STL Jazz Fest, our land-based homage to all facets of our jazz programs, began last night in grand fashion. The evening included performances by our Music Director Eric Marienthal and his quintet, which included Kevin Turner, Carnell Harrell, Nate Phillips and Chris Miskel. Joining the band was a true Jazz Cruises’ mainstay, the great Niki Haris. They killed it as you would expect.
Following them onto the stage was our favorite comic, Alonzo Bodden. We flipped the script a bit here as he moved from his role as emcee to a full blown set of his amazing array of observations and hilarious comments on all subjects. I have never seen him do anything but slay the audience. Last night was no exception. Though most of the crowd were Alonzo-savvy, the few seeing him for the first time were thrilled.
The evening concluded with the one and only Gregory Porter. We have been fortunate enough to present him in St. Louis and on our cruise programs several times and, famously, one year ago at The Smith Center in Las Vegas. I mention that gig as the owners of that amazing venue, long time Vegas producers, considered it to be a bad idea to present Gregory on a Friday night in August in Las Vegas in a setting as large as The Smith Center. When we offered to co-produce the event with them, they passed.
That night was one of the most thrilling events in the land-based history of Jazz Cruises. Again, we leaned on both Alonzo and Gregory for the entertainment, and we sold out the venue. When in doubt, book those two guys and just sit back and watch the magic take place.
Gregory’s show last night was epic. I remember the first time I heard him sing live. Watching and hearing those beautiful sounds come from a giant of a man was surreal. He embodies strength and awe with gentle and kind like no one else I have ever seen or heard. One of our guests last night asked me “How do you decide which program you wish to use to present Gregory Porter?”
Simple answer. Whenever he is available. Which is why we are so excited that Gregory will be a Co-Host, for the first time, of Journey of Jazz ’25, our first West Coast sailing in over a decade (www.journeyofjazz.com). The cruise will present one of our very best lineups of talent as well as the most robust schedule of land events we have ever offered. A late night in Victoria, BC and an overnight in San Francisco provide us with the opportunity of a lifetime for special excursions and shows.
Our weekend of Showtime continues tonight, again with a fabulous lineup of performers. Eric Marienthal returns to the stage with another great set of music, this time joined by “smooth jazz” fave, Mindi Abair. Mindi and her husband, Eric Guerra, will be hosting a special wine tasting event before the show. We call her Mindi the Multi-Tasker!
Alonzo Bodden then hits the stage where he will certainly knock them dead again. Our headliner, one of our cruise favorites, will be the dynamic Brian Culbertson. As I have shared on several occasions, Brian is always creating new shows, new productions and great music. Dedicated to his craft and to providing guests with a once in a lifetime experience, we are proud and honored to have Brian so intimately associated with our brand. There are never any concerns when you have Brian in the house.
Pretty exciting stuff. The entire Jazz Cruises’ team was in St. Louis this week as we worked to finalize the programming for the ’25 Cruises and put the finishing touches on the ’26 Cruises. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 & ’26.2 (SJC ’26) have already launched, exciting both our current guests and those not sailing on a ’25 Cruise. Current guests have until September 15, 2024, to rebook their current stateroom and those not sailing on a ’25 Cruise have until that same date to complete a Pre-Sale Reservation, thereby establishing their priority to select a stateroom for SJC ’26. Nearly 1,000 Reservations have been submitted.
If you are in Vail next weekend, Paula and I will be attending the Vail Jazz Festival which will be honoring our dear friend, Howard Stone. We miss him dearly. Attending the event with all his friends and former colleagues will be a lovely way to celebrate his memory and vast achievements in the world of jazz.
As I mentioned in earlier editions of The Weekender, once Labor Day hits, the jazz events come one after another. Soon, I will be writing about Christian McBride’s and Melissa Walker’s Montclair Jazz Festival, Chucho Valdes and Paquito D’Rivera’s performances at the opening of Jazz St. Louis and the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s gala honoring our uber host, Marcus Miller.
By the way, Alonzo Bodden is the emcee for the Los Angeles Jazz Society gala. I told you he was everywhere!
By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti at Sea and Journey of Jazz. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at [email protected].
The Jazz Cruise ’25 is Fully-Reserved!
Want to Sail? Join the Waitlist!
The Jazz Cruise ’25, celebrating its 25th anniversary, is fully reserved. Since the cruise does not sail for several months, there will be cancellations and staterooms will be available. Stateroom vacancies are filled from the Waitlist, which is not lengthy right now. If you wish to sail on The Jazz Cruise ’25, we urge you to JOIN WAITLIST now.
If contacted for a vacancy, you will have a short time to complete your reservation or that offer will be given to the next guest in line. There is no cost to JOIN WAITLIST and no obligation to complete a reservation if offered.
Labor Day Reminder
The Jazz Cruises’ office will close at 2 PM ET on Friday, August 30, until Tuesday, September 3, in recognition of Labor Day. During this time, guests may complete reservations online, check their Jazz Cruises account and submit questions to us at [email protected].
