Reporting from The Jazz Cruise ’25. Today is day five of the cruise and I am thrilled to report that the week thus far has been wonderful. The ship is filled to the brim with great jazz fans from around the world and 100 of the very best jazz musicians on the planet. The sheer […]

Last night, we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale. On Tuesday, we will board the Celebrity Summit for the 25th Anniversary Sailing of The Jazz Cruise.

On the eve of the annual celebration of the life and mission of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it is appropriate to remember how important he viewed our music to be.  “Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life’s difficulties.” These words were delivered by Dr. King as a written introduction to […]

2025 has begun with a bang. Some of it good. Some of it bad. Some of it great. Some of it tragic. Let’s start with the “good.” We are 17 days from the sailing of The Jazz Cruise ‘25, 24 days from the sailing of Botti at Sea ’25, 31 days from the sailing of […]

Happy New Year! I trust that everyone had a fun and safe New Year’s Eve celebration and that we are ready to take on the challenge and excitement of a new year.  We had a wonderful New Year’s Eve. Nice (early) dinner and then a show. There was no jazz show for us to attend, […]

I often scoff at idioms. Generally, they appear when a more complex thought should be utilized. Reviewing some common idioms proves this point.  Do the phrases “break a leg,” “better late than never” or “it’s not rocket science” tell the real story you wish to share? To me, doing so is like “cutting corners.” I […]

Later this week, folks will be celebrating Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa. While these holidays do not cover the entire world, it is a very good start. Each holiday has its own underpinnings and origins, but the messaging is very similar. It is time to be thankful, humble and grateful for family, friends, colleagues and the […]

Homecoming: The Cruise is meant to produce education, entertainment and excellence in the tradition of HBCUs and the NPHC.

Frequent readers of this column know my reverence for Winston Churchill and my interest in all matters surrounding World War II. Our world today has conflicts, but none of them are so clearly a clash between good and evil as was World War II. The strength and determination of the United Kingdom to stand, virtually […]

They say that nearly 70% of all holiday gifts are purchased this weekend. My wife and I are part of that group, as we spend the weekend making our list, checking twice and purchasing gifts for both the naughty and the nice. Most of our world is comprised of very nice people, but there are always a few […]