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, where you can choose your surroundings.

Take Journey of Jazz ’25! An early fall cruise on the West Coast with stops in Victoria and San Francisco caught the eye of many, as that sailing is now fully reserved. That the cruise includes some of the “hottest” jazz ever did not hurt, as well as an overwhelming interest in the amazing excursions we have curated for Victoria and San Francisco.

Our plan is to include those offerings, and more, when The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 and Botti at Sea III follow this itinerary in September ’26. Two more examples of “hot” jazz in “cool” environments.

In This Edition of Jazz Notes

In this edition of Jazz Notes, our jazz consultant, Lee Mergner, will be spotlighting the many talents of Katharine McPhee (David Foster: The Hitman Cruise) and will share his thoughts about Inside Straight (Christian McBride’s World at Sea). Michael Lazaroff will provide the latest updates on Journey of Jazz ’25, The Smooth Jazz Cruises in both ’26 and ’27 and the exciting news about Botti at Sea ’26. He will also share his excitement about The Jazz Cruise ’26. Here is a hint as to why he is so “jazzed up” for that cruise: Legends!

Journey of Jazz ’25

Fully Reserved

As shared above, Journey of Jazz ’25 is “fully reserved.” With just over 50 days before the cruise sails, there will be cancellations. All cancellations are filled from the Waitlist. If you are already on the Waitlist and wish to reaffirm your desire to cruise, please contact the office either by phone (888.852.9987) or by email (info@scecruises.com) to express your interest. If you are not on the Waitlist, click HERE to join. 

Stay tuned for more information about the next “destination” for Journey of Jazz!

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise

Katharine McPhee:
Singer + Actress = Entertainer

There are so many talented singers out there in the world, not only in jazz, but in just about every genre. But how many of them can act too? When we say “act,” we’re not talking about a part in a local theater product, but rather about performing a role (not just playing themselves) on network television or the Broadway stage or on film. 

Katharine McPhee first came into the public eye as a finalist on the fifth season of American Idol, during which she finished as the runner-up. But Katharine had always acted going back to her teen years in Los Angeles. In the hit TV show Smash, about the making of a Broadway musical, she combined her unique gifts as a vocalist and actress in her role as Karen Cartwright. She would go on to another major role in a successful TV show, Scorpion, playing Paige Dineen, during which she even got the opportunity to sing Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” in one episode. With her strong screen presence, Katharine has acted in numerous other shows and films over the years.

But it’s her prowess as a vocalist that brings Katharine aboard the David Foster Hitman Cruise in ’26. Guests of Botti at Sea ‘24 can attest to not only her vocal talents, but also her powerful and charismatic stage presence, owing to her vast experience as an actress. Recently, she has been touring with her husband, David Foster, and she always brings down the house with her dynamic performances. The two comprised a hit duo on yet another hit TV show, The Masked Singer, in which they performed as Banana Split. Katharine sang “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Don’t You Worry About a Thing,” while David conducted something resembling a band in the background. They didn’t win, but they showed the stuff they were made of, sans masks and costumes. A great singer partnered with a great pianist, composer and arranger.

Throughout her illustrious career, Katharine has shown herself to be more than just a singer with both chops and style. Quite simply, Katharine McPhee is an entertainer.

– Lee Mergner

McBride’s World at Sea

Inside Straight: Born at the Village Vanguard

Back in 2007, Christian McBride approached Lorraine Gordon at the Village Vanguard about playing at that historic NYC jazz club where he hadn’t performed for 10 years. Gordon was interested, but she was adamant that the band had to be different from the band he was leading at the time, which was the Christian McBride Band, who mixed acoustic and electric sounds. “Of course it would be okay, I’d love for you to come back, but you know what we do down here,” she told him then. “I don’t want that band that you usually play with here…that is not a band for the Village Vanguard.”

It was a fortuitous request, no demand, from the late owner, because Christian was already thinking of putting together an all-acoustic working band. “Knowing that I was going to play the Village Vanguard, which is the haven for real straight ahead jazz and real creative music, I called the top New York guns that I could think of,” Christian told Esther Belanga-Ryan of All About Jazz.

“Steve Wilson is a Vanguard regular, he is always playing there with someone. And Carl Allen and I have so much history together, he was a no-brainer. Eric Reed, we’ve been friends for 20 years, but we’ve never played together that often. And Warren Wolf, well, he was actually a former student of mine at Jazz Aspen Snowmass, the summer program that I’ve been the artistic director of for the last 10 years. He came out in the summer of, I believe 2000, and he was so incredible, he was so far ahead from everyone else. I promised to him, ‘Warren, one of these days I’m gonna start a band with you in it.’”

The group didn’t have a name during their successful run at the Vanguard. Almost a year later, the band performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival. “We were listed as the Christian McBride Quintet and you know, every jazz band in the world with five guys is called a quintet,” Christian recalled. “It’s boring. So what could we name our band? We were all sitting around trying to think of a name for the band and my manager and I looked at each other and he said ‘Look, let’s have a contest, we’ll have the audience name the band.’”

Among the 3,500 entries for the group’s band name was “Inside Straight,” suggested by Doug & Debra Moody (of North Coast Brewing). “It was catchy, you know?” Christian explained. “Musically, it describes the band. It’s inside, and it’s straight ahead, and it’s a totally acoustic quintet.”  

The group, which would later feature Peter Martin on piano, would go on to record three critically acclaimed albums for Mack Avenue and become a headliner at just about every jazz festival and venue in the world.

That all-star quintet is just one of the many stellar bands that Christian will bring to McBride’s World at Sea in January.

– Lee Mergner

Don’t Miss Out on Christmas in July

Christian McBride loves Christmas. He loves giving gifts and making people happy. So, when he learned that some folks who want to sail on Christian McBride’s World at Sea might need a little wiggle in the Cruise Price, he was determined to devise an offer that would please all.

So, with a Ho! Ho! Ho! and a twinkle in his eye, Christian has declared the first ever Christmas in July Cruise Offer. Savings of around $1,300 per person ($2,600 per couple) are available.

You can call the office or book online. This offer is for new reservations only and may not be used with any other offer or promotion. Be sure to use the Promo Code: XMAS.

The Jazz Cruise ’26

The Jazz Cruise is Legendary

The Jazz Cruise started in 2001, a quarter of a century ago, as the first program produced by the company now known as Signature Cruise Experiences. What began as a solid, but modest, cruise program that featured 50 or so jazz musicians has doubled in size, both in terms of the number of players and in the cruise’s prestige and profile.  Many call it “Jazz Heaven.” Many say it is the most important “straight ahead” jazz event of the year. Everyone who sails on the cruise calls it “home.”

Part of the appeal of The Jazz Cruise has been its lineup, which is always a blend of legends, current stars and rising musicians. The only requirement is talent and the willingness to share that talent with other musicians and our guests. The balance of these categories is customarily pretty even, though occasionally one category overshadows the others, giving the cruise a particular vibe. For The Jazz Cruise ’26, the legends rule the roost…and I could not be more excited.

Yes, Emmet Cohen is the host. Not yet a legend, but someone who has made a career of promoting honoring them. Check out this list: 

There are nearly 50 more of the world’s best jazz musicians on The Jazz Cruise ’26. When it comes to “straight ahead” jazz, they are all legends and, for the week of The Jazz Cruise, we will be in awe of their talents and their commitment to this program. The way in which they collaborate, unselfishly and brilliantly, is what makes this cruise so special to me and to our guests.

Where does this attitude and manner come from? What is the motivation for these top talents to be so respectful of each other? The answer is quite simple. Each follows the examples of the Legends mentioned above who, in turn, have followed the examples of the Legends before them. Each of them can point to one or more musicians who guided their careers and provided the model for their music.

Unabashedly, I admire and love the musicians on The Jazz Cruise. They represent all that is good about jazz, about music and about life. January 27, 2026, the first day of The Jazz Cruise ’26, could not come sooner. 

– Michael Lazaroff

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26

A Tail of Three Sailings

Since 2004, there have been 35 sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Each one fully reserved. Each one fully programmed with top musicians, exciting shows and great events. The ’26 sailings will, undoubtedly, follow in the footsteps of those great programs.

Both The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 and The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.2 are fully reserved. With more than 200 days from sailing, there will be cancellations and opportunities for those who are not booked to sail. Again, all cancellations are filled through the Waitlist, so, if you want to sail on either cruise, be sure to click on www.thesmoothjazzcruise.com, go to the Pricing page of the sailing you want and complete a JOIN WAITLIST entry.

Though The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 sails in over 420 days (September 11 – 18, 2026), that sailing is already 85% reserved. This program will be embarking from Vancouver with stops in Victoria and an overnight in San Francisco before disembarking in Los Angeles. The same excursions that we are offering for the upcoming sailing of Journey of Jazz ’25 will be available for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3. An announcement as to when folks may begin to reserve excursions will be made soon!

A Tease of Three More Sailings

Plans for three sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise in ’27 are nearly complete. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.1 and The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.2 will follow our customary Caribbean schedule, while The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3 will have its own itinerary and schedule. For now, we can say that the program will sail in the fall and will present ports of call that have never been scheduled for The Smooth Jazz Cruise.

As the title says…we are teasing these sailings.

Botti at Sea ’26

August 6 – Mark Your Calendars
Launch of Botti at Sea III

Today is 423 days before Chris Botti at Sea III (Botti Cruise) embarks from Los Angeles for Vancouver, BC, with an overnight in San Francisco and a full day in Victoria. This itinerary is the reverse of the itinerary that Journey of Jazz ’25 (JOJ) will be enjoying in just over 50 days. You could say that JOJ is doing a scouting run for the Botti Cruise.

Our leader, Chris Botti, has announced some superstar performers for this cruise: Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs, Melody Gardot, Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle. Amazing! With those announcements, fans have been reserving staterooms for this sailing. But, now it is time to announce the full lineup as well as share the schedule of great excursions that we have curated for your time in San Francisco and Victoria!

The expanded lineup includes many Featured Performers and Band Members who, with our top-notch Headliners, create a formidable group of performers. Most of the excursions are the same as the wildly popular excursions that our JOJ guests will be experiencing in September ’25. We have added a few new excursions, increased the dining options in both San Francisco and Victoria, and mixed in a new winery tour (Napa and Sonoma).  

The full lineup and excursion reveal date is August 6, 2025. Sign up here for our “real time” presentation of the news (3 PM ET). Yes, you guessed it – Chris Botti himself will be participating in the presentation, along with members of the staff of Signature Cruise Experiences. We will answer questions submitted and, of course, there will be a surprise or two for those “guests” participating.

Whether you have already reserved a stateroom, intend to do so or are just curious to learn more about the cruise, you are welcomed to join us for a fun hour or so. No obligation. No charge. Only a lot of information and the chance to hear Chris talk about his amazing cruise!

Signature Cruise Experiences’ Programs

JOURNEY OF JAZZ ’25
Fully Reserved

JOIN WAITLIST

DAVID FOSTER: THE HITMAN CRUISE
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S WORLD AT SEA
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE JAZZ CRUISE ’26
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.1 & 26.2
are Fully Reserved

JOIN WAITLIST

THE TOP SHELF COUNTRY CRUISE
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.3
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

BOTTI AT SEA’26
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

The post Jazz Notes: 7.23.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

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 of the year when no major professional games are scheduled. The ESPY Awards are tonight, as ESPN takes advantage of this sports hiatus to round up sports fans for an across the board honoring of sports achievements. 

