By now, many of you may have heard the heartbreaking news. Peabo Bryson passed away and the loss is felt deeply throughout the music community and across our entire SCE family. 

Peabo sailed with us many times over the years. His performances are among the most beloved in our history. Rooms full of people who knew every word, every swell, every aching note. A Peabo show was full of smiles, tears and great memories and there will never be another quite like it. 

We extend our deepest condolences to his family and to all who loved him and his music. He will be profoundly missed. 

Signature Cruise Experiences will be adding to the lineup for Chris Botti at Sea III and will announce the changes as soon as we have confirmed offers.

The Perfect Cruise Experience

“One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be!”

From “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere”
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Such was the cry of Paul Revere, at least it was so in the mind of Longfellow as he wrote his famous poem. There would be one course of action if the British came by land and another if it were by sea.

Typically, that is how music presentations are aligned. You can present an event on land or one at sea. You must choose. Until now!

Signature Cruise Experiences has created two West Coast programs that combine the best of land and sea together with amazing events on land. Neither is shorted. Both are filled with great music and once in a lifetime excursions and programs.

Both programs are well established cruise events known for at least 200 hours of first-class musical entertainment. Typically, they sail in the Caribbean and when docked in various ports of call, passengers are free to experience these locales either on their own or by excursions created and curated by the cruise line.

This fall, both programs will be sailing on the West Coast. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 begins in Vancouver and ends in Los Angeles. Immediately upon docking in Los Angeles, Botti at Sea III (’26) begins a journey back to Vancouver. During that time at sea, both sailings will provide all day and all night programming in the manner that Signature Cruise Experiences has produced since 2001.

But, in the middle of each 7-day journey, these programs will dock for a full day in Victoria, BC and an overnight stay in San Francisco. Here is where the “land” events will be held. And not just any land events. These are excursions, shows and visits created by us just for our cruise guests. 

• Trips to wineries in Napa
• Trips to wineries in Sonoma
• Day trips on Napa Valley Wine Train
• Culinary tours of San Francisco
• Sightseeing tours of San Francisco
• Private Shows at SFJAZZ (Brian Simpson/Grace Kelly for SJC & the Branford Marsalis Quartet for Botti)
• Whale Watching in Victoria
• Butchart Gardens
• And more
  

To learn more about these excursions and others, please visit the links below.

Currently, The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 is fully reserved. You may sign up for the Waitlist, however, that list is extensive. Staterooms remain available in certain Stateroom Categories for Botti at Sea III (’26). So that the manifest for Botti at Sea III (’26) may be finalized, some of the remaining Stateroom Categories are being offered at CloseOut Prices. A payment plan that extends past the cruise is also available if you complete a reservation soon.

For more information about sailing on Botti at Sea III (’26) and the CloseOut Prices, visit the link below.

Signature Cruise Experiences Upcoming Programs

SCE Sailings in ’26

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3

9.11.26 – 9.18.26
Vancouver – Victoria – San Francisco – Los Angeles

Known as “The Greatest Party at Sea,” The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 is Fully Reserved.

If you wish to join the cruise, go to the website and JOIN WAITLIST for any stateroom category you wish. All cancellations for this cruise will be filled from the waitlist.

Botti at Sea ’26

9.18.26 – 9.25.26
Los Angeles – San Francisco – Victoria – Vancouver

When The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 docks in Los Angeles, we will turn around and head back to Vancouver (via San Francisco and Victoria, BC) under the guidance of superstar Chris Botti. Chris Botti at Sea III will be the perfect combination of a topflight music cruise and exciting excursions.  

Joining Chris on the cruise are several music icons: Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs and Melody Gardot, and many others. When in San Francisco, guests may take winery tours in Napa and Sonoma, spend the day on the Napa Valley Wine Train, sample the finest cuisine in San Francisco and much more. Another menu of excursions awaits guests when the cruise docks in Victoria, BC. Trust us, this is the perfect music experience!

SPECIAL NOTE: Chris Botti at Sea III is the only Signature Cruise Experiences’ program that has staterooms in ’26 and those are in limited supply. Act now!

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David Foster: The Hitman Cruise Encore

1.12.27 – 1.17.27
Tampa – Cozumel – Costa Maya – Tampa

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’26 was a runaway hit program. From the first note to the last song, the brilliance of David Foster was evident in every show and event.

