Our Take: It’s the 13th. Are You Superstitious?

Performers, actors and athletes are famously superstitious. The benign description is to call quirky personal traits part of a “routine.” When a golfer plumb bobs, checks out the line, takes practice strokes and then putts, that is a routine. If at any time during those events he kisses his putter, it becomes a superstition.

Is there superstition in jazz? You bet. After all, jazz came from the same parts of America where voodoo and ancient rituals were performed for years. These beliefs were carried by enslaved Africans to the Caribbean and then to various parts of the American south.

Jazz became synonymous with this type of belief and practice hence the believe that Jazz is the “Devil’s Music.” If that were true, then there is at least one reason to like the Devil. The rest of his act is a bit sketchy, but having good taste in music goes a long way with me.

Recently, I stumbled upon a list of Duke Ellington’s bizarre list of superstitions. John Pizzarelli is doing a tribute to Duke on next year’s Journey of Jazz ’27, so I was boning up on my knowledge of Duke only to find these gems.

Duke Ellington Superstitions

• He refused to allow anyone to eat peanuts or whistle in his dressing room, fearing it would bring disaster.
• Ellington would never give or receive shoes as a gift, believing it meant the recipient would walk out of his life forever.
• He refused to wear yellow.
• Every button on a suit had to be firmly sewn.

Though clearly quirky, these habits were pretty harmless. He had one peccadillo that was not so simple. In fact, it was mean spirited and probably very expensive. He did not like firing someone from the band. Instead, he would hire someone who was better on the same instrument, sit them in the band right next to the target of this plan and hope that the beleaguered musician would take the hint.

Again, I am not sure that was a superstition or just the worst HR plan ever concocted.

Jazz historian and musician John Chilton claims that even the great Ella Fitzgerald had superstitions. Suffering from stage fright, Ella would go through a series of scripted body movements just off stage before singing. She claimed that she was chasing the evil spirits away, the ones that would cause her to sing poorly.

Then there was David Sanborn. Before examining the litany of Sanbornisms, please know that I, along with millions of jazz fans, miss him dearly, cherish his music and his memory and hold him up as one of the most respected and beloved musicians ever.

With that disclaimer, I must also share with you that David was one of the most superstitious and quirky performers I have ever met. From his diet to his reed selection ritual to his extreme concern that he was not playing well, I cannot remember a performance of his that was not wrought with drama and anxiety.

David Sanborn’s Anxieties

• Though there was no direct medical requirement to do so, David ate salmon, steamed vegetables and papaya for each meal.
• The food could not be cooked in any oil or have any seasoning.
• In selecting a reed for a show, he would layout nearly 100 reeds on a table, examine them and then select one. It was if there was a vetting process in his head or he was waiting for one of the reeds to volunteer to be used.
• David would insist that no one was going to attend his show. He would second guess the ticket count and fear that the marketing team had not been successful, and insist he would be playing to empty seats.
• His onstage outfits were identical:  jeans, white shirt and blazer.
• His hotel room and on ship stateroom had to have an open-air capability.
• He insisted that his stateroom be on the sunny side of the ship.

In respect of his passing and my personal fondness for David, I will let you, the readers, allow that last one to wash over you for a while.

Time’s up. Yes, he insisted on that request for every cruise. Rather than walk the slippery slope of telling him how “off” that was, we assured him that we would do as he requested. At the end of each cruise, well almost each cruise, he would thank us for his stateroom location.

Never been to heaven nor expect to be there, but I believe that David is on the sunny side of heaven now. I am sure his “Rider” for entering heaven had that request. If he is not basking in the glow, then someone up there must not like jazz. We know the Devil does.

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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Josh Groban & Chris Botti:
Live Entertainment Coming to You! 

As we anticipated, our Botti at Sea fans are beyond excited that Josh Groban will be performing on the cruise in September. The profile of a Chris Botti fan and a Groban fan are, not surprisingly, strikingly similar. 

Both are first class artist with impeccable credentials and reputations, both are devoted to their craft and present as consummate performers and talents. Their music is inspiring and refined, strong and sophisticated and, most of all, able to be enjoyed by a wide audience.

Both men also share the world of touring. Chris tours the world on a regular basis, presenting his amazing ensemble to adoring audiences. And Josh is embarking on an extensive country-wide tour that will mostly likely take him to a theater near you.

We are proud of the intimate nature of our presentations at sea and we know that our guests will enjoy their time with both Chris and Josh as they light up The Theatre on Celebrity Summit. Signature Cruise Experiences supports live music regardless of its venue or locale. Even when you’re unable to sail with them (and us), these stars proved can’t-miss performances when they come to your area. Join your community and take in their shows.

Live entertainment is the best way to enjoy great music. Nothing compares.

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Emmet Cohen’s Universal Truth

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John Clayton’s Two-o Duo

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Signature Cruise Experiences Upcoming Programs

SCE Sailings in ’26

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