Jazz does have its Jazz Appreciation Month (April) and its International Jazz Day (April 30), however, there is no day in the year where jazz is “off the air” or prohibited.

And, for that, we are eternally grateful.

In This Edition of Jazz Notes

In this edition of Jazz Notes, our jazz consultant, Lee Mergner will be analyzing the latest Downbeat Reader’s Poll, with a special emphasis on musicians who are part of our jazz cruise world. Michael Lazaroff will provide the latest updates on Christian McBride’s World at Sea and The Jazz Cruise ’26. Check out the growing SAILBOTH trend which is now a full-fledged program.

Unpacking the DownBeat Critic’s Poll

Jazz artists have a love/hate relationship with polls. That is, they love them when they win and hate them when they’re not even mentioned. With the demise of JazzTimes, DownBeat is the primary source for polls, as it has for many years going back to the birth of bebop. The magazine offers two – one surveying critics or, more accurately, journalists, while the other seeks the ratings of its readers. It’s always interesting to see both the overlap and the difference between the two polls, since critical acclaim and commercial success do not always go hand in hand. And to be chosen as the top, say, trumpeter or vocalist is no small feat given the large number of practitioners in the field.

This year’s DownBeat Critics Poll was just published in their August edition and we were glad to see a few artists from SCE’s cruise programs voted as winners, including Kurt Elling (male vocals), Cécile McLorin Salvant (female vocals), Ron Carter (acoustic bass) and Anat Cohen (clarinet). Many more of our artists were mentioned because DownBeat aims to be as transparent as possible and lists not only the runners up but also the number of votes they received from the more than 250 so-called “critics” in the 62 categories.

For example, although critics’ favorite Kris Davis was chosen as the top pianist, finishing under her were Kenny Barron, Sullivan Fortner, Gerald Clayton, Emmet Cohen, Bill Charlap, Chucho Valdés, Monty Alexander and Eliane Elias, all of whom have performed regularly on The Jazz Cruise. This trend repeated itself in many of the categories to the extent that more than 60 of our artists appear in the poll, with a few like Christian McBride, John Clayton and Paquito D’Rivera showing up in multiple categories. Critics tend to lean far to the left of center with mainstream and straight-ahead jazz artists and releases taking a backseat to more avant garde or uber-progressive ones.

Likewise, Smooth Jazz has never been a particularly popular genre with jazz critics, so we’re not surprised that only two of our artists from The Smooth Jazz Cruise found their way onto the poll. Can you guess who they were? (HINT: They represent two different generations and genders.) Speaking of gender, jazz journalism remains a veritable boys club with less than 20 female writers participating in the poll (which comes to under 10%). The good news is that the disproportion is not apparent with the artists, because women were chosen as winners in half of the 62 categories, particularly dominating in the Rising Star ones, a clear reflection of the excellent jazz education programs, like Jazz House KiDS, the Woodshed Network and Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead, that are nurturing new talent beyond gender.

The two artists appearing in the poll who sail on The Smooth Jazz Cruise were Marcus Miller and Grace Kelly. As for Marcus, it is a bit of a trick question. Marcus has hosted our North Sea Jazz Cruise, Playboy Jazz Cruise, Blue Note at Sea Cruise, Signature Jazz Cruise and is now the host of Journey of Jazz. Those sailings present “straight ahead” and “contemporary” jazz. Marcus’ music is a blend of all those genres, a mixture that our guests on The Smooth Jazz Cruise love. On a somewhat lesser scale, Grace moves in and out of various jazz genres. Both musicians balance virtuosity with accessibility. We’re sure that when DownBeat’s Readers Poll is published, we’ll see even more SCE artists cited, across the various jazz genres. 

– Lee Mergner

Back-to-Back: 
Straight Ahead Jazz Nirvana

Christian McBride’s World at Sea sails from Ft. Lauderdale on 1.20.26 and returns on 1.27.26 at 7 AM ET. At 11 AM ET on that same day, The Jazz Cruise ’26 starts boarding for a 7 day/7 night cruise that terminates on 2.3.26 in Ft. Lauderdale. Both cruises sail on Celebrity Summit.

For those two weeks, guests will see and hear the finest jazz musicians in the world.

…and many more! 

In all, during the two weeks you will see and hear over 180 jazz musicians, enjoy 400 hours of jazz entertainment, engage with nearly 4,000 guests and create a lifetime of memories.

Sail on one or the other but also consider sailing on both. There has never been this much “straight ahead” jazz in a two-week period.

Hundreds of guests have already booked both cruises. In recognition of this trend, we have created the SAILBOTH program! See details below.

SAILBOTH Program

Whether you are currently booked on one of the cruises and wish to add the other or looking to book them both now, you are eligible for the SAILBOTH program.

SAILBOTH Cruise Benefits

Reduced Cruise Prices

Concierge Services Between Cruises

Change Day Champagne Lunch

Concierge Services Between Cruises includes cruise staff assistance with new Cruise Identification Cards, assistance with moving if you are changing staterooms, special laundry services and more.

Signature Cruise Experiences will host a breakfast on 1.27.26 (change over day) for all guests in the SAILBOTH program. 

SAILBOTH Cruise Prices

Your SAILBOTH Cruise Price depends upon your current booking status.

If You’re Already Booked 

• Guests currently booked on either Christian McBride’s World at Sea or The Jazz Cruise ’26 will receive 25% off the website rate when adding the other cruise to create the ultimate two-week jazz vacation. *The 25% discount applies only to the new cruise reservation and does not change the cost of your existing booking.

If You’re Not Yet Booked

• Guests who are not currently booked on Christian McBride’s World at SeaorThe Jazz Cruise ’26 can receive 20% off the website rate for both cruises when booking them together. *The 20% discount will be applied to each new reservation.

To learn your SAILBOTH Cruise Price, simply call the office during normal business hours and ask one of our Guest Services Representatives.

888.852.9987
Mon – Thurs 10AM – 6PM ET
Fri 10AM – 4 PM ET

*Offer valid for new reservations only.

Journey of Jazz ’25
99% Reserved! Want to Sail? Call the Office!

Depending upon the hour of the day, Journey of Jazz ’25 is fully reserved or has limited availability. Sailing in just 60 days (9.12.25 – 9.19.25), staterooms become available due to last minute cancellations. Most are filled immediately by guests calling into the office or being contacted from the Waitlist. 

Though the Waitlist is long, most guests find it difficult to take advantage of the opportunity so close to the sailing date. But, if you are flexible enough to make it work, you may be able to join us for this amazing adventure.

The next sailing of Journey of Jazz will be 1.24.27 – 1.31.27 when we sail from Tampa and embark upon our journey to the home of jazz, New Orleans!  Stay tuned for more information.

Signature Cruise Experiences’ Programs

JOURNEY OF JAZZ ’25
99% Reserved ! 

BOOK NOW

DAVID FOSTER: THE HITMAN CRUISE
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S WORLD AT SEA
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE JAZZ CRUISE ’26
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.1 & 26.2
are Fully Reserved

JOIN WAITLIST

THE TOP SHELF COUNTRY CRUISE
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.3
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

BOTTI AT SEA’26
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

The post Jazz Notes: 7.16.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

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 our first West Coast cruise in nearly a decade.

What makes this cruise especially fascinating is the unique composition of our guests. While 34% are first-time cruisers – a typical number for a new sailing – the returning guests come from a wonderfully diverse mix of our other programs. Nearly equal representation comes from The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Blue Note at Sea and Botti at Sea.

Whether it’s the stellar lineup, the engaging itinerary or the late-summer timing, it’s clear that Journey of Jazz ’25 is striking a chord across our jazz-loving communities!

In This Edition of Jazz Notes

In this edition of Jazz Notes, our jazz consultant, Lee Mergner, will be sharing insights on Ron Carter, Boz Scaggs and Christian McBride’s Remembering Ray Brown ensemble. Michael Lazaroff will bring you up to date with the latest Christian McBride’s World at Sea video as well as The Smooth Jazz Cruises‘ 20 year association with Jonathan Butler.

Christian McBride’s World at Sea

Christian McBride: Check Out the New Video

Everyone in the world of jazz knows Christian McBride. He is one of the most popular and talented musicians, arrangers, producers and personalities in the genre. One of his superpowers is his ability to perform in and with various ensembles and configurations, as well as taking on the music of the world!

When he announced that he was doing a cruise, many fans were wondering which path of performance and music would he present. With so many choices, how would he program the cruise?

We should have known the answer. In fact, his response was the only possible result for Christian McBride. He is doing it all! His cruise will provide more hours of music and entertainment than any sailing we will have in ’26. As Christian says, “go big or don’t go at all.” Presenting the cruise in words is difficult, so we asked Christian to let us film him as he heaps praise on a banner group of 75 top musicians and vocalists.

Remembering Ray Brown….A McBride Class

One group that Christian will bring on McBride’s World at Sea that is particularly meaningful to him is the Remembering Ray Brown Trio, featuring Benny Green and Greg Hutchinson and honoring one of his mentors and heroes. “Ray was like a second father to me,” Christian explained. “I think most people who played with Ray Brown felt that way about him. In the early ‘90s, Ray sort of resurged his career as a talent scout for the younger generation. He hired Benny Green and Greg Hutchinson. He then went to hire Geoffrey Keezer, Karriem Riggins and Larry Fuller. He wound up being a mentor to Diana Krall. I was fortunate to be one of his musical kids.”

The first time Christian had a chance to hear Ray play, he was a freshman in high school in Philadelphia. “I was becoming very serious about learning how to play the bass and studying jazz,” he said. “So I went out and bought two of Ray’s records, This Is Ray Brown, and The Red-Hot Ray Brown Trio, with [pianist] Gene Harris and [drummer] Mickey Roker, recorded live at the Blue Note. Needless to say, I was floored. There’s just something about the way Ray plays: the sound, his time, his choice of notes.”

Several years later, Christian met Brown when the legendary bassist came to hear him perform a late-night set in a duo with Green. “I came into this joint late and they played for me, just for me,” Brown told Robert Doerschuk. “I was impressed with both of them. Benny wound up playing in my band later.” The two became close friends and subsequently performed and recorded together, along with fellow Brown acolyte, John Clayton, in a group called SuperBass.

Christian attributes Brown’s gifts to a combination of style and power. “Ray Brown was all about the ‘grease,’ as he used to say,” Christian explained. “The grease is where the flavor is. Ray was one of the very few bass players where drums seem superfluous, because his beat was so strong. I would talk to various drummers who played with Ray: Grady Tate, Jeff Hamilton, Greg Hutchinson, Karriem Riggins. And they all said that it was a major adjustment to play with Ray. They said that sometimes Ray could be too strong, to the point where they would play the drums and they would look over him and go, ‘Why am I here? You don’t need me.’ When Ray Brown would play a bass line, you got this feeling of a piston driving – poom, poom poom, poom. Every single note was full throttle. Some of the guys that knew Ray and loved Ray used to laugh, because Ray never really knew how to take his foot off the gas.”

