Wycliffe Gordon is in our hometown this week performing at Jazz St. Louis. I had the absolute pleasure of seeing him and his wonderful band, the International All Stars (Adrian Cunningham on reeds, Ehud Asherie on piano, Corcoran Holt on bass and Emanuel Harrold on drums, sitting in for Alvin Atkinson who is ill). They smoked it.
Many of you know that Wycliffe has performed on more Jazz Cruises’ Programs than any other musician. The number is somewhere in the 40s. In part, this is due to his amazing range of talents, his stellar gospel shows and willingness to help us in so many ways. It is also because the man’s talents are second to none.
He can make music and, at the same time, make you smile better than anyone else. He can be the whole show or fit right in with a group of others. Like all great performers, there is an ego in there somewhere, but I have never seen it overwhelm the moment or create drama. For all the right reasons, Wycliffe is justifiably comfortable in his own skin.
Wycliffe’s jazz credentials are immaculate. He is one of the early members of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, as well as a featured guest artist on Billy Taylor’s Jazz at the Kennedy Center series. His quintet, known as Wycliffe Gordon and His International All Stars, has been the headliner in virtually every iconic jazz club and performing arts center in the world. After seeing them last night, I can understand why they are so popular.
Perhaps the greatest joy in producing the cruises has been the opportunity to know many of the musicians over the years and learn about and from them. I have known Wycliffe since 2001. Together, we have seen a lot of different musicians come and go on The Jazz Cruise and our other programs. He has performed on our North Sea Jazz Cruise, Playboy Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Blue Note at Sea, The Signature Jazz Cruises and, in early ’24, will be adding Botti at Sea to his resume. Whenever a new program comes along, we know that Wycliffe will be someone whose music and personality will fit right in. After all, he is a genre all to himself.
On a personal level, I love my time with Wycliffe. We call each other Sire, clearly as a joke. Neither of us qualify. I am unaware of any high social status or royal blood that we could claim. Instead, we share laughs, music and making sure that the audience has a great time. I marvel at his stage presence. He claims to think of me as a role model. I note that he has never identified what role that might be.
I always sense that Wycliffe is pondering some deep emotional feeling. He loves to have fun, smoke cigars, have a good meal and laugh at a joke, but I doubt that his thoughts are the least bit trivial. And not just about music. Wycliffe is a spiritual person, which, along with his New Orleans sound and aura, has made him the #1 leader of our Gospel Hours on our cruises for years.
When Wycliffe leads a gospel show, the main spiritual experience is the music. The message of each song is clear and honest, but Wycliffe is sharing the beauty of gospel music with everyone, regardless of their faith or ethnicity. He conveys empathy and patience, kindness and love. His trombone can make you cry with as much skill as it can make you smile and dance. And his singing voice, purposely intended to conjure the memory of Louis Armstrong, is powerful and full of emotion.
Yes, Wycliffe Gordon is a very special person, a one-of-a-kind musician, a great entertainer and a man of principle and pride. No wonder he has starred on more different programs and more sailings of ours than any other musician. He is a Musician for All Programs, a Musician for All Seasons.
By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti at Sea and The McDonald & LaBelle Cruise. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at [email protected].
The Jazz Cruise ’24 New (FINAL) Webinar
On Tuesday, December 4, The Jazz Cruise ’24 will be “45 Days Before Sailing”, a milepost that typically signals the start of serious planning for our guests. The Jazz Cruise “Get Ready #7” letter will be sent out that day to all booked guests outlining several key calls to action for the cruise. Given the important nature of those actions, we have scheduled a New (FINAL) Webinar for Thursday, December 7 at 3 pm ET.
We will walk through the “Get Ready #7” letter and answer questions in real time. If you are sailing on The Jazz Cruise ’24, you should try to join us for the webinar. If you cannot make it, a full recording of the discussion will be available on the website.
Last Chance to Sail
The Jazz Cruise ‘24, The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’24.1, The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’24.2 and Botti at Sea ’24 are each fully reserved. Yet cancellations do occur, and a handful of staterooms were made available to those on the Waitlist on a first come, first served basis last week. After contacting the Waitlist, The Jazz Cruise still has the following staterooms available:
If you are interested in reserving one of these staterooms, you should go online as soon as possible, and complete a reservation. We will continue to share information about availability up until the time each cruise sails.
