Our Take: The Eyes Have It!

In the last few days, I have had cataract surgery and light-adjustable lenses inserted. What sounded like a major hassle has been, thus far, pretty easy. My exercise and time outside have been severely limited and will continue to be for a bit, but there is no pain and I have been able to work.

Perhaps the most obvious annoyance has been the need to wear a series of totally ridiculous looking glasses. My wife says I look like one of the Minions. Not only was the comment funny, but it was spot on.

I consider the ability to see things clearly, both physically and metaphorically, to be of the utmost importance. Mistaking items or events due to poor vision is unfortunate and dangerous. To view the world as a blur would be difficult to embrace, particularly when knowing how you once were able to see.

The ability to see things clearly beyond one’s vision is a gift. Though there is an eyesight element involved, the real work is done in the mind. Long ago, a professor of mine said “get on top of the world, ignore flyspecks and try to see what is really going on.” The advice was in the context of tax law, but its application has a wide reach.

Let’s apply this approach to our favorite music genre. From a bird’s eye view, ignoring minor stuff, what is happening in the world of jazz?

This will not be one of those “Is Jazz Dying?” articles. Largely, because jazz continues to be a very healthy genre. The number of new, young jazz musicians continues to grow. As we scout for talent, we are constantly presented with young lions and lionesses. Many are tutored by the stars of today. Jazz is a shining example of “pay it forward.” Veteran performers seem to be dedicated to the preservation of the music through the music and performances of young musicians.

If there is a concern lurking, it would be the financial underpinnings of jazz. For all genres, earnings from recordings have been dramatically impacted by new technology. Though some of the advances have made creating the recordings easier and more cost effective, listeners have more low-cost access to the music than ever before.

To make a living as a jazz musician, you must go “on the road,” a task that has its upsides for sure, but it is also tedious, tough and often troublesome. It impacts marriages, parenting and your health. Ever see the food in a Green Room before a gig? I have and I know why our musicians love being on the ship.

Most jazz clubs are small. To make the show work for the owner and for the musician, two shows (or more) in an evening are required to be cobbled together to produce a meaningful financial reward. To be able to hire top talent, clubs rely heavily on sponsors and benefactors who subsidize various shows.

Why am I taking you through this course of Jazz Finance 101? Because I want you to “see clearly” the commitment of the men and women who play jazz for a living. Many have teaching jobs that provide a base of operations and benefits, but reducing the funding for music education can be one of the first ways schools, colleges and universities make their budgets work.

I am not sure how we let this happen, but college football and basketball players are being paid millions of dollars under the NIL program and none of that money goes to the arts. Once they turn pro, the disparity worsens. Was Michael Jordan a bigger deal than Miles Davis? Probably, but when a great basketball player receives millions and a great musician receives significantly less, then the system is out of whack.

Signature Cruise Experiences is researching ways for us and those entities like us to even the scales a bit. One way to fight entities that do not provide proper payment to musicians is to not be one of them. We have been successfully doing that for 26 years.

But we want to do more. We have some ideas now, but we will get back to you when we can clearly see the path we need to take.

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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Special Offer! Act Now!

Botti at Sea III is Your Last Chance to Sail in ’26!

9.18.26 – 9.25.26
Josh Groban – Elvis Costello – Boz Scaggs – Melody Gardot & more
Los Angeles – San Francisco – Victoria – Vancouver

Six of the eight programs Signature Cruise Experiences is producing in ’26 have been completed. Of the two remaining sailings, one, The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3, is fully reserved. The other, Chris Botti at Sea III, is our last sailing in ’26 and has a few remaining staterooms.

Final CloseOut Prices & Sail Now, Pay Later

On a first come, first served basis, you may select one of the remaining Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Staterooms, reserve the stateroom at Final Closeout Cruise Prices, pay a portion of the Cruise now and the rest AFTER the cruise.

Sail Now/Pay Later Program 

Deposit Upon Reservation
25% of Balance Prior to Sailing
Remaining 75% Paid in 3 Equal Installments
(October 28, December 10, January 10 ’27)

With the addition of recently announced Josh Groban, the lineup joining Chris on the cruise is a list of music icons: Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs, Melody Gardot and many others. 

The Chris Botti at Sea cruise has been dubbed the “Perfect Cruise On Sea and On Land” as it not only provides the finest at sea experience, but it offers a variety of amazing excursions created by us just for you.

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 cruise experience!

SPECIAL NOTE: A limited number of Veranda Plus Staterooms, which include a Reserved Seat for the Nightly Main Shows, are still available. The Sail Now/Pay Later option is not available for Veranda Plus Staterooms.

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Helen Sung Big Band’s Oracles

Helen Sung, who performed on The Jazz Cruise earlier this year with Dee Dee and as an All-Star, has just released Oracles, her tenth album as a leader. A regular member of the acclaimed Mingus Big Band for several years, the pianist leads her own big band in a celebration of jazz legends (and mentors) Clark Terry, Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, Wayne Shorter, Barry Harris, Kenny Barron, Herbie Hancock and Sir Roland Hanna.

“Jazz is the most generous of art forms, able to integrate other musical traditions, while still retaining its core identity and values,” Helen explains. “This album expresses my deep gratitude and is a tribute to the masters who made room for me and entrusted me with a tradition they helped build.”

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Hannah Marks’ Feed the Fire

Bassist Hannah Marks also appeared on The Jazz Cruise with Dee Dee and she too has released a new album, her second as a leader. Produced by one of her influential mentors, Jason Moran, Feed the Fire features the bassist with her quartet of Nathan Reising (alto saxophone), Lex Korten (piano) and Steven Crammer (drums). All of the compositions, written by Hannah since she moved to NYC in 2019 (at Moran’s urging), are informed and defined by the energy of the city.

Grooving, odd meters and raucous swing conjure up the hustle, bustle and energy of the streets, while free and ethereal songs reflect the few quiet moments stolen in city parks.

Hannah says that “Feed the Fire is a culmination of many meaningful musical experiences I’ve had over the past decade, and a representation of pushing and dedicating myself as an artist to find new musical colors, shades and directions within this music that I love and revere.”

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Signature Cruise Experiences Upcoming Programs

SCE Sailings in ’26

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