In the years since Brown’s passing in 2002, Christian has regularly played shows with Green, Hutchinson, Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton and others to honor their hero and mentor. “The trio with Benny and Greg has turned out to be a pretty steady working trio,” he said. “So we just actually gave it a name and I’m really excited to bring them on the cruise.”

– Lee Mergner

Botti at Sea ’26

Boz Scaggs: Renaissance Man of Blues, R&B and Pop

When Boz Scaggs’ hit record Silk Degrees came out in 1976, it seemed to many people that he had come out of nowhere as an overnight success. But, in fact, he came out of a lot of places: Texas where he was raised, Madison, WI where he went to college and played in bands with childhood friend Steve Miller and San Francisco where he, along with Miller, refined his distinctive blend of blues, R&B, rock and pop. And his success in 1976 with hits like “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle” didn’t happen overnight, but rather was the result of playing in bands since 1959. Bands with names like The Marksmen, The Ardells, The Fabulous Knight Trains, The Wigs and The Other Side, none of which broke through to commercial success.

His initial success would come in the ‘70s as a solo artist. After releasing six albums as a leader, the singer-songwriter’s collaboration on Silk Degrees (with studio musicians who would later form the popular band Toto) was fortuitous for both. Toto came together as a band after touring with Boz and their sophisticated mastery of both funk and pop during the recording gave Boz’s album a (pun intended) silken sheen and result in a multi-platinum sales. Boz would go on to record more hit singles and albums over the years, even with a nearly decade-long hiatus from recording during the ‘80s. He’s been a headliner at theaters and festivals for more than four decades.

Although his music is firmly grounded in his R&B and blues roots, in 2003 Boz released an album of jazz standards, But Beautiful, which went to #1 in the jazz charts. Later in 2008, he recorded an album, Speak Low, which he described as “a sort of progressive, experimental effort…along the lines of some of the ideas that Gil Evans explored.”

For more than 30 years, Boz owned a renowned music club in San Francisco called Slim’s which closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. A true renaissance man, Boz and his wife also owned and operated a vineyard in Napa Valley, where they made wines throughout the ’00s. However, a devastating wildfire in 2017 destroyed his house, vineyard and personal belongings.

His extracurricular activities aside, it’s his music that will be the main attraction for guests of the West Coast edition of Botti at Sea, on which Boz will join fellow headliners Elvis Costello, Melody Gardot, Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle, and of course, our host, Chris Botti.

– Lee Mergner

The Jazz Cruise ’26

Ron Carter’s Detroit Roots

Most jazz fans know about Ron Carter’s illustrious long career, punctuated by his celebrated tenure with the great Miles Davis Quintet (along with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams), as well as his years as the leader of his own bands. But, they may not know about his musical roots in Detroit: a city that has produced a host of jazz greats, including Hank, Thad and Elvin Jones, Gerald Wilson, Milt Jackson, Donald Byrd, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell and Joe Henderson.

Born in Ferndale, Michigan, Ron chose the cello as his first instrument (his sister chose the bass). The Carter siblings, all immersed in music lessons, formed a family string quartet and for his part, Ron loved listening to the Bach Cello Suites. As 9th grader, he was first chair cello at Lincoln High School. In 1952, Ron entered Cass Technical High School, the famous Detroit public prep school that would produce so many of the aforementioned jazz greats. “You had to audition to get in, pass an exam and maintain a certain grade level to stay there,” he told Sharon Pendara of In The Trove. “It was like a junior college. Music students had to be in everything: I played alto clarinet in the band; tenor saxophone in the marching band; sang in the choir, man, it was a complete music program.”

The bassist Paul Chambers (who would play with another of Miles Davis’ great quintets) initially held the bass chair at Cass, but left school early to go to New York City, presenting Ron with an opportunity, albeit on a different instrument. “Paul left open a bass chair, so I filled it,” Ron explained. He immersed himself not only in mastering a new instrument, but also in learning jazz. 

“In those days, all the frat houses had jazz bands play on the weekends,” he said. “I’d been practicing classical my whole life, so I understood scales. I studied harmony and theory at Cass, so I wasn’t a stranger to how a jazz band played harmonically. I played Bach chorales for orchestra, but we played those in half the speed as a jazz tune. I had to acquire a language for playing faster tempos with jazz. The bass lines themselves weren’t complicated, but, because they came faster than I was used to, I couldn’t think quickly enough to play the right notes that would work.”

He ended up auditioning for the noted Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he received a four-year scholarship for classical bass. While at Eastman, he started working around town as a jazz bassist, backing artists like Sonny Stitt and opening for jazz stars such as Horace Silver, Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae and Oscar Peterson. “They assured me that New York welcomes guys who can play,” he told Pendara.

Indeed, Ron Carter could play at a high level then and for the next 70 years. We’re looking forward to Ron’s debut on The Jazz Cruise ’26.

– Lee Mergner

The Smooth Jazz Cruise

Jonathan Butler: The Straw the Stirs the Drink

Over the more than 20 years and 34 sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise, we have been fortunate to present some of the most amazing performers in the genre: David Sanborn, Bob James, Joe Sample, George Duke, Natalie Cole, Ramsay Lewis, Wayman Tisdale and more. Our current team of Marcus Miller, Boney James, Brian Culbertson, and Candy Dulfer have led the way for most of the past decade.

Great names and even greater performers. Yet, I can name only one artist who performed on the ship with all of them…and many more. From the very beginning of The Smooth Jazz Cruise in ’04, Jonathan Butler has stood as an icon of the program. He has been the catalyst for so much entertainment and music, that he qualifies more than any other performer as “The Straw that Stirs the Drink.”

Blessed with a voice unmatched in this genre, Jonathan can take any tune and make it his. He can sing a standard in calypso or a prayer in R & B. His renditions are honest and singular. Though smaller in stature, when he is singing, you cannot take your eyes off him or pay attention to anything else.

With that talent, comes an endearing and self-effacing manner. This dichotomy is the heart of his beloved Gospel Hours. His faith and reverence are obvious, but so too is his humor and playful manner. In the space of a single song, he can make you think, cry, laugh and pray.

His personal story is of growing up in apartheid South Africa, literally dirt poor, and using his talents to become that country’s rarest of all entertainers, a black man heralded by whites. Then off to New York at a very young age to launch a career that continues today.

No performer has performed on The Smooth Jazz Cruise more than Jonathan Butler. Not hard to figure out why.

Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences

Signature Cruise Experiences’ Programs

JOURNEY OF JAZZ ’25
Over 98% Reserved ! 

BOOK NOW

DAVID FOSTER: THE HITMAN CRUISE
is in Open Booking

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CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S WORLD AT SEA
is in Open Booking

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THE JAZZ CRUISE ’26
is in Open Booking

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THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.1 & 26.2
are Fully Reserved

JOIN WAITLIST

THE TOP SHELF COUNTRY CRUISE
is in Open Booking

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THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.3
is in Open Booking

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BOTTI AT SEA’26
is in Open Booking

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The post Jazz Notes: 7.9.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

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 point of view, the first half of ’25 was a winner. 

From all accounts, jazz events are doing well. There is certainly a lot of new music being produced and our artists and musicians are as busy as ever. Certainly, the travails that plague all live entertainment, rising costs and travel issues, are present, but we seem to be getting along just fine.

At Signature Cruise Experiences, our events earlier this year were wonderful and we are preparing the final the programming for Journey of Jazz ’25, rounding out the manifests and schedules for our ’26 programs, while assembling lineups and determining itineraries and lineups for our ’27 programs. 

From late February through July 4th, we are busy, but it is very manageable. From there through the Winter Sailing Season (ending in February ’26), it gets a bit harried, which is one of the reasons we take the week of July 4th off as a holiday. The team is told to go have some fun, but be more than ready to come back and do great things for our guests.

In This Edition of Jazz Notes

In this edition of Jazz Notes, our jazz consultant, Lee Mergner will be sharing insights on Christian McBride‘s impressive work as the host for two national jazz radio shows. He also writes about our very special opportunity to enjoy both Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera on The Jazz Cruise ’26.

Michael Lazaroff will bring you up to date with the latest news with our ’26 Cruises and will profile a few of the “hidden gems” in the David Foster: The Hitman Cruise lineup.

Signature Cruise Experiences’ July 4th Holiday – While We Are Away Protocol

As has been the case for several years, the Signature Cruise Experiences’ office will be closed for the week of July 4th during which time our While We Are Away protocol will be in effect. Starting on Saturday, June 28 through Sunday, July 6, if you wish to contact us to ask questions, you will need to email us at info@scecruises.com and one of our representatives will contact you. You are never out of our thoughts, and we are never out of your reach!

Tomorrow, you will receive a While We Are Away email that will outline how to use the online reservation system while we are on holiday.  

Our online reservation system will be fully functional during this time. If you wish to learn more about a cruise, make a reservation or just check in, go to www.scecruises.com and select the cruise you are seeking.

Our offices will be open as usual (10 AM ET – 6 PM ET) on Monday, July 7.

The next edition of Jazz Notes will be Wednesday, July 9. The Weekender will be presented on Saturday, June 28, as usual, but will skip a week and return on Saturday, July 12.

Christian McBride’s World at Sea
Christian McBride: Cruise Host AND Radio Host

As the host of McBride’s World at Sea, Christian McBride brings a lot to the table, as a bassist, band leader and curator. He’s also an adept interviewer with skills he’s developed as host of the SiriusXM radio show The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian. The show was initially created as a podcast in 2009, but it eventually migrated to the Real Jazz channel where it currently airs on Tuesdays at 6 PM ET and Saturday at 11 PM ET. Most of the episodes are taped in front of a live audience and feature not only interviews with notable musicians, but also impromptu and stripped-down musical performances by the guests with Christian.

When he started the show, he said “I’m not only excited about being able to expose different aspects of my personality, but also exposing different facets of the diverse guests who will appear on the show. Imagine hearing Chick Corea talk about football and to hear Angélique Kidjo imitating a New York cab driver. I mean, the show is special – if I do say so myself.”

In 2011, Mack Avenue released an album of 13 performances from the show including duets with Kidjo, Corea, Sting and Dee Dee Bridgewater.  Christian also presents the guests with a trivia pop quiz about sports, movies, comedy or other topics. Occasionally, he’ll give guests his version of a Blindfold Test, playing a track and asking the subject to identify the artist. Guests of The Jazz Cruise have been fortunate enough to watch many tapings of shows with everyone from John Clayton to Houston Person and can attest to the show’s lively and fun format.

But The Lowdown is not the only national jazz radio show that Christian is involved with. He’s also the host of the weekly NPR show Jazz Night in America, produced since 2014 by WBGO. Each episode of Jazz Night in America looks at a specific artist, scene, event or trend with a combination of documentary style interviews, footage and live performances. As the host, Christian acts as the narrator of these hour-long stories about the jazz community. Airing on more than 100 public radio stations nationwide, it’s more than a radio show, because many episodes feature video content which can be viewed online. This multi-platform format is something that NPR has had great success with its Tiny Desk Concert series.

