BIRDLAND THE WEEKENDER
August 2, 2025

Our Take: How Do You Get To Birdland?

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…
MID YEAR REVIEW THE WEEKENDER
June 28, 2025

Our Take: Is it a June Swoon or Just a Nice Break?

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…
CHUCHO VALDES AND PAQUITO D'RIVERA
May 17, 2025

Our Take: The Jazz Cruise ’26 – Bigger & Better Than Ever

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day. I went to the cemetery to visit the gravesite of my mother. For those who do not know, my mother, Anita E. Berry, was the…
PEABO BRYSON
May 10, 2025

Our Take: Peabo is Back!

Peabo Bryson is a 2x GRAMMY® Winner known best for his ballads, duets with female vocalists and his participation in several Disney animated feature films as the lead male singer…
HOUSTON PERSON AND CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE
April 5, 2025

Our Take: JAM is Our Jam

For those who bet on this week’s Our Take being a commentary on Jazz Appreciation Month, you win. For those who felt otherwise, you are invited to our weekly poker…
JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH | JAZZ NOTES
March 29, 2025

Our Take: Almost Jazz Appreciation Month

Earlier this week, we highlighted the soon-to-be beginning of Jazz Appreciation Month. Well, we are still not there, but we are getting very close! That JAM starts each year on…
March 1, 2025

Our Take: Cruise Musings

Our final cruise program, The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.2, ended on Tuesday. Since then, we have pressed forward to address Journey of Jazz ’25, which sails this Fall, and to…
Botti at Sea 25 Peter Cincotti
February 15, 2025

Our Take: From Botti to Smooth

Botti at Sea ’25 ended on Tuesday morning and The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.1 was ready to go by noon that same day. Watching the transformation of the ship, the…
Top Ten List The Weekender
January 25, 2025

Our Take: Almost Sailing

Last night, we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale. On Tuesday, we will board the Celebrity Summit for the 25th Anniversary Sailing of The Jazz Cruise.
john clayton
January 13, 2025

OUR TAKE: A Potpourri of Activities, Emotions & Responses

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…