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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THE WEEKENDER ARCHIVE
May 17, 2025
Our Take: The Jazz Cruise ’26 – Bigger & Better Than Ever
Last Sunday was Mother’s Day. I went to the cemetery to visit the gravesite of my mother. For those who do not know, my mother, Anita E. Berry, was the…
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May 10, 2025
Our Take: Peabo is Back!
Peabo Bryson is a 2x GRAMMY® Winner known best for his ballads, duets with female vocalists and his participation in several Disney animated feature films as the lead male singer…
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May 3, 2025
Our Take: And They’re Off!
In a few hours, the 2025 Kentucky Derby will be run. They call it the most exciting two minutes in sports, which is fascinating since only one horse, Secretariat, the…
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April 26, 2025
Our Take: Music in the Car
We have been celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month in The Weekender and Jazz Notes for the past few weeks. Our tribute ends next Wednesday with a special edition of Jazz Notes…
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April 19, 2025
Our Take: A (Jazzy) Easter Basket For You
No matter what your religious beliefs may be, sometime in your life you either gave or received an Easter Basket. Though inextricably tied to Easter, over the years Easter baskets…
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April 12, 2025
Our Take: Hanging at Berks Jazz Fest
This edition is coming to you from the Berks Jazz Fest. The calendar says it is Spring. That message did not make it to Reading, Pennsylvania, home of this amazing…
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April 5, 2025
Our Take: JAM is Our Jam
For those who bet on this week’s Our Take being a commentary on Jazz Appreciation Month, you win. For those who felt otherwise, you are invited to our weekly poker…
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March 29, 2025
Our Take: Almost Jazz Appreciation Month
Earlier this week, we highlighted the soon-to-be beginning of Jazz Appreciation Month. Well, we are still not there, but we are getting very close! That JAM starts each year on…
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March 24, 2025
Our Take: Oscar Peterson at 100
Oscar Peterson celebrates his Centennial Birthday in 2025. The Canadian born jazz pianist is considered one of the top pianists of all time by most fans and the greatest of…
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March 17, 2025
Our Take: How the History of Jazz has Become the Journey of Jazz
It is one thing to talk about the History of Jazz. It is quite another thing to make that story live with music. For years, Marcus Miller has presented a…
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March 8, 2025
Our Take: Countdown to Berks Jazz Fest
One of the longest standing relationships that we at Signature Cruise Experiences have is our partnership with Berks Jazz Fest. In part, this is due to the broad array of…
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March 1, 2025
Our Take: Cruise Musings
Our final cruise program, The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.2, ended on Tuesday. Since then, we have pressed forward to address Journey of Jazz ’25, which sails this Fall, and to…
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February 22, 2025
Our Take: Honoring David Sanborn
Today is Day five of The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.2, the final program of our run of four cruises this Winter Season. Our last Our Take was on Day five…
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February 15, 2025
Our Take: From Botti to Smooth
Botti at Sea ’25 ended on Tuesday morning and The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.1 was ready to go by noon that same day. Watching the transformation of the ship, the…
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February 8, 2025
Our Take: From “Straight Ahead” to Showtime
Tuesday marked the last day of The Jazz Cruise ’25 and the first day of Chris Botti at Sea II (’25). Musically, we moved from a week of 100 of…
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