Since 2016, every Saturday morning subscribers have received their weekly “jazz fix” in the form of The Weekender. Our purpose is to present what is going on in the world of jazz, where our favorite musicians are performing and various musings about jazz that range from “on the ball” to “off the wall.” Read by nearly 40,000 fans each week, The Weekender has become Signature Cruise Experiences’ voice to Jazz fans worldwide.
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March 15, 2024
OUR TAKE: Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest
As I have shared before, Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest has been an important part of our jazz reach for many years. The lineup is always a blend of “straight ahead”…
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March 9, 2024
OUR TAKE: Spring Forward, More Music
Tonight, actually early tomorrow morning, we will move our clocks forward one hour signaling the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. I imagine that most people look forward to this occurrence…
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March 2, 2024
OUR TAKE: Divine Nine, Devine +2, De Vine ’24
Excuse the play on words, but it was too tempting to resist. The first of our “Vine” inspirations is by far the most important. The Divine Nine is the nickname of…
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February 24, 2024
OUR TAKE: Unpacking
Upon coming home from 33 days at sea, the goals are to catch up and unpack. While at sea, with all the great music, fun events, and wonderful guests to…
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February 17, 2024
OUR TAKE: Back Home & Back to Work
Botti at Sea ’24 completed its triumphant inaugural sailing on Thursday and the entire Jazz Cruises team is now back at home. The cruise was an amazing experience, filled with…
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February 10, 2024
OUR TAKE: At-Sea Edition #5 – Botti at Sea ’24
It is Day 3 of the inaugural sailing of Botti at Sea ’24, one of the most highly anticipated cruise programs in the history of Jazz Cruises. Every stateroom was…
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February 2, 2024
OUR TAKE: At-Sea Edition #4 – The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’24 Celebrates its 20th Anniversary
It is Day 3 of the second week of “The Greatest Party at Sea”! Just as we experienced last week, everyone is in a celebratory mood as we continue our…
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January 27, 2024
OUR TAKE: At-Sea Edition #3 – The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’24 Celebrates it’s 20th Anniversary
It is Day 3 of The Greatest Party at Sea! Everyone is in a celebratory mood as we start a two-week celebration of the 20th Anniversary of The Smooth Jazz Cruise. As…
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January 20, 2024
OUR TAKE: At-Sea Edition #2 – The Jazz Cruise ’24 is Underway
Today is the 3rd day of The Jazz Cruise ’24. Amazingly, during our first two days, we have enjoyed more than 20 “In Concert” events. Virtually every one of the…
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January 13, 2024
OUR TAKE: At-Sea Edition #1
In a few hours, several Jazz Cruises’ staff will be boarding Celebrity Summit for a 5-day cruise during which we will be preparing for our four 7-day programs that begin…
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January 6, 2024
OUR TAKE: What’s in Store for ’24
The world of Jazz Cruises reflects the growing interest in live music. The upcoming ’24 Cruises are fully subscribed, and the readership of The Weekender and Jazz Notes is larger…
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December 23, 2023
OUR TAKE: ‘Tis the Season for Good Cheer and Resolutions!
The holidays are now in full swing. I know this because no agent or manager is answering their calls and, when I do reach someone, it is a recording saying,…
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December 16, 2023
OUR TAKE: Programming a Show; Programming the Circus
Last week was dominated by programming of upcoming shows and cruises. We had two Samara Joy shows to program and our entire team was in St. Louis working through the…
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December 9, 2023
OUR TAKE: Joy to the World
For the next couple of days, at Jazz Cruises, it is all about Samara Joy. Turn back the calendar one year and I will bet that many of you had…
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December 2, 2023
OUR TAKE: A Musician for All Seasons
Wycliffe Gordon is in our hometown this week performing at Jazz St. Louis. I had the absolute pleasure of seeing him and his wonderful band, the International All Stars (Adrian…
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November 25, 2023
OUR TAKE: A Great-Full Thanksgiving Message
It’s Thanksgiving weekend; a time for good cheer.Many believe it’s the best time of the year! It’s only one day, there’s no Thanksgiving Eve,The meal is quite simple, requires no…
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November 18, 2023
OUR TAKE: To be Known for Something Other Than Being You
On Sunday mornings, Paula and I drink coffee and watch Sunday Today with Willie Geist. Besides liking him as a host, the show is a nice mix of news, entertainment…
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November 11, 2023
OUR TAKE: Did You Hear The One About…
Humor is important to me. Sharing laughter with others is often the best way to break the ice and create a community of spirit and purpose. Checking to see who…
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November 4, 2023
OUR TAKE: Ready to “Fall Back”
Later tonight, actually early tomorrow morning, most of us will be turning our clocks back one hour to reflect the end of Daylight Savings Time and the beginning of Standard…
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October 28, 2023
OUR TAKE: His Name Will Live On
Last weekend, while working at the office on the programming for one of our cruises, I received an email from one of our guests. Knowing my fondness for and recent…
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October 21, 2023
OUR TAKE: Change of Mind
Changing one’s mind. Doing so can be seen as a sign of flip-flopping or being insincere. Pointing out the inconsistencies of an opponent on issues has been a political tool…
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October 14, 2023
OUR TAKE: And You Thought That Fredericksburg Was Only A Civil War Location
Before we go further, I loathe braggarts, folks who tell you what special things they are doing or have done, name droppers, and anyone who is trying to impress you…
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October 7, 2023
OUR TAKE: In Memoriam
We spent some time this week working on the programming for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’24. Since these sailings represent the 20th Anniversary of that program, elements of nostalgia are…
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September 30, 2023
OUR TAKE: Creating a Jazz Memory
Earlier this week, we announced the details of The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.1 & ’25.2. One could easily ask “why now?” There are many reasons, ranging from that is what…
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