Like his mentor, the late Dr. Billy Taylor, Christian has used broadcast media platforms to promote jazz artists, projects and organizations to a wider audience. Guests on McBride’s World at Sea will witness his unique gifts as an interviewer, honed through years of experience talking with his fellow artists for the radio.

– Lee Mergner

The Jazz Cruise ’26
When Does 1 + 1 = 3?
When Paquito and Chucho Each Bring Their Own Bands & Perform Together

Although Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés started playing together as teens in Cuba, it has only been in recent years that they have reunited for both a recording (I Miss You Too!) and tour. The two performed together during The Jazz Cruise ’24 and will reprise that pairing again on The Jazz Cruise ’26. In addition, both will be inducted into The Jazz Cruise Hall of Fame during a special concert in the Celebrity Theater on the ship. Guests of The Jazz Cruise will also be treated to performances by each of these legendary artists leading their own special ensembles. 

Paquito will present music from his upcoming release, La Fleur de Cayenne, highlighting his work with the Madrid-New York Connection Band, an ensemble of Cuban expatriates and a Colombian vibraphonist, who live in Madrid, Spain. The project began in the late 1990s. Paquito was enjoying a quiet evening at his New Jersey home when a car pulled up nearby. A handful of young musicians called out to him, explaining that they were Cuban musicians living in Spain who wanted to see where Paquito lived. That was how Paquito met Pepe Rivero, a pianist and composer originally from Manzanillo, thus beginning a long and fruitful musical relationship. Rivero introduced Paquito to other Cubans living in Spain, including drummer Georvis Pico, percussionist Yuvisney Aguilar, and bassist Reinier “El Negrón” Elizarde. While in Spain, Paquito would regularly reunite with his fellow Cuban musicians, along with the Colombian vibraphonist Sebastián Laverde. The Jazz Cruise audience will get a rare opportunity to hear the results of this unique collaboration.

During the cruise, Paquito’s longtime friend and colleague Chucho, who received the prestigious NEA Jazz Master award in April, will lead his acclaimed Royal Quartet, featuring three generations of top Cuban jazz musicians: Horacio “El Negro” Hernández (drums), José A. Gola (bass) and Roberto Jr. Vizcaíno (percussion). The group’s emphasis on percussion reflects the musical DNA from his homeland. “Every party in Cuba ends with the conga,” Chucho says. “Once the congas ignite, we all dance together.”

Chucho’s Royal Quartet recently released Cuba & Beyond, which pays homage to a few of his influences like Chick Corea (on “Armando’s Rhumba”) and Mozart (on “Mozart a la Cubana”), while remaining true to his unique blend of jazz and Afro-Cuban music. As the son of the legendary pianist Bebo Valdés, Chucho is in fact descended from Cuban music royalty, yet as our guests can readily attest, he, like Paquito, is both generous and humble with his fans and fellow musicians. We’re looking forward to hearing Chucho’s Royal Quartet during The Jazz Cruise ’26.

– Lee Mergner 

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise
Behind the Stars…Lots of Talent

Having produced cruise programs for more than 25 years, I know that we and our guests define our programs in terms of the headliners. Emmet Cohen is the focal point of The Jazz Cruise, Marcus Miller and Boney James, with a nice push by Brian Culbertson, embody The Smooth Jazz Cruise and, of course, David Foster, Christian McBride and Chris Botti are the epicenters of the cruises that bear their names. 

Totally understandable. Yet, when guests are pressed as to why they are excited about a particular program, most often the names you hear in response are those with less exposure for this particular cruise. 

It would be overkill to call them “hidden gems” of course, as they are often superstars in the genre. Perhaps, the best way to describe this phenomenon is that most Signature Cruise Experiences’ programs are an “embarrassment of riches” and it takes a minute to sort them all out.

In the case of David Foster’s cruise, there is David and Katharine, Babyface and, of course, Michael McDonald. If they were the only performers on the cruise, that would be more than enough to fill the bill. But the balance of the lineup is more than stellar.

We have shared our adoration for Take 6 many times. They are amazing. If you were on the last Botti at Sea sailing, you heard Peter Cincotti tear it up. The JR Robinson Band of JR Robinson, Myles Jasnowski and Mitch Towne combine legendary musicians at the top of their game. Nathan East is a monster.

Though I have not heard her perform live, the word on Pia Toscana is that she will be a huge hit on the cruise, as will Daniel Emmet and Frederic Yonnet.

Point made? One of the features of a cruise that sets this experience apart from any land based event is that the ship is more than a vessel for travel. It is a crucible in which very talented people are placed together for several days at a time. What emerges is a rich experience that includes the talents of superstars, stars and supporting performers.

As the old song said, “you can’t have one without the other.”

Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences

Signature Cruise Experiences’ Programs

JOURNEY OF JAZZ ’25
Over 98% Reserved ! 

BOOK NOW

DAVID FOSTER: THE HITMAN CRUISE
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S WORLD AT SEA
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE JAZZ CRUISE ’26
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.1 & 26.2
are Fully Reserved

JOIN WAITLIST

THE TOP SHELF COUNTRY CRUISE
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.3
is in Open Booking

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BOTTI AT SEA’26
is in Open Booking

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The post Jazz Notes: 6.25.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

In a few days, it will be Summer, as per the calendar. Depending upon where you live, the hot days may have already taken hold. But, even if your mailing address is the North Pole, Summer means jazz festivals and enjoying the great world of jazz!

At Signature Cruise Experiences, our events are heating up as well, as we close out our manifests and finalize the programming for Journey of Jazz ’25 and our ’26 programs, while assembling lineups and determining itineraries for our ’27 programs.

In this edition of Jazz Notes, our jazz consultant, Lee Mergner, will be sharing insights on the amazing lineup of vocalists on Christian McBride’s World at Sea, the return of Monty Alexander to The Jazz Cruise and an insider’s look at Kenny G, poised to perform for the first time on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘ 26.1 & ‘26.2..

Michael Lazaroff will bring you up to date with the lineup for Botti at Sea ’26 and will share his view as to why Take 6 may be the Band for All Seasons on our programs.

Those stories and more, including a quick update on the upcoming cruises.

Journey of Jazz ’25

Never Sailed With Us? Check This Out!

In just over 80 days, Journey of Jazz ’25 will begin its inaugural sailing. A few staterooms are available even now.

That does not mean that the cruise is not sold out. You see, the staterooms left are available only because a guest has had to cancel their reservation due to illness or other circumstances.

In fact, every stateroom has been reserved at some point in the process, some more than once. Rather than continue to promote those few staterooms, we would like to use them to invite folks who have never sailed with us to do so.

What remains available are a few Veranda and Inside Staterooms. The online Cruise Prices are intended for new guests and those prices have been lowered dramatically. Check it out at https://journeyofjazz.com/pricing/.

Everyone should sail on an SCE Cruise at least once. This is your chance.

Botti at Sea ’26

Full Lineup Coming Soon

While several headliners, Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs, Melody Gardot, Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle have been announced, since Botti at Sea III does not sail for 15 months, Chris and Signature Cruise Experiences have been very deliberate in completing the lineup for the cruise. We have waited long enough. Sometime between July 9 and July 16, the full (and final) lineup will be announced. You will love it.

The Smooth Jazz Cruise

‘26.1 & ‘26.2 Fully Reserved; ‘26.3 Staterooms Available
Update on ’27

Both The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 & ’26.2 are fully reserved. Cancellations will continue to occur, but they are filled immediately from the vast Waitlist. Staterooms are available for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3, which sails in 450 days.

In response to questions from our guests, we will be announcing the lineup for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.1 & ’27.2 (Caribbean Itinerary) no later than August 15, 2025. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3, which will have a “first time ever” itinerary, will be presented at the same time, though the lineup will not be confirmed until later.

For those wishing to mark their calendars now, here is the ’27 schedule for The Smooth Jazz Cruise:

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.1: 1.31.27 – 2.7.27
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.2:  2.7.27 – 2.14.27
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.3: 10.13.27 – 10.20.27

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & ‘26.2

It’s Not Just an OG…This is Kenny G

My interview with the iconic smooth jazz saxophonist who talked about his music (and his golf)

Kenny G loves to practice. Although his distinctive saxophone sound seems almost effortless, in fact it’s the result of hours upon hours of picking up that horn every day. “To me practicing is two parts,” he explained. “One part is that you’ve got to get that saxophone and mouthpiece in your mouth. You have to. Otherwise, you lose the muscle control. It’s a physical thing. It’s hours of practicing. I’ll turn on a golf tournament and watch while I’m playing my saxophone. That way I’m going to play longer and stronger.”

The second part is all about the technique. “It’s like a gym,” he said. “You’re exercising. I play every one of my exercises in every key and I play them slow or I play them fast. I try to circular-breathe them. Sometimes I go like 15 minutes without taking my mouthpiece out of my mouth because I’m circular-breathing a bunch of exercises. When I’m done with that, it’s like I take a 5-minute break now. That’s how you work it. So that when I play live, nothing is holding me back from what I want to do with the saxophone.”

The saxophonist sees an analogy with his aforementioned favorite sport. “Jack Nicklaus always said at the driving range, you practice the shots you’re going to use when you play,” said Kenny. “You’re not just going to hit a ball a certain way because you’re at a driving range. My practice sessions are so that when I’m out playing my game, figuratively speaking, then I’m going to be able to recall all these things that are in my muscle memory and they’re going to be licks that are going to be awesome.”

Those references to golf are not the idle comments of a fan or even a weekend hacker. Kenny G is apparently a kick-ass golfer with a scratch handicap, which—for those unfamiliar with the sport’s terminology—means he generally can make par on any course. Most of us mere mortals are happy to break 100, whereas the G-force on an average day is scoring in the ’70s. Perhaps one of the reasons that his playing in both music and golf seems to be related is that he started both at nearly the same age. He was 10 when he picked up both a saxophone and a golf club. The two pursuits have been symbiotically intertwined ever since. “I played in high school on the golf team. When I went to college, I stopped playing. Then when I went on the road, I did play more. Over the years, it’s been in and out of my life a lot.”

It wasn’t until the early ’00s that he got as serious about the sport as he did about the music. “Back in 2005 or so, I decided I wanted to get good and I said, ‘I’m just going to approach it like playing the saxophone, so I need to practice.’ But how do I practice? I have to practice the right things. I have to practice correctly. I sought out teachers. Fortunately, when you have a name that people know, you can make a phone call to people that wouldn’t normally take your call. You can go get a lesson from Tiger Woods’ teacher. I got the information I needed and then I just practiced.”

He takes his clubs with him when he goes on the road and does his best to fit in a round of nine or eighteen holes between all the rigors of touring. And, when he’s home, he practices the golf almost as much as the music. 

Make no mistake, whether on the course or on stage, Kenny G is fully prepared to give it his best. We’re looking forward to welcoming him for his debut sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 and ‘26.2.

– Lee Mergner

Christian McBride’s World at Sea

Songs of Singing

It should come as no surprise that McBride’s World at Sea is top-loaded with great vocalists, including Ledisi, Angélique Kidjo, Samara Joy, Cécile McLorin Salvant, José James and Melissa Walker. After all, our host has performed and recorded with numerous pop stars like Queen Latifah, Billie Eilish and James Brown, as well as veritable who’s who of jazz singers.

