The title of this Our Take is a bit misleading. After all, by definition, all mothers have achieved. They are all mothers, a heroic achievement by any measure. When a mother is able to achieve even more beyond “mere” motherhood, we take notice.
For instance, only three “mothers” have ever won a Grand Slam Tennis tournament: Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Kim Clijsters. Golf has similarly rarified air. Catriona Matthew and Sherri Steinhauer both won Women’s British Opens after becoming mothers. Perhaps the most famous mother/golfer/Major Championships winner is Juli Inkster, who won multiple Majors after having two daughters.
The world of jazz has its super mothers as well. When Sheila Jordan divorced Duke Jordan, she withdrew from the jazz world and worked for 20 years as a legal secretary so that she could raise her daughter, Tracey. At 58, she triumphantly returned to the bandstand and proceeded to carve out a wonderful career that included her being inducted as an NEA Jazz Master, the Grand Slam and Majors equivalent in our world.
Rene Marie was a mother of two by the age of 23. Finally, at age 42, her children were old enough to allow her to fully launch a professional career. Now a GRAMMY® nominated singer and songwriter, she has achieved great success after motherhood.
Two of our favorite vocalists have recently added “being a mother” to their resumes. Melody Gardot, who will perform on Chris Botti at Sea III, and Cyrille Aimée, who joins our Journey of Jazz ’27 lineup, are now both moms! Our Talent Administration personnel tell me that their travel plans for the cruise include significant “child” details, signaling their desire to balance their careers with the joys of being a mom as much as possible.
No Our Take about mothers and jazz would be complete without a nod to my mother, Anita E. Berry, founder of The Jazz Cruise. For those who have heard this story 10 or more times, you have earned a Reserved Seat for the next 10 or more presentations. At age 70, Mom became the first person in the world, male or female, to charter an entire ship for a musical cruise. What seems to be an obvious decision now, seemed amazingly risky back in 2000, when she decided to charter Holland America’s m/s Maasdam.
Emails and social media were very limited. She had a mailing list from her days with NCL and its jazz program (half a ship), but there was no guarantee that those folks would be willing to reserve a stateroom. She also had the full and complete support of the musicians, which proved to be the most important endorsement of all.
Whether Mom was a successful mother before becoming a jazz impresario depends upon your assessment of her three sons. Actually, two of them are more than fine. The jury is still out on me. Whatever time I have going forward will be directed to making her dream of great music cruises come true.
To all mothers, whether you are working, not working, pursuing a career, not pursuing a career or something in the middle, you already have the most difficult job in the world. Make sure that you guilt as many people tomorrow as possible to wait on you, give you gifts and otherwise dote over you.
Turning guilt into action is every mother’s secret weapon.
NOTE: A very special shout out to Aubrey Pavlik, our Director of Guest Communications, who is celebrating her very first Mother’s Day!
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.
This Week!
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’27 Livestream
Join the David Foster: The Hitman Cruise Encore Livestream event on May 14 at 4PM ET!
We’ll have an exclusive insider’s look at the world-class music, luxury travel and once-in-a-lifetime experiences our Guests will experience. Plus, we’re giving one lucky attendee a FREE Stateroom aboard The Hitman Cruise Encore!
Wea Culpa
In last week’s edition of The Weekender, we included an item about pianist Ted Rosenthal’s latest album The Good Old Days, featuring his take on early jazz styles. Unfortunately, we included the incorrect link to learn more about the album. Here is the correct link.
Wynton Marsalis & Vince Giordano’s
The Wonderful Word of Louis Armstrong
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Blue Engine Records has just released Jazz Summit: Wynton Marsalis & Vince Giordano Play on the Hot Fives and Sevens, The Wonderful Word of Louis Armstrong, featuring fresh interpretations of Louis Armstrong’s classic Hot Fives and Hot Sevens recordings.
The album was originally recorded by Wynton Marsalis (who will perform on Journey of Jazz in New Orleans), Vince Giordano, and members of their ensembles December 26–31, 2012, during an historic run at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club in NYC. The Wonderful Word of Louis Armstrong is the third album in a series from Wynton and Blue Engine exploring jazz’s ethical relationship to democracy, freedom, and collective life. It follows We The People (released in February) and Let Freedom Swing (released in March).
Steve Wilson’s Enduring Sonance
Saxophonist and flutist Steve Wilson has sailed on The Jazz Cruise many times as both an All-Star and a member of Christian McBride’s Inside Straight. His new album, Enduring Sonance on Smoke Sessions Records, features compositions that he’s cherished over the course of his musical life.
“Some of the tunes on this record have stayed with me for, in some cases, over 50 years from the time that I first heard them,” Steve says. “I wanted to put some music out there that people can connect with, no matter what kind of music they like.” He’s joined by vibraphonist Joe Locke, bassist Jay Anderson, drummer Kendrick Scott, and pianist Renee Rosnes, who also contributed the album’s arrangements. On two pieces, they’re joined by French horn virtuoso Kevin Newton of Imani Winds.
Signature Cruise Experiences Upcoming Programs
SCE Sailings in ’27
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3
Vancouver – Victoria – San Francisco – Los Angeles
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 is Fully Reserved.
If you wish 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)
Los Angeles – San Francisco – Victoria – Vancouver
9.18.26 – 9.25.26
West Coast Edition – The Perfect Music Experience
The Weekender Cruise Prices: Good through May 31, 2026
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 (featuring Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs, Melody Gardot, Peabo Bryson) and exciting excursions in San Francisco and Victoria including trips to wineries in Napa and Sonoma.
SCE Sailings in ’27
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’27
Tampa – Cozumel – Costa Maya – Tampa
1.12.27 – 1.17.27
Open Booking
Now Available: Special Cruise Prices for Ocean View & Inside Staterooms
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 star-studded lineup for David Foster: The Hitman Cruise Encore Sailing ’27 includes Michael McDonald, Dianne Reeves, Leslie Odom Jr., Katharine McPhee, Erich Bergen and more.
The Jazz Cruise ’27
Tampa – Cozumel – Belize – Costa Maya – Tampa
1.17.27 – 1.24.27
The Greatest Jazz Festival at Sea
Now Available: Special Cruise Prices for Ocean View & Inside Staterooms
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
Tampa – New Orleans – Progreso – Tampa
1.24.27 – 1.31.27
Where Jazz Fans Go to Live The Jazz Life
Now Available: Special Cruise Prices for Ocean View & Inside Staterooms
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.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise
SJC ‘27.1 (1.31.27 – 2.7.27) Tampa – Ocho Rios – Grand Cayman – Tampa (90% Reserved)
SJC ’27.2 (2.7.27 – 2.14.27) Tampa – Grand Cayman – Ocho Rios – Tampa (95% Reserved)
The Greatest Party at Sea
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 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)
Boston – Portland – Saint John (NB) – Sydney (NS) – Charlottetown (PEI) – Quebec City
10.6.27 – 10.13.27
Chris Botti Takes His Cruise from Boston to Canada
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 (8.15.26) 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.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.3
Quebec City – Charlottetown (PEI) – Sydney (NS) – Saint John (NB) – Portland – Boston
10.13.27 – 10.20.27
Smooth Jazz in the Fall!
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.3 program will be an exciting combination of our customary great music, Fall colors and other special events. Marcus Miller, Boney James, Brian Culbertson, Jonathan Butler, Candy Dulfer and others will lead the team for another edition of this iconic program.
This cruise is currently in Open Booking, where anyone may reserve any available stateroom.