He was a totally new, vibrant artist and he looked fantastic. I knew it was all due to Cicely. He was full of energy and humor and ready to dive into the music I had written. I’m not sure we would have had a “Tutu” or an “Amandla” if Cicely had not been there by his side. The world got another 10 years from Miles for sure because of Cicely!”

Marcus has reunited the band, with Russell Gunn assuming the Miles Davis role, and is touring this summer in honor of Miles’ Centennial. I have not seen the show yet, but I hope that “Star on Cicely” is performed. The tune is not your everyday jazz tune. It requires some thought and concentration for sure. I have four plays under my belt and I hear something different and more intense with each playing.
 
Readers of this note know that Marcus resides at the top of the music food chain at Signature Cruise Experiences. His talent, intellect, dedication and respect for music are models for everyone. Never a wasted word. Never a wasted note. When he speaks or plays, pay attention. If not, you will miss something important. There is no trivial when regarding Marcus Miller.
 
Marcus once referred to me as someone who believed in what he was doing and will ardently pursue those beliefs. That meant the world to me, even though the street interpretation of those lovely words would be “he is a stubborn ass and you cannot tell him anything.”
 
Either view is accurate. But, when the time comes to write my epitaph, I would ask that Marcus be consulted before they start inscribing in stone.

By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti 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.

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Our First ’27 Sailing Isn’t For 230 Days!
Do You Want to Wait THAT Long? 

As of today, over 13,000 guests have sailed on a Signature Cruise Experiences program in ’26. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 (9.11.26) is fully reserved upping the guest total to 15,000. The lone remaining sailing in ’26 is Chris Botti at Sea III:

Botti at Sea III (’26)

Los Angeles – San Francisco – Victoria – Vancouver
9.18.26 – 9.25.26

Nearly fully reserved as well, the good news is that staterooms are available in select Stateroom Categories, and the great news is that planning this cruise, with a full schedule of both onboard events and on land excursions, requires us to close the manifest sooner than usual.

What that means to you is that some of the remaining inventories (Veranda/Ocean View/Inside Staterooms) are available at CloseOut Cruise Prices.

So the question becomes…would you rather spend a week this Fall sailing the stunning West Coast with Chris Botti and friends, enjoying performances by Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs, Melody Gardot, Peabo Bryson, Regina Belle and more, exploring Napa and Sonoma wine country, riding the Napa Valley Wine Train, enjoying the cuisine and culture of San Francisco, attending a Branford Marsalis Quartet show at SFJAZZ, whale watching in Victoria and strolling through the Butchart Gardens…or….wait more than 230 days until the first Signature Cruise Experience sailing of ’27 departs in mid-January?

Opportunities like this rarely happen. Our CloseOut Sale is your invitation to join one one of the most unique and intimate music travel experiences anywhere. We would love to welcome you aboard. Reserve your stateroom today before remaining inventory is gone.

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R.I.P. Tenor Titan Sonny Rollins

Earlier this week, on Monday, May 25, Sonny Rollins passed away in his home in Woodstock, NY. The iconic and influential saxophonist was 95 years old and had been suffering from various pulmonary and respiratory ailments. He hadn’t performed or recorded in many years, but was still widely acclaimed as our greatest living jazz musician. Who could argue that point?

We will not provide you with a proper obituary here, given that every major media outlet from The New York Times to NPR has provided in-depth coverage of his life and music. If you had to read just one, I’d recommend the Washington Post obituary by Matt Schudel which is both comprehensive and engaging.

Even better, we recommend without reservation Aidan Levy’s remarkable biography of Sonny, the aptly titled Saxophone Colossus. Indeed, that title would define Sonny going back to his emergence on the jazz scene in the ’50s, when he burst out of the shadow of Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker to spearhead a new modernist form of bebop.

Sonny was in fact a large figure, whose height merely reinforced his powerful sound and presence. During one of his famous hiatuses from public appearances, he retreated to the upper reaches of the Williamsburg Bridge where he not only practiced without bothering his wife or neighbors, but also worked out, doing pull-ups on the bars amidst the guardrails. There is a movement to rename the bridge in Sonny’s name. With his passing, that honor could become a reality.

We were never able to get Sonny to sail with us, either as a performer or even as a guest. He had a standing invitation to join us in the latter role, but eschewed traveling in his later years. Nonetheless, he had an outsized influence on so many of the musicians who have sailed with us over the years, including Melissa Aldana, Tivon Pennicott and Ravi Coltrane, whose father was a close friend and colleague of Sonny’s, though John Coltrane was often misperceived as a rival, thanks to their seminal recording together Tenor Madness. Bringing things full circle, Ravi performed material from that album with Tivon in a tribute to Sonny during Journey of Jazz this past September.

During his long and prolific career, Sonny recorded more than 60 albums as a leader, many of which are considered vital additions to the jazz canon. But it was his electric live performances that made him a singular figure in jazz during the 20th century. His often long solos would quote popular songs, calypsos from his family’s Virgin Islands and even nursery rhymes, all delivered with power and expression unmatched by any saxophonist, or any instrumentalist, for that matter.

“Play every concert as if it is your last time,” Sonny told JazzTimes in 2016. “That’s what I have learned. Do everything as if it is your last time.” Words to live by.

– Lee Mergner

The Sonny Rollins Bridge?

A petition is now circulating to rename the Williamsburg Bridge in Sonny Rollins’ honor, a tribute to the legendary saxophonist who famously spent months practicing alone on the bridge in the early ’60s while living on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Supporters say the bridge symbolizes Rollins’ discipline, resilience, and enduring connection to New York City. If you wish to join the petition, click below.

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Signature Cruise Experiences Congratulates Brian Culbertson

For as long as we can remember, Brian Culbertson has been a major part of the magic of The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Each year, Brian puts together a unique show that includes the very best musicians, high production value and, most of all, HIM! The amazingly talented first-class showman.

That level of creativity, attention to detail and raw talent is evident every year at his Napa Valley Jazz Getaway. The proof is that this is the 13th Annual event and, trust us, success over time is no fluke. It takes talent and work.

Be sure to sign up today for one of the various event options. We cannot think of any better place to be from June 10–13 than in Napa Valley listening to great music, enjoying great wine and hanging with Brian Culbertson and friends. Join a special show on Thursday night with Brian, Marcus Miller and Jonathan Butler.

When purchasing tickets for Thursday and/or Friday Nights, use the Promo Code: SJC27 for a 20% discount.

You do not want to miss these shows!

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Signature Cruise Experiences Upcoming Programs

SCE Sailings in ’26

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