All of us at Jazz Cruises wish you and yours a happy, fun and safe Labor Day
Jazz St. Louis Presents Paquito D’Rivera and
Chucho Valdes, Together Again
Jazz St. Louis Presents Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés, Together Again! at Steward Center, home of Jazz St. Louis, on September 18 and at The Sheldon on September 19.
Clarinetist, saxophonist, author, composer and arranger D’Rivera and pianist, composer and arranger Valdés first met in 1962. Both child prodigies and sons of musical families, the two worked together in Havana’s Musical Theatre Orchestra and in the Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music.
Your purchase supports Jazz St. Louis and helps secure the future of their impactful programs and events for people in the St. Louis area. Jazz St. Louis has established an extensive record of developing future leaders in music, while also preserving and advancing the treasured American art form of Jazz through community engagement efforts, educational programming, and transformative live jazz experiences.
Learn more and get tickets at //jazzstl.org/together.
New Music
Two of our co-hosts on The Jazz Cruise ’25 have just released new albums.
Catherine Russell & Sean Mason’s My Ideal
GRAMMY®-nominated vocalist Catherine Russell has paired with the 25-year-old pianist Sean Mason for My Ideal, a recording of duets on colorful songs written by Fats Waller, Irving Berlin, James P. Johnson, Peggy Lee and others.
“Singing with the great pianist Sean Mason allows for the freedom to have fun and be in the moment,” says Catherine. “We understand each other.” My Ideal, Catherine’s ninth album as a leader or co-leader, stands alongside legendary voice-and-piano duet albums such as Ella Fitzgerald’s Ella Sings Gershwin with Ellis Larkins, Tony Bennett’s collaborations with Bill Evans and Nina Simone’s Nina Simone and Piano.
Emmet Cohen’s Vibe Provider
Based on his friendship with the late Harlem-based creative Michael Funmi Ononaiye, Emmet Cohen’s latest album, Vibe Provider, features an all-star band including Bruce Harris (trumpet), Tivon Pennicott (tenor saxophone), Frank Lacy (trombone), Cecily Petrarca (koshkah), Philip Norris (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) and Kyle Poole (drums, producer).
Funmi, who died of cancer in December 2023, worked as a chief programmer for Jazz at Lincoln Center, a DJ and an A&R executive, among other professional roles. The worldly Nigerian-born New Yorker was an omnipresent force of positivity and spiritual healing — “the Mayor of Harlem,” as Emmet describes him.
“Funmi was the vibe provider, but he taught us that we all have that inside of us,” Emmet says. “We all have the ability to brighten a room or to change someone’s world for a minute or a lifetime—with music, vibrations, energy or even just a smile. And those things are important. So I wanted to get some of his favorite musicians together and make a beautiful statement in tribute.”
Monterey Jazz Festival
Experience the Monterey Jazz Festival set against the breathtaking backdrop of Monterey, California. One of the world’s longest-running jazz festivals, this iconic event has hosted legendary performers like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck since 1958. Don’t miss the 67th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival September 27 – 29, featuring 350 artists across five stages, including Samara Joy, Blind Boys of Alabama, Mavis Staples, Hiromi, Stanley Clarke and more. For tickets and details, visit https://montereyjazzfestival.org.
Jazz Cruises’ ’25 Programs
The Jazz Cruise ’25
FULLY RESERVED
Celebrating it’s 25th Anniversary
The Jazz Cruise ’25 is fully reserved. Since the cruise does
not sail for several months, there will be cancellations and staterooms will become available, which are filled directly from the Waitlist. If you wish to sail on The Jazz Cruise ’25, we urge you to JOIN WAITLIST now.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & ‘26.2
Lineup Just Announced!
’25 Sailings Fully Reserved
Both sailings for 2025 are fully reserved. Guests not sailing in ’25 who wish to sail in ’26 are encouraged to go to complete a Pre-Sale Reservation for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26 to establish priority for a stateroom on those sailings.
Botti at Sea ’25
Every Night is a Night on the Town
New Performers Announced –
Diana Krall and Peter Cincotti
Botti at Sea ’25 is nearly 85% reserved. Anyone may reserve an available stateroom by calling the office during regular business hours or doing so online. Look for a note from us regarding End of Summer (EOS) prices for selected Veranda and Ocean View Staterooms.
Journey of Jazz ’25
Jazz Life at Sea & On Land
Reserve Now – Excursions Menu Available Soon
Jazz Cruises’ newest program, Journey of Jazz, hosted by Marcus Miller & Gregory Porter, is in Open Booking. Though not sailing for 13 months, the cruise is more than 65% reserved. Menu of land-based excursions in Victoria and San Francisco to be announced soon after Labor Day! Reserve your stateroom now to be eligible for events at that time.
Mug Shots
Arizona
Texas
Guests on the ’24 jazz 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].