In a recent interview, Kirk Whalum bemoaned the fact that too often the music played under the “smooth jazz” umbrella suffers from a lack of individualism as compositions are dictated by the parameters of the format and less expressions of the musicians. Kirk, of course, is one of the most talented, respected and beloved musicians […]

Who is the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) of female jazz vocalists? Among those who have passed, the short list of candidates would include Billie Holliday, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan and Nina Simone. But most jazz fans would select Ella Fitzgerald as the runaway winner of the title. The contest for the G.L.O.V.E. (greatest living […]

Going to London and Wimbledon has always been one of the bucket list items of my life. I am a tennis fan, an avid (not talented) player and I can remember watching Sampras, Borg, McEnroe, Connors and, of course, Federer play on Centre Court. Parts of the tournament were always around July 4th, which made […]

We are just past the midway point of both the summer and the year. Both seem to have gone by very quickly. Perhaps that is a function of being older, but a lot has transpired as well. Some good. Some bad. Some happy. Some sad. Anyway, this is a good time to share some thoughts […]

To most people, this title would foreshadow a discussion of two rivals in the National Basketball Association. Though the name Miami Heat makes a lot of sense, Utah Jazz may be the most oxymoronic nickname in the world of sports. For those who are old enough to remember Pete Maravich, the Utah Jazz were originally in […]

For the past few years, Jazz Cruises has declared a few days around July 4th to be our Midsummer Holiday. Usually, that is a slower time of year, but the main reason for the break is to offset our necessity to keep regular hours during the year-end holidays. While most of the entertainment world is […]

What goes around, comes around. I was never certain what that old saying meant. Mostly used to forewarn, the idea is that if you do bad things to someone, then those bad things may come around back at you. That is the negative version of the saying. The positive version is that life can be […]

Recently, I checked out the lineup for our very first cruise as Jazz Cruises, The Jazz Cruise 2001. Dee Dee Bridgewater was the headliner vocalist for this landmark event, which infamously sailed just a few weeks after the 9/11 tragedy. Dee Dee will reprise her history of performing on inaugural sailings when she joins Marcus Miller […]

David Foster began as a studio musician, arranger, and recording artist. That period was the foundation for when he became one of the most successful songwriters and record producers in the genre.

As shared before, I am a student of World War II. From my idolization of Winston Churchill to the stories of bravery and sacrifice of soldiers and civilians fighting to save democracy, dignity and decency, I am in awe of the massive scope of the conflict and what was at stake for the world. Though no war is entirely noble, WWII was as clear a case of good versus evil as we have ever seen.