Jazz Notes: 4.8.26

The Anatomy of a Cruise Lineup

Ever wonder how a lineup is created for a particular cruise? Lord knows, we wonder how it happens all the time. What could (and perhaps should) be a methodical, calculated process of selecting talent that works for the program and forms an identifiable karma all its own is often a random series of good luck and bad luck with a bit of ingenuity thrown in for good measure.

Take David Foster: The Hitman Cruise Encore ’27. This is a five day program built to reflect the image, music and taste of David Foster, a 16X GRAMMY® winner and one of the most successful and respected music producers, arrangers, musicians and composers now or ever. Having worked with David on Foster ’26, we know that he can fine-tune his concept at any time and the talent that’s ultimately needed may be different from the talent originally signed.

Of course, guests have the right to know who is performing on the cruise. The core lineup must be shared now and sufficient to draw interest, while leaving room for maneuvering as the final program is set in stone.

The first Foster cruise was simply amazing. I cannot recall a larger and more diverse array of talent on any cruise that we have ever presented. Of course, Foster’s application of the artists was brilliant. He was like a great chef taking the ingredients before him and cross-purposing them into something altogether different and wonderful. The components were very good to begin with and David’s deft touch elevated them to be more than the sum of their parts. 

This presents an age-old dilemma. When a cruise is as successful as the first Foster Cruise, there is the tendency to utter those famous words “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Please know that I loathe that phrase and do not adhere to its message at all. Taken literally, the phrase says there is no way to do better, so do not try to do so. 

I prefer to retain some portion of the grand success and then move it forward with new ideas and new horizons. In the case of the Foster lineup for ’27, the grand success being retained is Michael McDonald (pictured). As is true with the cowbell on SNL, you can never get enough Michael McDonald.

For the new, one name was easy, Katharine McPhee. Unable to join us on the first sailing, Katharine becomes a new addition to Foster ’27. The fans are so excited that she will be sailing. Her talents are so diverse that choosing her program will be the most difficult decision she has to make.

In looking for a “new” headliner voice for the cruise, we wanted to move from the Pop and Broadway world and closer to the accessible section of the jazz world. For us, that could only mean Dianne Reeves. As one of only a handful of living female vocalists who have earned the title of NEA Jazz Master, she is better than a legend. She is now.  

Dianne is a favorite of Signature Cruise Experiences and we know her show will be amazing. She will also be participating in one of the surprise events on the cruise.  As the kids say, it will be “epic.”

The final “headliner” took some time and some thought. A show-stealing facet of the first cruise was David’s musical tour of Broadway. We considered many incredible options for our third headliner, and we felt incredibly smart (and fortunate) when we thought of and booked the one and only – Leslie Odom, Jr. His turn as Aaron Burr in Hamilton is one of the legendary roles in Broadway history. We know that he will command the Celebrity Summit stage as well. (Be sure to check out Lee Mergner’s take below.)

Just as the great chefs in the world rely on certain spices or cooking methods, David’s go-to group of vocalists and performers includes Pia Toscano, Sheléa, Daniel Emmett and Erich Bergen (pictured). Each of them contributed mightily to the success of the first cruise. Watch for Erich to host several special shows and events. We only scratched the surface of his talents on the first sailing.

For the most part, the lineup for the Foster cruise is now set, but, trust me, David’s wheels are still in motion. No doubt there will be some additions or modifications before we sail! The creation of a lineup is art, not science, and we have the ultimate artist in charge of this cruise.

(Foster ’26 Guests are currently able to finalize rebooking of their staterooms through April 10, after which Pre-Sail Reservation holders will be eligible to select a stateroom and complete their Reservation. Guests who did not sail on the ’26 sailing may still complete a PRE-SAIL RESERVATION – no deposit or obligation required – through April 10.)

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Leslie Odom, Jr.: A Singer’s Singer

Thanks to his Tony Award-winning role as Aaron Burr in the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr. became an overnight success. Except that all that acclaim came after nearly two decades of scuffling. As reported in a 2016 profile in the New York Times, Odom was actually considering taking a job as a hotel clerk just before getting that big gig with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash show. Such is life in show business.

Make no mistake. Leslie Odom Jr. is a singer. A singer who can dance. A singer who can act. But a singer first and foremost. He was born in Queens, but when he was 7 his family moved to Philadelphia. He went to the local Fame-type school for creative types, the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), the same one that produced Boyz II Men, Christian McBride, Joey DeFrancesco and the Roots. With a keen interest in musical theatre, Odom continued that performing-arts training at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, and managed to score some jobs in the NYC theatre scene, including a stint in the company of Rent when he was only 17.