The star-studded lineup for David Foster: The Hitman Cruise Encore includes Michael McDonald, Dianne Reeves, Leslie Odom Jr., Katharine McPhee, Erich Bergen and more.

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The Jazz Cruise ’27

1.17.27 – 1.24.27
Tampa – Cozumel – Belize – Costa Maya – Tampa

The Jazz Cruise is the first program that Signature Cruise Experiences ever produced. Since its first sailing in 2001, The Jazz Cruise has been the world leader in presenting “straight ahead” jazz at sea. The Jazz Cruise has reached Fully Reserved every year it has sailed and The Jazz Cruise ’27 is on its way to reaching that goal again.

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Journey of Jazz ’27

1.24.27 – 1.31.27
Tampa – New Orleans – Progreso – Tampa

Journey of Jazz ’27 will be an amazing cruise program featuring hosts Marcus Miller and Gregory Porter, a full lineup of great musicians and vocalists, a special two days in New Orleans which features Wynton Marsalis and a group of his hand-picked musicians.

In its second season, Journey of Jazz proudly combines the very best music with opportunities to live The Jazz Life.

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The Smooth Jazz Cruise

’27.1 (1.31.27 – 2.7.27)
Tampa – Ocho Rios – Grand Cayman – Tampa
  ’27.2 (2.7.27 – 2.14.27)
Tampa – Grand Cayman – Ocho Rios – Tampa

The Greatest Party at Sea presents its customary back-to-back weeklong programs in the Caribbean. Tampa is the port of embarkation and disembarkation for the first time and both sailings will call on Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

The star studded lineup is led by hosts Marcus Miller and Boney James and features Brian Culbertson, Jonathan Butler, Candy Dulfer, Kirk Whalum, Peter White and more.

Both sailings are in Open Booking and both are nearly 95% reserved at this time.

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Botti at Sea ’27

10.6.27 – 10.13.27
Boston – Portland – Saint John – Sydney –
Charlottetown – Quebec City

A Canadian itinerary in the Fall is one of the most popular cruise itineraries in the industry. Fall colors, beautiful scenery, hands on adventures in famous ports-of-call. If nothing else was taking place on the ship, a cruise with these features would be in high demand. So, when Chris Botti decided to take his amazing cruise program from Boston to Quebec City, with a full complement of the entertainers and performers that you have grown to love and expect, not only was he gilding the lily, but he was creating one of the top music cruise experiences ever offered.

Stay tuned (8.15.26) for more programming and reservation procedure details.

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The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.3

10.13.27 – 10.20.27
Quebec City – Charlottetown – Sydney –
Saint John – Portland – Boston

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.3 program will be an exciting combination of our customary great music, Fall colors and other special events. Marcus Miller, Boney James, Brian Culbertson, Jonathan Butler, Candy Dulfer and others will lead the team for another edition of this iconic program.

This cruise is currently in Open Booking, where anyone may reserve any available stateroom.

The post Jazz Notes 6.3.26 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

What a thrill when one of our favorite team members is honored. Lee Mergner, our Jazz Consultant, will become the 10th recipient of the Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award on January 7 in a ceremony to be held at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The award was created in 2014 in honor of Bruce Lundvall, the longtime jazz record executive who was a champion and advocate for so many jazz artists over the last four decades. The annual award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and vision in expanding the audience for jazz and has made a difference for artists, the music and audience.

Previous award recipients include Randall Kline, Brice Rosenbloom, Christian McBride, Terri Lyne Carrington, Darlene Chan, Barry Harris, Danilo Perez, Dee Dee Bridgewater and John Clayton.

For more than 30 years, Lee served as an editor and publisher of JazzTimes, which won numerous ASCAP-Deems Taylor awards for music journalism. The publication was founded in 1970 and was described by All Music Guide as “arguably the finest jazz magazine in the world.” Lee remains an at-large contributor to the publication for which he’s written hundreds of profiles and stories.

Lee founded Jazz Connect Conference and has been instrumental in the development of Jazz Congress as well as several other jazz industry organizations. In addition to his invaluable daily contributions to our operations at Signature Cruise Experiences, Lee is also the lead writer for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s concert programs. Over the years, he has been an advisor and volunteer with various jazz organizations and events such as Jazz House KiDS, Montclair Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Jazz Philadelphia, Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Exit Zero Jazz Festival and several others.

