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 […]

For those who follow this column, you may remember that I love Thanksgiving. The menu is simple, known by all, but flexible enough to highlight individual and family heritage recipes. No gifts. No Thanksgiving Eve. Lots of amazing leftovers. Who could ask for more? Thanksgiving is late this year, but it seems like Christmas is being celebrated earlier than […]

Talk about a legend. None bigger than Roy Haynes, a true original American drummer, who died this week at 99. He sailed with us twice on The Jazz Cruise years ago, each time we believed would be the last time and each time we thought he would simply go through the motions. Wrong and dead […]

Not sure that anyone in the history of music was more influential than Quincy Jones. His career spanned over seven decades. Known worldwide for his work with Michael Jackson, composing the music for the highly-acclaimed television series Roots and the production of “We Are The World,” Jones has been awarded nearly every honor in music, including 28 […]