For Christian, his first experience working with singers came with one of his earliest gigs as a teenager in his hometown of Philadelphia.. He was just 15 years old when he was hired by saxophonist Joe Sudler and his Swing Machine big band that worked at just about every sort of function around town—from weddings to bar mitzvahs to private parties—albeit with a who’s who of local Philly jazz and soul cats including pianist Uri Caine, trumpeter John Swana, drummer David Gibson and saxophonist Zach Zachary.

For the young Christian, it was a crash course as part of the rhythm section for a band that featured vocalist Michelle Beckham, who could sing material from any genre. “I had to be ready for just about any tune that would be called,” he recalled. “The band’s book was huge. I had to learn so many songs and also learn how to think on my feet.”

In the ensuing years, Christian would go on to play with many great singers, and not just jazz stars like Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter and Diana Krall, but also vocalists in R&B, soul, funk, blues and pop. So when it came to curate McBride’s World at Sea, he knew who he wanted as headliners alongside his various groups—singular vocalists who transcend category. He first met the Afro-pop legend Angélique Kidjo at the grand opening of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville in 2005. “She basically put her finger in my chest and said, ‘We’re going to play together,’” he laughs.“ Later we recorded one of her hit anthems – ‘Afirika.’ She’s just a force of nature.”

As one of the judges for the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, Christian got an early look at Samara Joy who took the first-place prize in 2019 and who would then go on to become one of the music’s most popular vocalists, with multiple GRAMMY® awards and sold-out tours. “What most impressed me about Samara from the beginning was her diligence in wanting to learn,” Christian explained. “That’s what you want to see in a young musician. But she’s really an old soul.”

Speaking of old souls, Cécile McLorin Salvant seems to have channeled so many jazz greats into her creative DNA, yet has emerged as one of the most important jazz singers of her generation with a voice all her own. Often paired with the gifted pianist Sullivan Fortner, Cécile creates musical tapestries that draw on so many artistic colors. Quick, name the jazz singers who have received the famous MacArthur Fellowship, familiarly known as the Genius Grant? Yep, she’s the only one.

Christian was introduced to Ledisi by Peter Williams, a noted Bay area presenter, who told him, “You have to hear this singer.”  He indeed heard her and was knocked out by her facility to sing across many genres – jazz, R&B, soul, blues, etc. – but still retains her own unique voice. “Ledisi is everything – 50% jazz, 50% R&B, 100% soul.” 

José James has been a longtime favorite of Christian’s and is yet another vocalist who can sing jazz, as well as R&B, soul and funk. From his acclaimed tribute albums to Billie Holiday and Bill Withers to his own recordings of original music, José has carved out his own path as a once-in-a-generation singer and songwriter. “Way back in 2008, Terri Pontremoli, who was then artistic director of the Detroit Jazz Festival, introduced me to José,” Christian said. “We’ve been close collaborators ever since. It’s his jazz knowledge and understanding of tradition that makes his contemporary sound so amazing.”

Before Melissa Walker was Christian’s wife, he took note of her powerful presence on the ’90s jazz scene, fueled by the Young Lions movement, with a lot of machismo and notes. “It was a time when it was all about the instrumentalists,” Christian said. “But Melissa stood out as a jazz singer who broke through all that instrumental young lion energy.”

Christian’s deep-seated love of vocalists will be on display not only on McBride’s World at Sea, but also on his next two Big Band albums on Mack Avenue, which will feature several of the aforementioned vocalists. More on that later.

– Lee Mergner

The Jazz Cruise ’26

Monty Alexander: His Big Mistake

In recent years, Monty Alexander has performed a retrospective concert spotlighting his long and esteemed career that spans both decades and eras. Coming from Jamaica, Monty might surprise you with some of his early influences that include more than jazz, such as the reggae and ska of his native country as well as calypso and even cowboy music.  

“My heroes when I was younger were Roy Rogers and Gene Autry,” Monty explained. “I was a stubborn guy, so when somebody would say, ‘You should do this, you should do that,’ I did the opposite. I never took a lesson. I had a piano teacher who would rap me on the knuckles at seven years old. And I said, ‘The hell with this.’ I went home and I had fun playing boogie-woogie songs and that’s how my career started.”

In his teen years in Kingston, Jamaica, Monty played in a band called Monty & the Cyclones.  He was just 18 years old when he came to Miami to play in what he says were bars for gangsters. “Them guys carried guns,” he says. “That’s right, that was my Juilliard.” It was there that Frank Sinatra saw him perform and brought him to New York to play at Jilly’s Saloon, a club on 49^th Street owned by Sinatra’s longtime friend and aide Jilly Rizzo. As the house pianist there in the early ‘60s, Alexander met and befriended many of his heroes, including Duke Ellington, Milt Jackson, Ray Brown and Miles Davis.

Monty would become friends with Davis, who amongst other things shared his interest in a particular sport. “It was a hell of a time,” he recalls. “I would stop at Miles’s apartment and he had signs that said, ‘Go away.’ I’d knock on the door and he’d say, ‘Who’s there?’ I’d say, ‘Monty.’ He’d say, ‘Monty, come on in.’ And I’d hang out with him. I got to know Miles really well. We both loved boxing and me and Miles went to the Garden for boxing matches.”  Davis also shared with Monty a deep appreciation for Ahmad Jamal.

Ellington in particular looms large for Monty, not just because of his musical influence, but also because he wrote a letter on Monty’s behalf to the Department of Immigration so that the pianist could remain in the U.S. Milt Jackson and Ray Brown took a young Monty under their wings and Monty would pay it forward with our friends John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, who were both barely out of college when he took them on tour and recorded the seminal album Montreux Alexander in 1976.

“They all impacted me in such a personal way because I never went to any music school,” Monty says. “I don’t read music. If you want to look at it in a sort of silly way, I’m just one big mistake.” We’re thrilled to have that “big mistake” return to wow our guests again on The Jazz Cruise ’26. 

– Lee Mergner

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise

Take 6: The Band for All Reasons

I can name five different cruise programs of ours that have featured Take 6, one of the world’s most beloved and talented acapella singing groups/bands. Their music can fit into virtually every cruise program we produce, which is why you will see them on our cruise roster time and time again.

First of all, they are great performers. 10 GRAMMY® Awards, 10 GMA Doves and three Gold Albums confirm that tout. Second, they are so much fun to be around and they enjoy our cruises and our guests. Third, as I said above, their music makes everyone happy, regardless of the main theme genre of the program.

Last, but certainly not least, they are true professionals. Case in point was last year’s McDonald LaBelle Cruise. When Take 6 learned that Michael McDonald was performing, they jumped at the chance to be his background vocal team. Mind you, this offer was made on the ship!  

No notice. No rehearsal. No hesitation. No doubt, one of the coolest performances on our cruise stage ever. Michael McDonald, a band led by Marcus Miller and Take 6 providing additional vocals. Really? It is moments like that which make me love what we do.

Take 6 will be a featured performer on David Foster: The Hitman Cruise. Now, let me see, who else is on that cruise? Michael McDonald. Can anyone spell “reprise”?

One final confession. Take 6 is my favorite performing group of all time. If it were up to me, they would be on every cruise. Yeah, it may be up to me after all, but you get my point. The only thing better than Dave Brubeck’s “Take 5” is our Take 6!


Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences

The post Jazz Notes: 6.18.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

For as long as we can remember, we have identified our charter cruise programs as “The Gold Standard for Jazz at Sea Since 2001.” While that is a true statement, our company was actually formed 25 years ago this month. Yes, Jazz Cruises, which became Entertainment Cruise Productions, which reverted back to Jazz Cruises and is now known as Signature Cruise Experiences was formed on June 14, 2000. 

Does this mean that we are celebrating our 25th Anniversary as a company? Perhaps! Technically, 2025 is the 26th year we have been operating, but, in terms of counting years from our beginning to now, we have been operating for 25 years.

Even thought we’re not sure which is right, for the sake of simplicity, we have been sailing since 2001, but we have been operating since 2000. We love to celebrate, so we are declaring Saturday, June 14, 2025, as our 25th Anniversary!

A more formal celebration will be forthcoming, but, for now, we will simply enjoy the fact that we have survived 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, two nationwide financial crises and the Pandemic! Most importantly, we have sailed over 100 times, entertained thousands of guests and featured hundreds and hundreds of musicians.

Along the way, we have made a lot of friends and had a great time doing so. We owe you, our guests, everything in the world and we hope to continue showing you how much you mean to us for many years.

Journey of Jazz ’25

Sailing in 93 Days!
Some Staterooms Are Still Available! Final Days Sale to Sail!

It has been several years since we have sailed on the West Coast and equally long ago since we curated on land excursions for our guests.

But, when we learned of a 7-day/7-night cruise on our favorite ship, Celebrity Summit, which was sailing from Vancouver to Los Angeles with stops in Victoria and San Francisco, we jumped! So did our cruisers. 

Journey of Jazz ’25 is 97% reserved, making it one of the most popular first-time programs in our 25+ year history. And, why not? The lineup is amazing, one of our very best, and, in addition to our customary 200+ hours of entertainment onboard, there are spectacular excursions for you when we are in Victoria and San Francisco. To learn more about the music and the excursions, check out the website

25th Anniversary Special Offer: 
Final Days Sale to Sail!

There is still time to reserve a stateroom for Journey of Jazz ’25. The remaining inventory includes a dozen or so Veranda Staterooms and some Inside Staterooms. 

For a limited time, these staterooms are being offered at the lowest Cruise Prices of the program.

Cruise Prices are per person and based upon double occupancy. This promotion is for new reservations only and may not be added to other discounts or offers.

You may complete a reservation online or by calling the office. No promo code is required. These Cruise Prices are displayed on the website.

The Roots of Michael McDonald

We’re excited that Michael McDonald, who has sailed with us on The Smooth Jazz Cruise and who co-hosted the McDonald-LaBelle Cruise, will be performing on David Foster: The Hitman Cruise in January.

Most of us know Michael’s numerous hits, from his lead vocals on those Doobie Brothers‘ songs like, “What a Fool Believes,” “Minute by Minute” and “Takin’ It To the Streets,” to his solo career with tunes like “I Keep Forgettin’,” “Ya Mo B There” and of course, “On My Own” with Patti LaBelle (featuring David Foster on keyboards), but what about his music and his life before that massive success? He sang background vocals on Steely Dan hits like “Peg” and “Black Friday.” During the sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’23, Michael sat down with host Marcus Miller and detailed his “overnight success” that took more than a few years. 

It all started in Kirkwood, Missouri (yes, not far from the SCE offices in St. Louis and the same hometown that produced David Sanborn) where he was born and raised and was exposed to the music of Ray Charles through his aunt and mother, who both owned copies of Ray Charles’ classic The Modern Sounds of Country Music, which, along with the music of Nat King Cole, would become a formative influence on a young McDonald. “I loved that album,” he explained to Marcus. “I laid on my back on the floor with my head between those speakers and listened to that for probably a thousand times.”