If there is a better friend to jazz than Lee Mergner, I do not know who that would be. As an advocate for jazz, Lee is right out of central casting, humble, unassuming, carefully critical and always subtly in command always. Do not let the Inspector Clouseau act fool you. He possesses a razor-sharp mind and wit, expresses his thoughts with eloquent words and phrases and commands a vast sea of knowledge. I cannot recall a reference that he did not know.

I forgive his Philadelphia sports bias and his penchant for advancing the cause of performers who do not draw well. Lee is a great human being and we are lucky to have him in our midst. 

I never met Bruce Lundvall, but I have heard all the stories. He would have 100% endorsed this award to Lee.

Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences

Still Time to SHIP Out on The Jazz Cruise ’26! 

As we are sending you this note, fewer than 30 staterooms remain available for The Jazz Cruise ’26. That number varies daily, as some guests complete reservations while others are forced to cancel due to various reasons.

The current limited inventory of staterooms available include a few Concierge Class, Aqua Class, Ocean View and Inside Staterooms, but other Stateroom Categories may open up due to cancellations. 

As a past guest, you have the highest priority for these staterooms. If you are interested in learning more about the availability, feel free to contact the office. Or you can reserve one of the available staterooms now!

Just for our past guests, we are extending the Sailing History Individual Pricing (SHIP) offer through January 20, 2026. A sample of those prices are listed below. Ready to return to Straight-Ahead Jazz Heaven?

Select your stateroom and complete your reservation online or by calling the office.

Use Promo Code: SHIP at booking.

These prices are per person, based upon double occupancy, do not include Pass Through Charges and are available for new reservations only.

Jazz Cruises Conversation Podcast
A Listening Party with Bria Skonberg

During the Journey of Jazz cruise, Lee Mergner hosted a Listening Party with Bria Skonberg who played tracks from her recent album, What It Means and talked about the making of the recording. The album blends many different influences, but it has a decidedly New Orleans flavor thanks to contributions from Herlin Riley, Don Vappie and Ben Jaffe. Click on the image to the right to hear an excerpt from the conversation.

LISTEN TO FULL EPISODE

Signature Cruise Experiences Programs

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’26

Sailing Dates: 1.15.26 – 1.20.26                
Staterooms Available: Veranda, Ocean View and Inside
Special Offer: FOV Cruise Prices
Best Prices on Ocean View Staterooms

Christian McBride’s World at Sea

Sailing Dates: 1.20.26 – 1.27.26
Staterooms Available: Limited Availability in Most Categories
Special Offer: FINAL Cruise Prices! Best Offer in Years

The Jazz Cruise

Sailing Dates: 1.27.26 – 2.3.26
Nearly Fully Reserved
Staterooms Available: Only 33 Remain; 8 Staterooms with Balconies, 25 Ocean View & Inside Staterooms

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & ‘26.2

Sailing Dates:
2.3.26 – 2.10.26
2.10.26 – 2.17.26
Fully Reserved; JOIN WAITLIST

Top Shelf Country Cruise ‘26

Sailing Dates: 2.27.26 – 3.6.26
82% Reserved
Staterooms Available: Concierge, AquaClass & Veranda
Promo Code: CHRISTMAS

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3

Sailing Dates: 9.11.26 – 9.18.26
96% Reserved; fewer than 60 Staterooms remain
Staterooms Available: Fewer than 50 Staterooms Remain; 21 Concierge Staterooms; 9 Veranda Staterooms;18 Inside Staterooms

Botti at Sea III (’26)

Sailing Dates: 9.18.26 – 9.25.26
65% Reserved
Staterooms Available:
Concierge, AquaClass and Veranda (with balconies); Ocean View and Inside

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’27

Sailing Dates: 1.12.27 – 1.17.27
Lineup Announcement: TBD

The Jazz Cruise ’27

Sailing Dates: 1.17.27 – 1.24.27
Guests on TJC ’26: Now through 1.30.26, Guests may Rebook their ’26 Stateroom
Guests Not on TJC ’26: New Guests may complete a Pre-Sail Reservation
Guests with Pre-Sail Reservations may start to select Staterooms on 2.6.26

Journey of Jazz ’27

Sailing Dates: 1.24.27 – 1.31.27
Guests on Journey of Jazz ’25: Now through 12.12.25, Guests may Rebook Stateroom from Journey of Jazz ‘25
Guests Not on Journey of Jazz ’25: Now through 12.12.25, New Guests may complete a Pre-Sail Reservation
Starting on 12.15.25: Guests with Pre-Sail Reservations may start to select Staterooms

