Kim Kelley
August 22, 2026
Our Take: She Knew How to Pick ‘Em!
Perhaps as long as 20 years ago, my mother called me in a frantic tone telling me that I needed to fly to New York to see the most amazing…
August 20, 2026
8.20.26 – From the Top Shelf #67
From the Top Shelf #67 A Few Notes There are some experiences that are hard to describe until you have actually lived them. You can talk about them. You can…
August 15, 2026
Our Take: It’s All About the Bass
Marcus Miller famously claims that “every great song begins with a great bass line.” True or not, certainly every song Marcus has written can make that claim. The bass has…
August 13, 2026
8.13.26 – From the Top Shelf #66
The Experience of Live Music A Few Notes Some of the best moments in country music are the ones you don’t see coming. A performance that stops you in your…
August 12, 2026
Jazz Notes 8.12.26
Get Your September Edition of DownBeat Here! The was a time, believe it or not, when you would purchase your newspaper from stands on street corners. Sellers would walk into the…
SCE Jazz Poll Results
The results are in and, although they reflect the popularity of The Smooth Jazz Cruise and The Jazz Cruise within our portfolio of jazz (and jazz-adjacent) programs, the musicianship and…
August 8, 2026
Our Take: 8.8.26
The Influence of Jazz Yesterday, we announced the inaugural sailing of The Yacht Rock Cruise. For those unfamiliar with that genre, over the last few years, fans of soft rock…
August 6, 2026
8.6.26 – From the Top Shelf #65
The Traditions We Keep A Few Notes As kids, Fridays had a special meaning in our family. My brother Scott and I called it “Cupcake Day.” Every Friday morning, our…
August 1, 2026
Our Take: 8.1.26
August Hits Different Today is August 1, the first day of the last month of what most of us consider to be Summer. The Fall Solstice, the official end of…
July 30, 2026
7.30.26 – From the Top Shelf #64
A Few Notes I was just five years old when I attended my first Grand Ole Opry show at the historic Ryman Auditorium. We were passing through Nashville on one…