No surprise that those same ears that earlier were stuck between speakers listening to Charles and Cole, would be the same ones that he would use to learn tunes on the piano. “I just learned songs on the radio, you know? To this day, half the time I’m not sure what key I’m in when I’m playing, I’m just doing it by instinct and memorizing the chords.”

Michael would go on to play keyboards and rhythm guitar in a succession of local rock and pop bands, including Mike and the Majestics, Jerry Jay and the Sheratons, The Reeb-Toors/Younger Brothers and the Guild. Amazingly, during that knock-around period, McDonald and friends as a local club’s house band would back legends like B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry. But it was a stint with a local band called Blue that McDonald was discovered by RCA staff producer Rick Jarrod who offered him a record contract and brought him to Los Angeles.

It was there in Los Angeles, that McDonald caught on as a background vocalist and later got his entry into the Doobie Brothers around 1975 when Tom Johnston, founding member and songwriter of many of the band’s early hits, had to come off the road with an illness in the middle of the tour. The guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, who had played with McDonald with Steely Dan, recommended McDonald as a fill-in, saying that they’d not only get a vocalist but a keyboardist too. “They didn’t even have time to audition me. I just showed up in New Orleans and we rehearsed the show and in two days we were finishing out the tour. I came to find out that they wanted me to stay on afterwards, so I did the next record with them and just became real fast friends with the guys, Tommy included.” In fact, Michael still plays and sings with the group, who tour regularly.

The rest is history, which is well documented in the popular Netflix documentary Yacht Rock, in which Michael is prominently featured. You can hear more of Michael’s story in the interview that Marcus did, in this episode of the Jazz Cruises Conversations podcast. We’re looking forward to seeing the great Michael McDonald performing during the upcoming David Foster: The Hitman Cruise.

– Lee Mergner

Janis Siegel Sailing Solo

We like to say that this is Janis Siegel’s first sailing on The Jazz Cruise, but that’s not really accurate. The renowned vocalist sailed with us as a member of the seminal vocal group The Manhattan Transfer about 10 years ago. Long considered, along with Take 6, the preeminent vocal jazz group, as well a perennial poll and GRAMMY® winner, that influential quartet performed their final concert on December 15, 2023 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Janis joined The Manhattan Transfer in 1972, but throughout her years with the group she maintained an active solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums as a leader. On her most recent album, Colors of My Life, she joined forces with The Manhattan Transfer’s longtime music director, pianist Yaron Gershovsky, to celebrate the songbook of Cy Coleman, whose musicals included Sweet Charity and City of Angels. 

Truly a singer’s singer, Janis also co-hosts Singers Unlimited, a radio show on WBGO in Newark, NJ, in which she not only spins jazz vocal cuts, but also interviews, with her co-host Lezlie Harrison, many of her peers in the vocal jazz community, including several who have sailed on our programs, such as Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, Nnenna Freelon, Veronica Swift and Jazzmeia Horn. The show airs on WBGO on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8-10 AM, and Thursday morning from 6-8 AM, but you can listen to past shows here.

This will be Janis’s first sailing as the leader of her own group, which features pianist John di Martino, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Vince Cherico.

“I am really looking forward to presenting my new recording project The Art of Vocalese during the cruise.” she says. “This is an album very close to my heart. As a member of The Manhattan Transfer, my group and I explored many facets of this vocal art form, almost from our inception in 1972 and we were blessed to know and work with two pioneers of vocalese – Eddie Jefferson and Jon Hendricks. This record is really a love letter to Jon and I am thrilled to be presenting some lyrics of his that, to my knowledge, have never been recorded or, at the least, have been under-recorded. I made this CD with John di Martino, who did all the arrangements.

“For us, it is a full circle of sorts since we first met on The Jazz Cruise, when John was playing with Houston Person and I was performing with The Manhattan Transfer. I sat in with John at the jam session for several nights and immediately recognized his mastery and his love of singers and songs.”

– Lee Mergner

Christian McBride’s History as an Artistic Director

Christian McBride’s World at Sea is not Christian’s first rodeo, at least in terms of curating a festival or event. For more than two decades, the bassist/bandleader has been the artistic director for several of the most prestigious jazz festivals and events in the world. One of the biggest opportunities initially came from the LA Philharmonic back in 2006, when Laura Connelly reached out to Christian to ask him to be the artistic director of its jazz series held at both the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall. For the next four years, he would produce concerts there including an historic one featuring his lifelong hero James Brown, revisiting the music from Soul on Top. The Godfather of Soul was not the only R&B great who would get the McBride Touch. How about Queen Latifah singing jazz standards? Or rock star Bruce Hornsby showing off his pianistic chops? Christian learned then and there that to sell more than 10,000 tickets for concerts in a jazz series, you better bring some celebrity and star power along with your usual jazz suspects.

Over the years, Christian would be offered other opportunities to curate programs for jazz organizations all over the country, not all of which involved selling tickets. Most jazz fans might not know about Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS) Academy, but like Vail Jazz, the Stanford Jazz Workshop and Jazz Port Townsend (where Jeff Hamilton first discovered Diana Krall), that summer jazz education program has produced so many young jazz stars, including many who have sailed on our jazz programs. Since 2000, Christian has been the artistic director for the JAS Academy Summer Sessions. He would apply the lessons learned from that program to his work with Jazz House KiDS in Montclair, NJ, yet another jazz education program that has produced many a jazz pro.

Of course, Christian also programs the Montclair Jazz Festival, presented by the Jazz House in his hometown. Since its humble beginnings in 2009, this free outdoor festival held in mid-September has grown to become the largest jazz festival in the New York City area, attended by more than 20,000 people. Among the festival’s headliners over the years are Monty Alexander, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Eddie Palmieri, Lisa Fischer and many other jazz greats.

In 2004, The National Jazz Museum of Harlem (NJMH) enlisted Christian as its artistic director, a position he shares with fellow GRAMMY® award-winner Jon Batiste. The NJMH presents over 120 free and low-cost workshops, performances and events every year, including tapings of Christian’s interview show The Lowdown for SiriusXM. 

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) brought Christian aboard in 2012 as its artistic advisor for jazz programming, in order to program not only its jazz series throughout the year, but also the TD James Moody Festival, which includes the prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition with whom Christian serves as one of the judges. Among the winners in that competition are Samara Joy, Jazzmeia Horn and Tyreek McDole, each of whom have sailed with us on The Jazz Cruise.

The Newport Jazz Festival, founded by George Wein in 1954, is rightfully considered the grandparent and gold standard of all jazz festivals. In 2016, George handed the reins for the curation of the festival to Christian, who works closely with executive director Jay Sweet to present this iconic three-day event in early August every year. Last year, for the first time since 1969, the festival sold out for all three days. This year’s festival, which will feature headliners such as Dianne Reeves, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Ron Carter, esperanza spalding and The Roots, is well on its way to another sellout for all three days. Appearing at Newport this year will be the Christian McBride Big Band, who are a central part of the programming for McBride’s World at Sea.

Christian admits that when he was first approached by SCE’s Michael Lazaroff to host his own cruise, he thought that he would be programming it like he’s done with so many of the festivals. “I was surprised when he told me that he wanted to build the cruise around me and my groups,” Christian said. “No one has ever asked me to do that before.” The result is a cruise program that will feature not only several of his bands, but also an all-star lineup of guest vocalists like Samara Joy, Ledisi, Angélique Kidjo, José James, Cécile McLorin Salvant and Melissa Walker, all curated by the best artistic director in jazz.

– Lee Mergner

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The post Jazz Notes: 6.11.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

We are 100 days from the inaugural sailing of Journey of Jazz! Signature Cruise Experiences has been eagerly waiting for this program since it was first conceived more than a year ago. 

The excitement and anticipation are due to three amazing elements of the program:
 

1. Special Itinerary (Vancouver-Victoria-San Francisco-Los Angeles)
2. Curated Excursions in Victoria and San Francisco
3. Superstars of Jazz Lineup

In this edition of Jazz Notes, we will explore each of those topics in detail. For those who are sailing on the cruise, this information will be helpful for your planning.

And, for those who are not sailing on the program, first, there are a few staterooms available (information below) and second, hopefully you will find the information of interest, particularly since both Botti at Sea ’26 and The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 will have similar itineraries and curated excursions.

Journey of Jazz ’25

Legends, Superstars & Amazing Land Excursions Sailing in 100 Days!
Some Staterooms are Still Available! 

In 100 days, Journey of Jazz ’25 will begin its inaugural sailing. It has been more than 10 years since Signature Cruise Experiences (SCE) sailed in the Fall or on the West Coast.
 

The Itinerary
At that time, both The Jazz Cruise and The Smooth Jazz Cruise sailed from San Diego, with stops in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. Those sailings were in the Fall and were enjoyed by all. Fall in the Pacific Ocean produces calm seas and lovely weather.

We did not repeat a West Coast sailing immediately. Alternative itineraries were scarce and to do so would have jeopardized our “standard” sailing times in January and February in the Caribbean. For various other reasons, though we discussed circling back to the West Coast, we did not do so.

But, when we learned of a 7-day/7-night cruise on our favorite ship, Celebrity Summit, which was sailing from Vancouver to Los Angeles with stops in Victoria and San Francisco, we jumped! So did our cruisers,

The Excursions

Though SCE has offered some Artist Hosted Events when docked from time to time, only The Jazz Cruise ’18 offered a variety of on land events while docked in a particular city. In that case, the city was New Orleans and the experience was amazing! Spoiler alert…rumor has it that The Jazz Cruise ’27 may be headed back to New Orleans for some more gumbo, jazz and fun.

With an itinerary that included a full day in Victoria and an overnight stay in San Francisco, SCE decided to see if it could put together some first-class special excursions just for our guests. Included in those events are:

Victoria

• Concert at McPherson Playhouse featuring Warren Wolf
• Various Sightseeing Tours of Victoria
• Whale Watching

San Francisco

• Trips to wineries in Napa
• Trips to wineries in Sonoma
• Napa Valley Wine Train (chartered)
• Concert at SFJAZZ featuring SFJAZZ Collective
• Concert at SFJAZZ featuring Ron Carter Quartet
• San Francisco Culinary Experiences, curated by Michael Bauer
  

The San Francisco Culinary Experiences can now be reviewed and registered for at the below links: 

Guests on Journey of Jazz are invited to select the Culinary Experience(s) that interest them and add them to their reservation. Final pricing and menus will be confirmed and announced approximately two months before sailing.

You may also view details of all Excursions offered, some of which are fully subscribed at this time.

These excursions are being presented at cost with no fees or commissions to SCE. Our goal was to make this cruise program as special as possible and it is our pleasure and honor to curate these events for our guests.

The Talent

Every SCE Jazz Cruise program is scheduled to present at least 200 hours of onboard entertainment. Journey of Jazz goes beyond that threshold, highlighted by a nighty main show lineup of superstar after superstar.