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.1

Sailing Dates: 1.31.27 – 2.7.27
Guests on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1: Now through 11.26.25, Guests may rebook their ’26.1 Stateroom/Guests Not on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1: New Guests may complete a Pre-Sail Reservation
Starting on 12.4.25: Guests with Pre-Sail Reservations may start to select Staterooms
Open Booking Starts: 12.29.25
Cruise Prices: As shown on website

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.2

Sailing Dates: 2.7.27 – 2.14.27
Guests on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.2: Now thru 11.26.25, Guests may rebook their ’26.2 stateroom/Guests not on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.2: New Guests may complete a Pre-Sail Reservation
Starting on 12.4.25: Guests with Pre-Sail Reservations
start to select Staterooms
Open Booking Starts: 12.29.25
Cruise Prices: As shown on website

Top Shelf Country Cruise ‘26

Sailing Dates: TBD
Announcement: TBD

Botti at Sea IV (’27)

Sailing Dates: TBD
Announcement: TBD

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3

Sailing Dates: 10.13.27 – 10.20.27
Announcement: TBD

The post Jazz Notes: 12.17.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

For 25 years, Signature Cruise Experiences and its predecessors have provided the finest jazz experiences in the world. Starting with The Jazz Cruise in 2001, our presentation of straight-ahead jazz has been second to none. Never wavering from our mission to present the finest jazz musicians in the world, The Jazz Cruise has celebrated the music that has defined the lives of so many top performers and fans.

Embracing “smooth jazz” was our next undertaking. The Smooth Jazz Cruise may be the most popular music cruise in the world. Since 2004, there have been more than 35 sailings of this program, each one fully reserved. Earning the title “Greatest Party at Sea,” thousands of guests have sailed on this program numerous times.

The Jazz Cruise and The Smooth Jazz Cruise can be viewed as bookends with the rest of the world of jazz in the middle. Bridging that gap has been a challenge, both optically and musically. The North Sea Jazz Cruise, Playboy Jazz Cruise and Blue Note at Sea Cruise were undertakings geared to present this robust and energizing section of the jazz world.

The reaction was like that experienced by Goldilocks. The first was too cold, the second too racy and the third was just about right until it ran out of time. Enter the next variety of cruise programs meant to straddle the various splinters of jazz.

Christian McBride’s World at Sea, Chris Botti at Sea and Journey of Jazz are programs intended to provide a wider bandwidth of great music. Christian’s cruise has a significant “straight-ahead” leaning, reflecting the nature of his music and legacy. Chris’ tastes run the gamut of musical genres as he paints with a broad brush.

Journey of Jazz will become our jazz program that melds jazz and experiences, each enhancing the other. The ’27 cruise, headed to New Orleans, is a case in point. In many respects, it will become the ultimate jazz experience.

Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences
michael@scecruises.com

Hitting the High Notes on Journey of Jazz ’25

Michael gave me the daunting assignment of writing about the music during the Journey of Jazz cruise, as he wrote in this past Weekender that I would cover hundreds of hours of music in, well, a few hundred words. I decided instead to simply write about what I found most memorable during our week hugging the West Coast with dozens of the greatest jazz musicians on the planet.

Celebrity Theater Concerts

This cruise, like many of our programs, featured special performances every night in the state-of-the-art Celebrity Theater, done as two shows so that every guest could experience the same set. Michael has talked about Marcus Miller’s History of Jazz show, which was excellent. But I wanted to give a nod to the “Great American Songbook” concert by Gregory Porter and Cècile McLorin Salvant, both of whom presented their own powerful sets. The theme aside, Cècile and Gregory both unapologetically performed material outside the usual jazz standards.

Watching Cècile perform her repertoire of veritable art songs in a duo setting with the gifted pianist Sullivan Fortner was like watching two noted actors playing a two-hander in a small theater. She later came out to sing a rendition of “If I Only Had a Brain” from The Wizard of Oz and sing a duet with Gregory on one of his originals. Yes, you had to be there.

Late Night Shows

Jazz people do tend to stay up late and they were rewarded on Journey of Jazz with multiple sets taking place around the Midnight hour.  

