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 clear G.O.A.T. of horse racing, has ever completed the race in two minutes or less. 20 horses are scheduled to run the race which is […]

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 and the recognition of International Jazz Day (IJD) which is hosted in Abu Dhabi this year. Since this is the last edition of The Weekender […]

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 have become a universal gift to children during Spring, with the eggs representing new life. The colors of the baskets reflect the hues of Spring […]

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 festival. Though the weather outside is frightening, the music inside is amazing. Proof that good music overcomes bad weather. That is not the message you […]

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 game. Bring your money and something comfortable upon which to sit. JAM reminds me of the Star Trek Cruise we produced for years. Though our […]

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 April Fool’s Day is curious at best, disappointing at worst. If there was ever any music genre that we would not joke about or play […]

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 all time by many. I own virtually every recording Oscar Peterson made. At work, often, I will start playing his music from the time I arrive until […]

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 60 – 75 minute show which traces the history of jazz from the early days in New Orleans through the end of BeBop and the […]

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 jazz the festival offers, which matches much of our varied programs. The quality of the performances and the attention to detail that the festival offers […]

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 put the pedal to the metal for our ’26 Sailings. Before turning the page on the past four weeks of programs, I am taking a […]