Our Take: Spring Forward, Fall Back

The title of this edition of Our Take is my not-so-subtle reminder to turn your clocks BACK tonight, as most of the country begins four months of standard time. Depending upon how far east or west you are in a particular time zone, it has been very dark in the morning the past few weeks. Going to standard time helps the kids waiting for the school buses and means that most people will drive home from work in the dark.

The debate about Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time is fascinating. You can argue the pros and cons all day (and night) and get nowhere. Why? Because there is no rhyme or reason compelling enough for either side to prevail. And, for the most part, it is not that big a deal. In college, I hated Standard Time. I was at the easternmost section of the Eastern Time Zone (Providence, Rhode Island). It would get dark around 4:30PM. I finished my education on the westernmost section of the Eastern Time Zone (Ann Arbor, Michigan). When Daylight Savings Time was in effect, it would stay light until 10:30PM. 
 
The first example made me sleepy when I should have been awake and the second one made me stay awake when I should have been sleepy. Those two cities are nearly 750 miles from each other. Why, on earth, are they in the same time zone?
 
Arguments that have no resolution can be found easily in our world of jazz. Who had the largest impact on jazz, Miles Davis or John Coltrane? Was Grover Washington, Jr. or David Sanborn the model saxophonist for a generation of players? What are the elements that define a jazz vocalist? What is the musical purpose of an extended drum solo?
 
These are but a very few of the hundreds and hundreds of questions – largely rhetorical – that I hear being asked and answered on our cruise programs. That our guests participate in this dialogue is a healthy and interesting process. The lack of definitive answers is exciting as the debate will never end, which would be sad indeed.
 
Here is an example of the sad ending to a great debate. Baseball is my favorite pastime, next to music. Debating who was the greatest baseball player of all time was always a wonderful way to spend a few hours with friends. Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle were always in the mix. But that argument is over, for good. Shohei Ohtani has made the debate moot. Unlike the arguments discussed above, there is no “on the other hand.” He is the best, period.
 
If you are interested and have a whole bunch of time on your hands, I will gladly debate whether The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Botti at Sea, David Foster: The Hitman Cruise or Christian McBride’s World at Sea has the best lineup. To me, it is like choosing which of your children you love the most. Perhaps even more difficult!
 
Just kidding, David and Jessica!

By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti at Sea, Christian McBride’s World 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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It’s a Small World After All!

While prepping for their latest safari, Anton and Denise had a delightful double-take: they first bumped into fellow Cruisers Jackie & Michael Schwimmer at a small shopping village in South Africa. Imagine the smiles when they later found themselves on the same small plane as they headed to the same safari! With their tell-tale Journey of Jazz outerwear, there was no mistaking that the Schwimmers were part of the family. It was a joy to see them still glowing from their recent sailing while on a two-week holiday with friends.

The connections are truly fascinating, and we are absolutely thrilled that so many of you have forged deep friendships that began on the ship.

And speaking of delightful connections: it’s perfectly on-brand that Anton and Denise met on the first sailing Blue Note at Sea. We believe that they are now secretly engaged to be married! The secret is so closely guarded that they have not told each other! Until now!

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Cècile McLorin Salvant’s Oh Snap

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Ted Rosenthal’s Classics Reimagined – Impromp2

Ted Rosenthal, who has sailed with us on The Jazz Cruise many times as a member of Ann Hampton Callaway’s band, has released Classics Reimagined – Impromp2, a follow-up to his 2010 album Impromptu. The new recording features the pianist, along with bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer Quincy Davis, performing jazz transformations of classics by Dvorak, Brahms, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Chopin and others.

On several pieces the trio is supplemented by special guests Ken Peplowski (clarinet) and Sara Caswell (violin). “All jazz players are looking for ways to make their music personal and identifiable, and in a way to improve upon what came before,” Ted explains. “I always tell my students that if they’re going to redo something, it should sound better than the original. There has to be a real reason for it to exist, dramatically and musically. It becomes the best of both worlds, where you’re taking something familiar and putting your own twist on it.”

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Share Your Expertise! A Call to Our Veteran Cruisers

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Signature Cruise Experiences Program Update

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