Everyone from Emmet Cohen to Sullivan Fortner to Tivon Pennicott kept our guests wide awake very late. My favorite late-night show was by Benny Benack III and Bria Skonberg, who have been touring together in a Sing & Swing show. Doubling as trumpeters and singers, they presented a whirlwind show that showcased their chops and charm.

Special Guests

With so many gifted musicians aboard, you had to expect that there would be plenty of sitting in on shows. A memorable one for me was the noted tap dancer Brinae Ali performing with Dee Dee Bridgewater, as well as with her husband, Sean Jones. As far as I know, it’s the first time we’ve had a tap dancer perform on one of our cruise programs.

Debuts

A few artists sailed with us for the first time, but I was excited to see the performances by saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, who came aboard with an all-star band featuring Jeff “Tain” Watts, Dezron Douglas and David Gilmore. Ravi also sat down with Marcus for a conversation in which he discussed his father’s legacy and its impact on his own life and music. So many of the artists are the progeny of past jazz players, including Niki Haris (Gene Harris), Benny Benack III and the Brubeck Brothers. That multi-generational aspect of jazz is one of its greatest assets.

Jazz on Film Sessions

I hosted three sessions showing clips of iconic musicians and talking with our artists about the subject. Dee Dee Bridgewater shared personal stories about Abbey Lincoln and Sean Jones explained how Dizzy Gillespie influenced him and so many other trumpeters. But it was the session on Ella Fitzgerald & Oscar Peterson that was a highlight for me, thanks to a stellar panel featuring Cècile McLorin Salvant, Sullivan Fortner and Kelly Peterson, who each offered insights into the unique greatness of those two legends.

Listening Parties

There were three sessions in which artists played music from one or more of their recordings, including Benny Benack III on his last two albums and Bria Skonberg on What It Means. Playing cuts from her album Lift Thine Eyes (that featured Eric Marienthal as guest soloist), Niki Haris not only explained the personal challenges and travails that inspired the recording, but sang along with the cuts being played, making the music come alive for us.

Master Classes

There were two master classes: a piano one by Tadataka Unno and a drum one by Carl Allen. I hosted the latter and learned a great deal about the role of a jazz drummer in a band and about the intricacies of the drum set itself. Carl is a bit of a comedian too, which kept things light.

Let us know what was most memorable for you during Journey of Jazz. Send comments to JOJ25@scecruises.com.

Lee Mergner
Jazz Advisor
Signature Cruise Experiences
lee@scecruises.com

Queueing Up for Journey of Jazz ’27

If you did not sail on Journey of Jazz ’25 (or your friends, colleagues, family) and wish to sail on Journey of Jazz ’27, you can establish your priority for a reservation by signing up for Exclusive Insider Access. Doing so puts you at the front of the line when the Rebooking Process ends and before Open Booking starts.

Signature Cruise Experiences Programs

’26 CRUISES

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise
1.15.26 – 1.20.26

Christian McBride’s World at Sea
1.20.26 – 1.27.26

The Jazz Cruise
1.27.26 – 2.3.26

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1
2.3.26 – 2.10.26

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.2
2.10.26 – 2.17.26

Top Shelf Country Cruise ‘26
2.27.26 – 3.6.26

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3
9.11.26 – 9.18.26

Botti at Sea III
9.18.26 – 9.25.26

’27 CRUISES

Journey of Jazz ’27
1.24.27 – 1.31.27

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.1
1.31.27 – 2.7.27

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.2
2.7.27 – 2.14.27

More Programs to be Announced Soon!

The post Jazz Notes: 9.24.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

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 the love of jazz, and George had the guile and ingenuity to pull it off. His brilliant stroke was the decision to advertise the musicians almost equally, as a group, creating what is now known as “festival style billing.”

The location was the Newport Casino tennis stadium. First billed as the American Jazz Festival, the event featured Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Gerry Mulligan, Milt Jackson, Errol Garner and more!

In 1955, the event moved to a larger park and assumed its current moniker, “Newport Jazz Festival.” George would go on to create similar festivals all over the world and rightfully be known as the founder/creator of the music festival.

In reviewing this story, I am struck by the overlaps in my own life. The jazz festival part is obvious, but I wound up going to college in Rhode Island, loving both jazz and tennis, and, most importantly, being tutored in the art of music events by George.

I have shared this before, but George performed on The Jazz Cruise, our first program, and loved the concept of jazz on a ship. He was free with his comments and suggestions and I was willing to listen to them all. We had different views on some issues, mainly because a festival guest’s commitment and expectations are different from a cruise guest.