In 2003, he moved to Los Angeles where he did the usual potpourri of acting jobs, including walk-on parts in shows like Gilmore Girls, Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Wife and, more notably, regular roles on CSI: Miami, Smash and Person of Interest. After coming back to NYC for a Broadway show as well as for Smash, Odom returned to live in the city in 2012.

Although he wasn’t part of Miranda’s usual crew of actors, Odom auditioned and campaigned for the part of Aaron Burr in Miranda’s Hamilton in 2013, when the show was being readied for its initial run off-Broadway at the Public Theater. The show’s director, Thomas Kail, told the Times that Odom “was coming to play.” The show went on to an historic run on Broadway, winning awards and selling tickets at rates heretofore unseen – all with Odom in the so-called villain role as Burr, the dramatic nemesis of Miranda’s title character.

“Coming up in Philly, it’s not a musical-theatre town,” Leslie explained. “When I was a singer, I was training with singers. I was far from the best. When I was learning dancing, I was with dancers, and those people are now with Alvin Ailey or who are Beyoncé’s choreographers. Acting was the same way. When I came into the musical theatre, I found I was a little more prepared than some people because I had been shedding with people in those individual disciplines. They were masters. To come back and remove all that and get back to singing … I wasn’t trying to be a singer on Broadway. I was just trying to be a singer.”

Since July 2016, when Miranda, Odom and Phillipa Soo – three of the principal actors from the original cast – left the show, Odom concentrated on his solo singing career in between acting stints in major movies. First, Odom re-released an eponymous album that had been quietly released in 2014 but with three newly recorded songs. In addition, he recorded a holiday EP/album, Simply Christmas, that included a sensational version of “Winter Song” by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. He also performed at jazz festivals like Newport and Monterey.

“I do reconnaissance on all these gigs,” he told me. “My parents didn’t have a whole lot of money, so we weren’t traveling the country going to jazz festivals. So I hadn’t been to many of them before. When we do these festivals, I’m always nervous. Is this the moment when we’re going to get booed off the stage? Now I can watch Herbie Hancock do his set at Newport or wherever. And what I see is people onstage being themselves.”

Odom will be certainly be himself when he performs on the David Foster: The Hitman Cruise Encore ’27 in January. And he’ll be among other notable singers like Katharine McPhee, Michael McDonald, Erich Bergen, Morgan James, Pia Toscano and Sheléa.

Lee Mergner
Jazz Consultant

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SCE Artists on Jazz

In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, we contacted 30 artists who sail on our jazz programs to ask them about their affinity and love for jazz – from the first jazz album they bought to their first jazz concert to what jazz means to them. We hope you enjoy their reflections. Below are excerpts from the first seven we received. You can read each artist’s entire essay in the link below.

– Lee Mergner

“Jazz reflects the human spirit in all its beauty, simplicity and complexity.” 
– Bria Skonberg

“Jazz is the most wonderful portrait of true democracy and equality, I believe, that exists in the world to date.” 
– Kirk Whalum

“Jazz gives me purpose in life. It means community and mentorship.” 
– Catherine Russell

“Jazz to me is about communication. Being aware of what each member of the band has to say and responding to it.” 
– Eric Marienthal

“Jazz is a universal language people from all backgrounds and cultures of the world can speak to one another with.” 
– Benny Benack III

“Jazz is really all I know. Benny Goodman, Zoot Sims, Slam Stewart and Bucky Pizzarelli, amongst many others, were my teachers. Jazz never stops teaching me.” 
– John Pizzarelli

“Jazz to me has always meant freedom to explore.” 
– Boney James

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Step Inside the “Perfect” Cruise:
Botti at Sea III Livestream on 4.23

Join us for a special livestream on April 23 at 7 PM ET to learn more about the Perfect Cruise Experience on Botti at Sea III. Get an inside look at our exciting lineup of world-class talent, explore the beautiful ports of call and discover the unforgettable shore excursions that make this year’s sailing truly special. Don’t miss this opportunity to see what makes Botti at Sea III so exceptional.

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Signature Cruise Experiences Upcoming Programs

SCE Sailings in ’26

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SCE Sailings in ’27

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Sailing in 18 Months

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