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”? […]

The Second Half of ’25 is Under Way! Our team at Signature Cruise Experiences is back at work after our annual mid-year break and the countdown is officially on – we’re just over 60 days away from the highly-anticipated Journey of Jazz ’25! This sailing marks the debut of the Journey of Jazz program and also represents […]

The end of June is upon us, which means that 2025 is half over or time to begin preparing for its second half. Which description you choose will go far in determining whether you are a pessimist or an optimist. In most years, Signature Cruise Experiences would view the end of June as the official […]

’25 is Nearly Half Over! Time to Assess Our Progress!  In a few days, June will be over and, with the coming of July, it is time to assess how we are doing thus far in ’25. The “we” is jazz fans. The “doing” is the world of jazz. Though I am biased, but, from our […]