In our case, a guest is “living, dining and being” with us for an entire week. If something is not to their liking, they do not have the opportunity to get in their car and leave. We must make it work for everyone.

There is a similar dichotomy with respect to the compensation and arrangements for the musicians. George ruled the festivals with an iron hand and a rather tight fist. Our plan is different, probably for the same reasons for our commitment to our guests. A festival musician arrives, performs departs. A cruise musician spends 7 days/7 nights/21 meals with us.

As I said earlier, George loved the cruise and tried to work out a way for us to incorporate a cruise with the Newport Jazz Festival. The idea was for the cruise ship to provide much needed “rooms” for festival guests. We would add either a pre- or post-festival element to make the cruise more appealing.  

Did we succeed in doing so? No. The governing bodies of Narragansett Bay nixed the idea of a cruise ship hanging around for 7 days. They were not concerned about what was going to happen in or on the ship. It was a case of what would come “out” of the ship every day.

If anyone needs a better explanation, please email me! I am leaving the rest of the festival story to Lee Mergner, including his take on the amazing job that Christian McBride, our host of Christian McBride’s World at Sea, does as the Music Director of the Newport Jazz Festival.

No one does jazz better than Christian McBride.

Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences
michael@scecruises.com

Xmas in August Cruise Prices for Christian McBride’s World at Sea

Jazz Fans from all over are raving about Christian McBride’s World at Sea! 9X GRAMMY® Winner Christian McBride is bringing together many of his world renowned ensembles with a virtual treasure trove of top vocalists.

Can any event vocalist lineup top Ledisi, Samara Joy, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Melissa Walker, José James and Angélique Kidjo? Making this cruise available to the entire jazz world was part of Christian’s mission from the start. Given the support of the cruise, he has decided to continue the Christmas in July Offers through Labor Day. Use Promo Code: XMAS.

Christian has also expanded the staterooms available for the offer beyond the original selections. As Christian would say, “check this out!”

Lee Mergner at the Newport Jazz Festival

The Top Ten Things
I Love About the Newport Jazz Festival

I’ve been going to the Newport Jazz Festival for almost three two decades now – initially as a fan, then later on behalf of JazzTimes as a marketing partner and for the last ten years as a temp employee in media relations. That’s why Michael asked me to write about this year’s three-day event which happened the past weekend. He also knew that I could share how our cruise programs have much in common with this storied festival. I decided to put my reflections into the form of a Top Ten list, ala ‘80s era David Letterman.

10. The Setting
The festival is held on the grounds of Fort Adams, built in 1841 at the mouth of the Newport Harbor and the Narragansett Bay. The grounds offers grand views and a natural setting, while the long circular stone fort enables the festival to use three large stages that can present live performances whose sound doesn’t bleed. The Fort Stage is the largest venue and the most iconic as it looks out onto the Bay that, beyond the field of thousands of listeners, hosts probably another few hundred fans in boats of all sizes, meaning they didn’t pay for tickets but they paid in full for their ride. During day-ending sets by artists like The Roots, Janelle Monae and Jacob Collier you could see those loaded freeloaders getting down. Inside the fort is the Quad Stage, which has a large tent and expansive grounds that allows for listening in seats or dancing on the grass. Going through a tunnel, you then come upon the Harbor Stage, which ended up hosting many jazz artists associated with SCE, including Emmet Cohen, Etienne Charles and Tyreek McDole.

9. The Weather
For just about anyone sweating through a 100-degree summer, finding the cooler and less humid climate of the renowned seaside town was a welcome respite. Thunderstorms do come and go, but this year’s festival featured dry and glorious weather in the ’70s and low ’80s, along with cool breezes. For our part, we’re so grateful that our concerts during the cruises are held indoors, except for the occasional pool party, so that we don’t depend on good weather for crowd comfort.

8. The Food
Every jazz festival has the usual choices from their food vendors – BBQ, pokey bowls, pizza, burgers, fries, cheesesteaks, ice cream, et al. But I don’t know of any that have the famous Matunuck Oyster Bar on-site offering lobster rolls and freshly shucked oysters. When in New England…

7. The Merch
In addition to all the food vendors ringing the grounds, there are also a host of arts & crafts folks, which has been a long tradition at the festival. Then there’s the jazz merch, with the festival selling all sorts of t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other apparel. Walking around the grounds, you see fans sporting shirts from festivals of yore, just like on our cruises, where you’re sure to spot a T-shirt from the inaugural sailing of either The Jazz Cruise or The Smooth Jazz Cruise.

