Jazz Notes: 7.22.26

There is Only One Poll That Matters
(And You Conduct it Every Day) 

Reader’s polls in jazz have been around for decades. One of the most famous jazz poll was in Playboy magazine. For many of us, that was our first “exposure” to jazz. At least that was our defense when caught with the magazine. Since then, reader’s polls have been conducted by magazines, record labels and other media outlets. Everyone loves reading polls. While browsing the internet, you can find a poll or a “list” of just about anything.

Most polls are the living, breathing example of the concept of GIGO. GIGO is “garbage in, garbage out.” A poll is only as worthwhile as the sample section polled. Most jazz polls lately skew to the newest and most edgy forms of music. Why? Because proponents of that music are the folks who complete the polls. Creating a true sample section requires significant research, well-crafted questions and a disciplined reach. When the sole reason for a poll is to tease and titillate, that level of diligence is rarely undertaken.

Then there is the “stuff the ballot box” element. Agents, managers, and sometimes the artist themselves campaign to have their name “circled” by the public. With the likely participation level being minimal, a few hundred “favorite son” votes can sway the day. We will leave it up to you to judge the various polls when they appear. You can judge them in the light of your own experience or compare the results to generally accepted views of the various musicians.

When you are finished, it is likely that the poll would not have swayed you very much. There may be a new name or two that you will investigate, but you will rely going forward on the only poll that matters…what you like and do not like. Sounds simple? It is. Just follow your instincts and be honest about your tastes.  

Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences

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Critical Mess: Who Do You Love?

I was looking forward to receiving the latest copy of DownBeat magazine because I knew it had the annual Critics Poll, which their editor Frank Alkyer says always makes it their most popular issue of the year. There’s irony there, because the results of the Critics Poll reflect anything but popularity, as I discovered upon receiving the issue this past week. I was expecting to find so many of our artists populating the poll. However, in category after category, the winner as well as the 20-30 runner-ups were invariably critics’ darlings who rarely tour and sell albums in the high triple figures. This is an age-old tale, as jazz critics lean (and lean hard) into the avant garde and left-of-center artists and music.

This is not to say that the artists who perform on SCE programs lack critical acclaim. It just seems like their commercial and popular success is held against them in the court of jazz criticism, which is often ruled by older white men with questionable grooming and hygiene. The situation reminds me of that Yogi Berra quote: “That restaurant is too popular…no one goes there anymore.”  

Three of our artists did win categories. Kurt Elling and Cécile McLorin Salvant both won for Male and Female Vocalist of the Year, which makes sense because there are so few avant garde singers and those two are about as creative (and successful) as you can get. And Anat Cohen won as the Clarinetist of the Year, because she’s Anat who is likewise both adventurous and accessible. I’d list the great artists who didn’t even make the list of runner-ups, but in a poll in which Wynton Marsalis finished 8th and Randy Brecker 15th in the trumpet category, you can just imagine all the amazing players who didn’t make the critical cut.

So we decided to create our own jazz poll and have our guests vote for their favorite artists under the same ballot system. One catch. The artists on the ballot have all performed on our programs. This is not as limiting as it might first seem, because the roster of SCE artists is just plain remarkable and that’s not including the legendary artists who have passed, like Al Jarreau, Joe Sample, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Shirley Horn, David Sanborn, George Duke and so many more.

Click below to view the ballot. Please vote and let us know who you think deserves acclaim or even “wider recognition,” to use DownBeat’s term for emerging artists. To sweeten the pot, we’ll be giving a $200 onboard credit to one lucky entrant chosen at random.

A few ground rules. Vote for one artist per category or write in your own choice. Submit your ballot before August 7, 2026, and enter your email address at the end to be eligible to win a $200 onboard credit.

Note that there were a few categories from DownBeat’s poll that we didn’t include just because there weren’t that many SCE artists eligible, specifically in the violinist, flute, soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone and vibes categories. We’ll just go ahead and award Regina Carter, Steve Wilson, Gary Smulyan and Warren Wolf first place in those relatively uncontested categories. Like a judge running unopposed in your local election.

We look forward to getting your vote in this unique “election.”  

– Lee Mergner

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Last Chance to Sail With Us in ’26

Only two Signature Cruise Experiences’ sailings remain in ’26. One (The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3) is fully reserved and the other (Botti at Sea III) is nearly so. Take advantage of favorable Cruise Prices on the remaining Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Staterooms, plus, as a courtesy to our guests, you may elect our Sail Now, Pay Later program. Not too late to see Chris Botti and his Band, Josh Groban, Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs, Melody Gardot and many others. First class excursion in San Francisco curated by us.

Like we said, this is the last chance to sail with us in ’26.

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Signature Cruise Experiences Upcoming Programs

SCE Sailings in ’27

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SCE Sailings in ’27

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