The hosts are Marcus Miller and Gregory Porter, Diana Krall is the Special Guest in Victoria and the world-famous Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra is the Special Guest in San Francisco. Cécile McLorin Salvant joins for the last leg of the cruise and NEA Jazz Masters Dee Dee Bridgewater and Chucho Valdés are sailing all week along with Ravi Coltrane, Brubeck Brothers, Emmet Cohen, Benny Benack III and Bria Skonberg. The Journey of Jazz Bands, led by Music Director Eric Marienthal includes Julian Pollack, Sullivan Fortner, Russell Gunn, Sean Jones, Jon Hamar and Anwar Marshall. Great, great lineup. 

The few remaining staterooms (around 50) and the final prices are on the website. Still time to join the fun.

Christian McBride’s World at Sea ’26

Jazz Notes Special Patron Pricing Offer Expires June 30

As we shared with you last week, with all the excitement surrounding Christian McBride’s World at Sea ’26, we forgot to offer our Jazz Notes readers an introductory offer for the cruise. Normally, when a cruise is launched, those guests who sailed on the program before are provided with special privileges and pricing. With this being the first sailing of Christian McBride’s World at Sea, there are no past guests, so we have decided to make this offer to our loyal supporters who read Jazz Notes!

The accolades and interest for Christian McBride’s World at Sea ’26 are amazing. To make this new program available to everyone, for a limited time, readers of Jazz Notes can reserve selected staterooms at the lowest price that will be offered.

*Prices are per person, based upon double occupancy and are non-commissionable. This offer may not be combined with any other offer, promotion, or promo code and is available only for new reservations.

Here are the simple steps to reserve a stateroom on Christian McBride’s World at Sea ’26 and do so at JAZZNOTES Patron Pricing.

STEP 1:  
Either go online to www.mcbridesworldatsea.com or call the office during business hours (toll free @ 888.852.9987).

STEP 2:
Select a stateroom either online or with the assistance of our representative.

STEP 3:
Utilize the Promo Code: JAZZNOTES.

STEP 4:
Get Ready for the Most Amazing Week of Music Ever!

This offer will expire on June 30, 2025 and may not be used with any other offer, discount or pricing promotion.

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise

Signature Cruise Experiences is the most accomplished presenter of jazz at sea in the world. No doubt about that.

Over the years, we have produced cruises outside that format, sometimes way outside that format. Star Trek: The Cruise, NASCAR: The Cruise, Elvis: The Cruise and several other music genre driven programs that were outside the world of jazz have dotted our agenda from time to time.

For months, we have been promoting our country music cruise, Top Shelf Country Cruise, which features Keith Urban, Lee Brice, Scotty McCreery, Parmalee and LeAnn Rimes. Country music’s top radio personality, Bobby Bones, is the host. We are excited about this program, though we do not expect many of our jazz folks to hitch their wagon to this event.

Our latest cruise is closer to our world of jazz, by far. World renowned producer, composer, arranger and musician, David Foster, is hosting a cruise program that bears his name and his style. The 16X GRAMMY® Award winner has invited Michael McDonald, Babyface, Peter Cincotti, Take 6, Pia Toscano, Daniel Emmet, Emmet Cohen, Nathan East, Noah East, Frederic Yonnet and others to join him for a 5 day/5 night/5 star cruise. 

Also appearing with Foster is Katharine McPhee, a superstar singer and actress, who is also Foster’s wife.

The cruise sails immediately before Christian McBride’s World at Sea, both on Celebrity Summit. It may not be jazz, but it is great, great music and entertainment. Try it, you will probably love it.

The post Jazz Notes: 6.4.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Jazz Notes. This correspondence is more informal than The Weekender, our Saturday Morning Jazz Fix Since 2016. Jazz Notes is meant to share behind the scenes information about the cruises, bring you up to date with our programs and provide some insights as to the musicians performing.

We trust that everyone had a pleasant Memorial Day holiday. Not only is that weekend the traditional start of Summer, but it is also the beginning of a 38-day sprint of undertakings at Signature Cruise Experiences that only pauses for the 4^th of July celebration. 

We have a lot of information about our cruise programs to share with you in this edition of Jazz Notes, as well as Lee Mergner’s take on presenting four NEA Jazz Masters on The Jazz Cruise ’26 and an insider’s view as we prepare to launch sailings in ’27!

Ready to get started? 

Cruise Updates

Journey of Jazz ’25
Legends, Superstars and Amazing Land Excursions Sailing in 107 Days!
Limited Staterooms Available!

In 107 days, Journey of Jazz ’25 will begin its inaugural sailing. It has been more than 10 years since Signature Cruise Experiences sailed in the Fall or on the West Coast. As noted previously, when we learned of a 7-day/7-night cruise, on our favorite ship, Celebrity Summit, from Vancouver to Los Angeles, with stops in Victoria and San Francisco, we jumped! So did our cruisers. 

Fewer than 70 Staterooms (Concierge Class / Veranda / Inside Staterooms) remain available, all at favorable prices which you can see on the website. No promo codes are required. You may complete a reservation online or by calling the office.

Journey of Jazz ’25 combines the tradition of our wall-to-wall onboard performances with the very best land excursions we have ever been able to offer.

Onboard Entertainment

Our goal is always to present 200+ hours of onboard entertainment. The cruise lives up to that goal and offers a Main Show schedule that is second to none:
 

• Night 1:  Marcus Miller’s History of Jazz Program
• Night 2:  An Evening with Diana Krall
• Night 3:  An Evening with Gregory Porter
• Night 4:  NEA Jazz Master Night:  Dee Dee Bridgewater & Chucho Valdés
• Night 5:  The Big Band is Back:  Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
• Night 6:  Cécile McLorin Salvant / Gregory Porter’s Great American Songbook
• Night 7:  Marcus Miller’s Jazz Going Forward

SCE-Curated Excursions

For only the second time in our 25+ year history, we are presenting our own produced land-based excursions.

In Victoria, we have a private jazz show featuring Warren Wolf and several tours and excursions that Celebrity Cruises will be presenting. By overnighting in San Francisco, we have two full days for events.

Guests may choose from several Napa and Sonoma wine tours, special lunches and dinners and two fabulous shows at SFJAZZ (SFJAZZ Collective and Ron Carter Quartet).

We cannot recall another “main show” lineup that has the star power of this cruise. Besides Marcus and Gregory, you have NEA Jazz Masters Dee Dee Bridgewater and Chucho Valdés, one of the top young vocalists in jazz in Cécile McLorin Salvant, and the iconic Diana Krall. And what could be more on brand than the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, perhaps the finest big band in the world. The band is led by John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton who just happen to be Ms. Krall’s bandmates, reprising a role they have played for years.

Speaking of legends and the history of jazz, our show excursion at SFJAZZ features another NEA Jazz Master – Ron Carter. Carter was a member of the second Miles Davis Quintet in the mid-1960s, which also included Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and drummer Tony Williams. 

Check out the final prices on the website. It is not too late to join us on Journey of Jazz ’25.

Christian McBride’s World at Sea
We Owe You a Special Offer! Jazz Notes Patron Pricing!

With all the excitement surrounding Christian McBride’s World at Sea ’26, we forgot to offer our Jazz Notes readers an introductory offer for the cruise. Normally, when a cruise is launched, those guests who sailed on the program before are provided with special privileges and pricing. With this being the first sailing of Christian McBride’s World at Sea, there are no past guests, so we have decided to make this offer to our loyal supporters who read Jazz Notes!

No new cruise we have offered has ever received the accolades and interest as Christian McBride’s World at Sea ’26. Now, for a limited time, you can reserve your stateroom at the lowest price that will be offered.

Here is the procedure for your Jazz Notes Patron Pricing!

STEP 1:  
Either go online to www.mcbridesworldatsea.com or call the office during business hours (toll free @ 888.852.9987)

STEP 2:
Select a stateroom either online or with the assistance of our representative.

STEP 3:
Utilize the Promo Code: JAZZNOTES

STEP 4:
Get Ready for the Most Amazing Week of Music Ever!

This offer will expire on June 30, 2025 and may not be used with any other offer, discount or pricing promotion.

The Jazz Cruise ’26
NEA Masters

The NEA Jazz Masters award is the highest honor that can be given to a jazz artist. Over the years, we’ve had many NEA Jazz Masters sail with us, including living legends such as Dianne Reeves, Kenny Barron, Charles Lloyd, Gary Burton, Dick Hyman and Hubert Laws, as well as more than a dozen late greats like Tootie Heath, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Shirley Horn, James Moody, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Lou Donaldson, Eddie Palmieri, Johnny Mandel, Cedar Walton, Benny Golson, Roy Haynes, Clark Terry and others.

In 2026, we’re fortunate to have four NEA Jazz Masters sailing with us on The Jazz Cruise: Ron Carter, Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Inducted as an NEA Jazz Master in 1998, Ron Carter will be making his first appearance on The Jazz Cruise. Widely recognized as the most recorded bassist not only in jazz, but in music, Ron continues to be a prolific recording artist and performer.

Paquito and Chucho, who will be inducted together into The Jazz Cruise Hall of Fame, have been playing together since their early years in Cuba. “I don’t remember life without Chucho,” Paquito said. “I don’t know exactly how, but sometimes we know what each other is going to do. It’s very comfortable.”

Dee Dee, who was inducted in 2017, the year before Dianne Reeves, Admitted that she was floored by her inclusion in this prestigious group. “It was very affirming for me,” Dee Dee said. “I always knew about the NEA Jazz Masters and I saw a lot of the people who were awarded with the Jazz Masters. . But I don’t know, I never thought that I was of that ilk. It was wonderful for me because I didn’t even know that I was on the radar.”

These four NEA Jazz Masters will be joined by several other legitimate jazz masters, each of whom will likely be recognized by the NEA in the coming years. More about them in the next edition of Jazz Notes.

– Lee Mergner
Jazz Guru

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JOURNEY OF JAZZ ’25
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The post Jazz Notes: 5.28.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

For over a month, our notes to you have revolved around Jazz Appreciation Month and International Jazz Day! One cannot overstate the importance of those events and Signature Cruise Experiences is proud to be a part of the worldwide jazz community. Touting the merits of programs, events and shows other than ours has been a hallmark of our pursuit of excellence and our support for the art of jazz.

Recently, we had reason to outline, in more detail, some facts about our company, particularly our participation in the world of jazz. The list was in response to a series of inquiries about us, as the interested parties did not know the inside scoop.

Here are few of the quick bites of information that they caused us to recognize:
 

• Number of Years Producing Cruises: 25+
• Number of Cruise Programs Presented: 100+
• Number of Guests Served: 200,000+
• Number of Guests Who Have Sailed 4 or More Times: 12,000+

As for information about our impact in the world of jazz, we learned from them that Signature Cruise Experiences is the #1 Employer of Jazz Musicians in the World! The metric used for this fact is dollars/year for talent. Being #1 means that we hire more jazz musicians than anyone…or we just pay the most money!

Actually, it is both.

To honor that achievement, this edition of Jazz Notes will stay close to home. We will spend some time with the great Christian McBride to learn more about his cruise, Christian McBride’s World at Sea, and we will peek behind the curtain of David Foster: The Hitman Cruise

A Walk In Christian McBride’s World

We have added a new special feature to Jazz Notes —Christian’s Corner—in which Christian McBride, host of McBride’s World at Sea, will write a short column about his life and music.

