Before we go further, I loathe braggarts, folks who tell you what special things they are doing or have done, name droppers, and anyone who is trying to impress you rather than embrace you. With that declaration firmly established, let me tell you about this amazing weekend trip that I was invited to attend and you weren’t! It was way cool! For everyone reading this note who has any degree of FOMO or suffers from petty jealousy, stop reading now! You will become very upset.
Larry and Deborah Silver invited Paula and me along with our Area Code 702 colleagues, the Lowdens, Fines and Weideners, to spend last weekend at The Lodge on Moss Neck just outside Fredericksburg. For those who sailed on The Jazz Cruise ’23, Deborah performed on the cruise and, after years of motherhood, is rebooting her musical career. The facility is a 15 bedroom “hunting lodge” with enough meeting space and big-time toys to keep anyone happy. Rustic elegance is the only way to describe this lavish setting. The dining room would be a proper setting for Henry VIII. The hearth room, where a gorgeous piano resides, could be the den for anyone in the world. There is a workout room, and an indoor basketball court designed as a reminder of a high school gym in the 50s. At any moment, you would expect to see Jimmy Chitwood shooting jumpers.
The Silvers could, and probably should, travel the country giving lectures and seminars on hospitality. No stone unturned. No detail missed. No desire going unfulfilled. As a provider of vacation amenities, I applaud the planning and execution of that weekend. They killed it. Did I mention the food? The lodge has its own herbs, egg-laying hens and other items making a farm-to-table diet available to all. Navigating through the various meals without completely destroying any sense of weight control was a full-time job.
As if all this grandeur was not enough, there was nightly entertainment. And not just any entertainment. The Silvers invited the amazing Marilyn Maye to perform. For those new to her fame, Marilyn is 95 years old and is off her debut at Carnegie Hall. She was discovered by Steve Allen and appeared on his show in 1963.
At this point, the readership of this column will break into three distinct camps. One is the camp that remembers Steve Allen and is willing to cop to it. The second camp are those who have no idea who he is. For those, Steve Allen was The Tonight Show host before Johnny Carson who was the host before Jay Leno who was the host before, among others, Jimmy Fallon. The final camp, the one that needs the largest meeting room, are those who remember Steve Allen but are not going to admit to doing so.
In 1966, she was nominated by the GRAMMYS® for Best New Artist, but ultimately lost to Tom Jones. Yes, that Tom Jones. She appeared 76 times on The Johnny Carson Show and has been the subject of profiles on the CBS Morning Show. The first when she was 90 and the second at 93.
I can name several performers still touring in later in life. But this lady can truly sing! For more than an hour she went from Chapter 1 to Chapter 30 of the Great American Songbook without a break. Though she picked her spots for certain vocals, she was always on key and on phrase. And, when she decided to let it go, you could feel an Ethel Merman moment. Her voice was that big. By the way, if you do not know who Ethel Merman is, go to Google!
Marilyn was accompanied by longtime member of The Jazz Cruise clan, pianist Ted Rosenthal, and another TJC veteran, Mark McLean on drums. In case my ramblings have been too subtle, rarely the case, the weekend was amazing. Oh yeah, Deborah joined Marilyn for a couple of tunes.
Witnessing folks who are excellent in what they do is fascinating. Those who truly know their craft, whatever their craft may be, do it with joy and zeal and without fear or hesitancy. The natural extension of their being gives them the power and skill to be great. Larry, Deborah and Marilyn were brilliant examples of how to do things. No more name dropping. I promise.
By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Botti at Sea and The McDonald & LaBelle Cruise. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at [email protected].
Important Information About Our Cruise Programs
Normally, information about our cruise programs is located at the bottom of The Weekender. That information is still in this issue, but certain announcements are highlighted in this column.
The Jazz Cruise ’24
If you wish to sail on this cruise, please know that fewer than 30 staterooms remain available. What is left is a combination of Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Staterooms.
IMPORTANT: Everyone sailing on The Jazz Cruise ’24 is urged to participate in a Live Guest Webinar on Thursday, November 16, 2023 @ 3pm ET, hosted by Executive Director Michael Lazaroff. We will be discussing all aspects of the cruise and sharing insights as to the best way to prepare for the trip. You will be able to submit questions in real time and we will do our best to answer them during the call. To sign up for the webinar, click here.
The Jazz Cruise ’25
This program will be announced no later than November 7, 2023.
Botti at Sea ’24
Fewer that 10 staterooms, all Inside Staterooms, remain available for the cruise.
IMPORTANT: Everyone sailing on Botti at Sea ’24 is urged to participate in a Live Guest Webinar on Thursday, October 19, 2023 @ 3pm ET, hosted by Executive Director Michael Lazaroff. We will be discussing all aspects of the cruise and sharing insights as to the best way to prepare for the trip. You will be able to submit questions in real time and we will do our best to answer them during the call. To sign up for the webinar, click here.
Botti at Sea ’25
This program will be announced no later than December 7, 2023.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘24.1 & ‘24.2
Both ’24 sailings are fully reserved.
IMPORTANT: Everyone sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’24 is urged to participate in a Live Guest Webinar on Thursday, November 2, 2023 @ 3pm ET, hosted by Executive Director Michael Lazaroff. We will be discussing all aspects of the cruise and sharing insights as to the best way to prepare for the trip. You will be able to submit questions in real time and we will do our best to answer them during the call. To sign up for the webinar, click here.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.1 & ’25.2
These sailings were recently announced. To learn more, go to www.jazzcruisesllc.com, click on Your Cruises and select The Smooth Jazz Cruise.
Guests on either ’24 Sailing have until November 17, 2023 to rebook their current stateroom for their ’25 Sailing.
All others may establish their priority for reserving a stateroom for a ’25 Sailing by completing a Pre-Sale Reservation. Doing so is simple and instructions are available on the website.
Michael McDonald / Patti LaBelle Cruise
Nearly 70% reserved. Balcony, Ocean View and Inside Staterooms remain available.
Feel free to contact the office during business hours with any questions you may have.
Allison Miller’s New Album Rivers in Our Veins
Allison Miller, who will be sailing on The Jazz Cruise ’24 with the supergroup Artemis, has just released a new album, Rivers In Our Veins, dedicated to our nation’s crucial rivers, watersheds and the organizations devoted to reviving and protecting them. Commissioned by Mid Atlantic Arts Organization and Lake Placid Center for the Arts, Rivers In Our Veins spotlights the drummer and composer alongside longtime collaborators, including violinist Jenny Scheinman, Ben Goldberg on contra-alto and Bb clarinets, pianist Carmen Staaf, trumpeter Jason Palmer, bassist Todd Sickafoose, and tap dancers Claudia Rahardjanoto, Michelle Dorrance, Elizabeth Burke, Byron Tittle, and Orlando Hernández. “This project is about raising awareness and consciousness of our local waterways,” Allison explains. “It’s about highlighting the grassroots conservation organizations who are working tirelessly to clean up our rivers.”
John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey Return to the Carlyle Cafe
The charismatic husband-wife duo of John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey, longtime favorites of The Jazz Cruise guests, return for a special residency at the Café Carlye in NYC October 17-28. John told us that their show, titled John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey @15, “celebrates 15 autumns at the Cafe and the music that we’ve made during that time—from three presidential elections, extreme weather, financial craziness (a few Red Sox wins) and the folks who’ve inspired us from Sondheim to Ellington, Paul Simon to Jobim and everything in between.”
Mug Shots
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].