6. The Diversity
I’m talking here not just about the music, which featured a wide cross-section of jazz and “jazz-adjacent” genres, but also about the audience, which included a diverse cross-section of age, gender and race. You were as likely to see seniors as kids in baby carriages, sometimes with the former pushing the latter. As anyone who goes to a lot of jazz concerts can tell you, that is an unusual but welcome sight.

5. The Community
This aspect is yet another commonality with our cruise programs. Throughout the three days, there was a real sense of community amongst the attendees, who treat the festival as an opportunity to reconnect and share the experience with family and friends. The same goes for the artists, who come to each other’s performances to listen and applaud. I saw the popular pianist Hiromi, who was headlining the last day at the Harbor stage, come out from her dressing room trailer to sit side-stage and watch Emmet Cohen play with his trio featuring Yasushi Nakamura and Joe Farnsworth. As Emmet came off the stage, she was the first person to congratulate and hug him (there would be others). Emmet in turn raced over to the Quad stage to see Nakamura play with his friends Cécile McLorin Salvant, Sullivan Fortner and Kyle Poole. The same day that Questlove headlined with The Roots, he played on a secondary stage with the Philadelphia Experiment with his lifelong friend Christian McBride. It’s the sense of close camaraderie that we see from the artists on our cruises year after year.

4. The Signs
Jazz fans who have attended JazzFest in New Orleans, the Saratoga Jazz Festival, the Montclair Jazz Festival or any number of jazz and music festivals across the country will surely recognize the ubiquitous signage that’s everywhere. Written in bold colors with a distinct hand-drawn font, the signs of Nan Parati comprise a special treat for festival-goers. For JazzFest, the largest of the bunch, she makes about 3,000 of them. For Newport, that number is closer to 1,000, but still impressive. She also applies her clever wit to the messaging, so that folks are always taking pictures of the signs. Below is an example of one she made for me in order to quietly let the accredited photographers know to leave the photo pit, and another for my wife Irene who runs the media hospitality tent. I’m keeping both for annoying house guests.

3. The Production
Just like with our cruises, Newport Jazz takes advantage of going back-to-back, in its case following the famous Newport Folk Festival held on the previous weekend, enabling them to use the same backline of sound equipment. In addition, they have retained the same A-list of production people who have done it for many years, ensuring a glitch-less production that runs on time. Good sound and punctuality truly matter to serious jazz and music fans.

2. The Discoveries
Of course, the music itself matters, and it’s a given that Newport Jazz always endeavors to present some of the most popular and acclaimed artists on the jazz scene, this year including musicians very familiar to our guests such as Dianne Reeves, Ron Carter, Marcus Miller, Terence Blanchard and esperanza spalding. But as we have learned in programming our jazz cruises, audiences also relish discovering new and emerging artists. For my part, I enjoyed seeing a full set by vocalist Ekep Nkwelle, who combines incredible vocal chops with a deep respect for the jazz tradition. Tyreek McDole, who has sailed with us as a member of the Jazz House All-Stars, is another singer who made an auspicious Newport debut. The powerful organ trio Parlor Greens knocked out the crowd, me included, with a funky and electric set, on Sunday morning no less. Those are just three examples of seeing musicians who represent the bright future of jazz. The festival further acknowledged the importance of introducing new artists by presenting a Friday night concert in town called Jazz Futures, featuring Christian along with numerous up-and-coming talents.

1. The Host
Speaking of the artistic director, throughout this year’s Newport Jazz Festival, Christian’s charismatic presence loomed large. He seemed to be everywhere – introducing sets, participating in workshops, doing press interviews, talking with both fans and artists and of course, performing on both acoustic and electric bass. In addition to the funky set by the Philadelphia Experiment, Christian presented a dynamic set by his big band, along with special guests Cécile McLorin Salvant and Jeffrey Osborne, two of the many vocalists appearing on his upcoming album, Without Further Ado, Vol. 1, coming out on August 29. But it’s in his role as the host of the festival that Christian really shines, setting a ton of warmth and inclusiveness all day, every day. He should host a cruise. Yes, indeed.

– Lee Mergner

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