This first one is about both the mentors he’s had over the years and his own experience in that role. In future columns, he’ll talk about topics such as: working with vocalists, leading a big band, the legacy of Ray Brown, acting as an artistic director, hosting radio shows and interviewing artists and his affinity for comedy and other subjects.

Christian’s Corner

Mentors in My Life

I was fortunate enough to be mentored by many great musicians. I was just 15 when Wynton Marsalis brought me up on stage at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia and Bobby Watson hired my 17-year-old self to go on tour with his group Horizon. Later, I worked with Freddie Hubbard and Benny Golson. Benny was the ultimate professional. He rehearsed. He had all of his music immaculately indexed and filed and we would get a morning rundown of the day ahead. Freddie was nothing like that. Freddie left you to your own devices and often you would kind of flap in the wind, but I really feel like to be in that situation with someone like Freddie, it taught you to be prepared and taught you to think on your feet.

Every band leader has things that you can learn from. They teach you things that you should take with you and they teach you things that you should not take with you. You keep your mouth shut, you watch, you observe, you ask questions every once in a while. I was always asking questions. They were always so kind. I think they could see that I was hungry and I really wanted to know, because I wanted to be the best that I could be for everyone that hired me. Of course, Ray Brown, who first saw me perform in a duo with Benny Green, became an important mentor to me. I’ll write about Ray’s impact on my life and music in a later edition.

Working with Ursa Major gives me a chance to pay it forward with a younger generation. Hearing Nicole, Mike, Eli and Savannah, I thought of them as a hybrid band. We could play a little bit of anything all in the same set. We could play acoustic straight ahead. We could go funky. We could go esoteric. I love nothing more than being around younger people. Hopefully, they’ll be just as happy playing with me as I was playing with some of the people who I dreamed of playing with, but also happy with the experience that young musicians can’t wait to soak up. It’s a joy for me to do that.

– Christian McBride

Looking for Magic in a Five Day Cruise?
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise is the Answer

One week ago today, David Foster: The Hitman Cruise went on sale. It hit the water with a huge splash and has not changed course since. Why not? David Foster is the most significant music impresario in the world today. You don’t have to believe us. His 47 GRAMMY® nominations and 16 GRAMMY® wins tell the tale.

David Foster has been very active in developing the program for this exciting cruise. Michael McDonald’s band has been formed and arrangements for Babyface’s shows are well underway. You will see the special David Foster touch in the presentations of both performers.

David’s manager, Marc Johnston, has been fully engaged with Eric Marienthal, Signature Cruise Experiences’ Programming Director, creating special shows and pairings among the very talented Featured Performers (Katharine McPhee, Take 6, Peter Cincotti, Pia Toscano and Daniel Emmett) and our other musicians. Watching how David Foster puts a show together is fascinating, as you might expect. Going behind the scenes to learn more about his process will be a theme for this cruise.

From now through May 23, you may register for First Access to Staterooms after which you will be notified as to when you may select a stateroom and complete a reservation. Doing so is the best way to ensure that you will have a stateroom for the cruise.

The Little Red Riding Hood Effect

We believe that our first three sailings in 2026 are of interest to many folks and, since they sail on the same ship back-to-back-to back, there are countless ways to combine your sailings for whatever length of time you may wish to sail.
 

• Cruise 1:  David Foster: The Hitman Cruise (1.15.26 – 1.20.26)
• Cruise 2:  Christian McBride’s World at Sea (1.20.26 – 1.27.26)
• Cruise 3:  The Jazz Cruise (1.27.26 – 2.3.26)

Most of the Signature Cruise Experiences’ programs are 7-day sailings. Many guests prefer a shorter cruise, which is why we are offering David Foster: The Hitman Cruise as a 5-day journey. Of course, we have many guests, particularly our international guests, who enjoy a longer adventure, especially if it involves a variety of entertainment and itineraries. 

As Little Red Riding Hood said, let’s find one that is “just right.”

Combining Cruise 1 and Cruise 2, you have a 12-day experience. Cruise 2 and Cruise 3 result in 14 days at sea and, for the true jazz fan, Cruises 1, 2 & 3 create a 19-day adventure.

Actually, we have two more 7-day sailings after The Jazz Cruise, sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Those sailings are fully reserved so we cannot add them into these programs. 

Fortunately, most of our team will be on the ship, Celebrity Summit, for all five sailings, a total of 33 days!

Discounts for multiple sailings are available. Since our prices and savings depend upon your cruise status with us over time, call the office to learn what is available for you.

The post Jazz Notes: 5.14.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

• As our Jazz Advisor Lee Mergner reports below, a significant number of musicians scheduled to perform on our cruises are participating in the primary celebration in Abu Dhabi.
• The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25’s Tribute to David Sanborn will be aired on SXM’S Watercolors (Channel 66) today at 6PM ET in its entirety. As we have shared before, this show, produced by Marcus Miller and Eric Marienthal may be the best event in the 20+ history of that cruise.
• While Christian McBride shared this information yesterday during his Livestream, today is the official announcement that Samara Joy will be joining Ledisi, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Angelique Kidjo and Melissa Walker on Christian McBride’s World at Sea Cruise, forming one of the most exciting gatherings of female jazz vocalists ever presented on our programs.
• Journey of Jazz ’25, which sails in 143 days, will be sharing more information about the amazing excursions being offered on this West Coast jazz cruise gem.
• The Chris Botti at Sea Cruise III (’26) provides some hints as to the remainder of its lineup as well as its plans for excursions when this program sails in Fall ’26 from Los Angeles to Vancouver, with calls on San Francisco and Victoria
  

Like we said at the top, Signature Cruise Experiences is busy today bringing the very best music experiences to the greatest jazz fans in the world. 

Enjoy the day!

The Global Celebration of International Jazz Day ’25 Culminates in Abu Dhabi

The ’25 edition of International Jazz Day will be celebrated in more than 190 countries today, with Abu Dhabi serving as the Global Host City. Organized by UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, this celebration will include an all-star concert there in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, hosted by actor Jeremy Irons and featuring artists from all over the world, including Hancock, John McLauglin, Nils Landgren, Danilo Perez, Tomoaki Baba, Oran Etkin and many others. Signature Cruise Experiences will be well represented by Marcus Miller, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Emmet Cohen, Dianne Reeves, Arturo Sandoval, John Pizzarelli, Kenny Barron, Jose James, Etienne Charles, Janis Siegel, Kendrick Scott and John Beasley (who serves as the musical director).
 
“We are thrilled to celebrate this International day on a high note in the UNESCO Creative City of Music Abu Dhabi,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General. “This edition will highlight the city’s rich tapestry of creativity and cultural heritage while showcasing jazz’s ability to connect communities and promote dialogue and peace across continents.”

The concert will be streamed live to millions around the world via UNTV, UNESCO, jazzday.com, Facebook, YouTube and other international media partners. You can watch it starting at 4PM ET on YouTube here.

Final Jazz Appreciation Month Insights from Signature Cruise Experiences

The title of this section of Jazz Notes would indicate that I am about to provide “insights” into the celebration of jazz that has occurred during Jazz Appreciation Month. “Insights” implies some type of wisdom or special thoughts. As those who have read Jazz Notes and The Weekender over the years know, I have neither. 
 
Once in a while I may have something to say that gives you pause or makes you think, but, as we all know, even a broken clock is right twice a day. So, as I sit at the watchmaker’s shop, as the embodiment of a broken clock, I do offer one “insight” to consider.
 
John Lennon’s tune, “Imagine,” is one of the most thought-provoking songs ever composed. Often, when I am pondering something, I will “imagine” if that idea did not exist or if a contrary idea prevailed. Imagining broadens our minds and opens us up to stunning possibilities and frightening “what-ifs.”.
 
For the moment, let’s imagine that funding for the arts disappeared entirely. No NPR. No NEA. No Kennedy Center. Every art form would need to survive in a commercially sound manner. In short, the income would need to match the expenses.
 
We have already seen the erosion of “arts” in the schools due to lack of funding, but I am talking about a nationwide shutdown of government support for music, art, dance and more. I will skip over the political dynamics that impact this situation as it is not my place to comment on those issues, but, as a concept standing alone, I fear for a society that does not support and encourage pursuit of the arts.

Two music people that I respect believe that April ’25 may be the final Jazz Appreciation Month. To the extent that federal funds are required to make the day happen, losing that funding, without significant private contributions taking its place, this somber prediction may become reality.
 
Imagine there’s no music.
Imagine there’s no art.
Imagine there’s no jazz.
I don’t know where to start.
 
Michael Lazaroff,
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences

Samara Joy Joins Ledisi, Cecile McLorin Salvant & Jose James
as Vocalists on Christian McBride’s World at Sea

We’re excited to add Samara Joy to the already impressive lineup of vocalists performing on McBride’s World at Sea. Samara, who sailed on The Jazz Cruise in 2024, joins a stellar list of gifted singers who will perform with Christian and his big band, including Cècile McLorin Salvant, Angelique Kidjo, Ledisi, Jose James, and Melissa Walker. The number of GRAMMY® nominations and wins that those artists have cumulatively received is well into double figures. Several of them recorded with Christian and his Big Band on his upcoming album, which we expect will receive yet another GRAMMY® nomination for Christian, who has won that prestigious award a remarkable nine times. 
 
Baseball fans may start comparing us with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who, even after winning a World Series, kept adding all-stars to their roster. Although our St. Louis office is filled with Cardinals’ fans, we’re fine with that comparison because we’re committed to presenting a winning team of artists on McBride’s World at Sea.

Cruise News:
Lineup Update & Special Excursions

With Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs and Melody Gardot confirmed for the September 18 – 25, 2026 Sailing of Botti at Sea III, we have been carefully considering whom we should add to this star-studded lineup. Chris always brings a vast array of talented band members and we understand that they will be coming back for our first ever West Coast sailing of this amazing program.
 
Embarking from Los Angeles, the cruise goes to San Francisco and Victoria BC before disembarking in Vancouver, BC. Signature Cruise Experiences has created a series of amazing excursions while we are in San Francisco and Victoria. Since we arrive in San Francisco at 8AM on September 22 and remain docked until 6PM on September 23, guests have two full days to enjoy planned trips to Napa and Sonoma, take in a private show at SFJAZZ or enjoy one of Michael Bauer’s selections of restaurants for brunch, lunch or dinner (note: Since we depart at 6PM on September 23, dinner options are limited to September 22).
 
The cruise sails in just over 500 days, so you have some time to arrange your calendar, but do not wait too long…a ton of staterooms are already reserved.

Signature Cruise Experiences’ Programs

JOURNEY OF JAZZ ’25
Over 95% Reserved ! 

BOOK NOW

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DAVID FOSTER: THE HITMAN CRUISE
Open Booking Begins 5.30.25

BOOK NOW

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S WORLD AT SEA
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE JAZZ CRUISE ’26
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.1 & 26.2
are Fully Reserved

JOIN WAITLIST

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THE TOP SHELF COUNTRY CRUISE
is in Open Booking

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THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.3
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

BOTTI AT SEA’26
is in Open Booking

BOOK NOW

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