Journey of Jazz ’25, Signature Cruise Experiences first Fall sailing in nearly two decades, sails in four weeks. For those with great memories, The Jazz Cruise began as a Fall program. That the first sailing was a few weeks after 9/11 should have taught us a lesson, but it took the threats of a hurricane […]

Using technology in the production of music is hardly new. Much of it enhances the music, reduces the cost and improves the quality of the product. Much of it, however, may impact the influence of the artist and his craft. It scares me, quite frankly. On a similar topic, a colleague of mine asked me […]

Our Tribute to the Newport Jazz Festival The year was 1954. Elaine and Louis Lorillard hired pianist George Wein to create a “family-friendly seaside jazz event.” Reacting to their disdain of the dreary world of jazz clubs, they sought to bring our music to the open air!     The Lorillard’s had the money and […]

Most of you know the iconic, and likely apocryphal, story of the tourist walking down Broadway seeking directions to a famous destination. The tourist bumps into someone that we used to call a “beatnik” and innocently asks “How do I get to Birdland?” Without batting an eye or hesitating at all, the man with a […]

It May Not Be Jazz, But It Sure Is Cool!

Both David Foster and Michael McDonald have performed on a Signature Cruise Experiences jazz program.

Years ago, we produced a jazz tour of New York. It was a glorious few days. We visited the Apollo Theater, Birdland, Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club and more. Marcus Miller was our host and we held private shows for our guests. John Pizzarelli was an afternoon show. Lunch with Piz! As only John could do, […]

The Weather is “Hot”….So is Jazz! They say that you cannot change the weather. That is true if you stay in one place and do not move. Part of the allure of our cruise programs is the ability to take you on a journey “where the weather fits your clothes!” Or, at the very least, […]

In this week’s edition of Jazz Notes, our jazz guru, Lee Mergner, analyzed the recent DownBeat Critics’ Poll which ranked jazz musicians, vocalists, bands, festivals and more. Highly subjective and often flawed for various reasons, nonetheless people love polls. I must admit that I am a sucker for polls, almost any poll that deals with […]

No Sports Today…Jazz is Every Day! Today is the day after Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, which, for the first time in years was fun to watch. MLB’s All-Star Game is the only such game in all of sports that can even qualify as a game. Trivia buffs know that this is the only day […]

While each of us can name our favorite jazz vocalists, and there would be significant agreement on many of them, I doubt that we could articulate, and certainly not agree upon, what are the elements that make someone a “jazz” vocalist as opposed to some other genre. Do they have to be able to “scat”? […]