DownBeat’s Top Ten Albums of 2023
DownBeat Magazine has published the results of its Readers Poll, including the Top Ten Albums of 2023, in which several past and future Jazz Cruises artists are featured. On top of that list is Samara Joy for her Linger Awhile album. Also making an appearance in this prestigious poll are recordings by Kenny Barron, Charles Lloyd, Julian Lage and Cecile McLorin Salvant.
Dee Bridgewater & Sean Jones at Carnegie Hall
Dee Dee Bridgewater will join Sean Jones and the NYO Jazz All-Star Big Band for a special concert presented in partnership with the United Nations at Carnegie Hall in NYC on December 6. They will perform music composed and/or made famous by Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Mongo Santamaría, John Beasley (a Carnegie Hall world premiere!), Wycliffe Gordon and John Clayton’s “I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues,” to name just a few.
New Album from the Oscar Peterson Trio
Two Lions/Mack Avenue Records has just released Con Alma: The Oscar Peterson Trio – Live in Lugano, 1964. Recorded on May 26th, 1964 at Teatro Apollo, Lugano, Switzerland, it was the final performance of an extended European tour just before the trio (featuring bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen) departed for Japan for another lengthy string of concerts. The repertoire features two jazz classics, three items from the Great American Songbook and an original. The unheard and unreleased live album from the immortal jazz legend was discovered by Kelly Peterson, Oscar’s wife and the committed keeper of his legacy.
Mug Shots of the Week
Colorado
Minnesota
Each guest on the cruises received The Weekender mug, which we hope you will use with your Saturday morning coffee while you read the latest edition. Please share a picture of yourself & your mug with us so that we can include it for the 100,000+ folks who receive The Weekender each Saturday. Tag us @thejazzcruise @bottiatsea @thesmoothjazzcruise #jazzcruises and #theweekender. Email your photo to [email protected].
Jazz Cruises’ ’25 Programs
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25
25.1 February 11-18, 2025
25.2 February 18-25, 2025
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25 is already over 60% reserved! Pre-Sale Reservations are now closed and guests who have completed a Pre-Sale Reservation have been assigned to a group. Each group will have a designated time when they can initiate their selection.
“Open Booking” begins on January 3, 2024, and from this date forward, anyone may reserve any available stateroom.
The Jazz Cruise ’25
January 28, 2025 – February 4, 2025
GUESTS SAILING IN ’24
- Guests who are sailing on The Jazz Cruise ’24 have from now until January 21, 2024 to rebook their current staterooms!
- January 22, 2024 through January 24, 2024. During this period, ’24 Guests have the exclusive right to reserve any available stateroom, including those staterooms that ’24 Guests have not rebooked.
GUESTS NOT SAILING IN ’24
- Those not sailing on The Jazz Cruise ’24 have until January 17, 2024 to establish their priority for a stateroom on The Jazz Cruise ’25 by completing a Pre-Sale Reservation.
- Late January 2024 through February 11, 2024 Pre-Sale Reservations will be assigned a window to select and reserve any available stateroom for The Jazz Cruise ’25.
Botti at Sea ’25
will be announced the 1st week or so in January ’24!
GUESTS SAILING IN ’24
- Guests who are sailing on Botti at Sea ‘24 have from the announcement date until February 10, 2024 (the third full day of the cruise) to rebook their current staterooms! After that date, any stateroom not rebooked will be available to those holding a Pre-Sale Reservation.
- February 12, 2024 through February 14, 2024. During this period, ’24 Guests have the exclusive right to reserve any available stateroom, including those staterooms that ’24 Guests have not rebooked.
GUESTS NOT SAILING IN ’24
- Starting on the announcement date, those not sailing on Botti at Sea ’24 have until February 7, 2024 to establish their priority for a stateroom on Botti at Sea ’25 by completing a Pre-Sale Reservation.
- Starting on February 20, 2024, Guests with Pre-Sale Reservations will be assigned a window to select and reserve any available stateroom for Botti at Sea ’25.