OUR TAKE: Labor Day Resolutions

Resolutions should not be made only at New Years. Though the calendar changes from one year to the next, that day is not a bright line for much. Perhaps it signifies a new semester, but not everyone goes to school. For most of us, it is simply the end of the holiday season and time to work to pay for the gifts you purchased.

Okay, no need to be that cynical you say. I agree, but, for me, Labor Day is the most significant turning point of the year, which is why my resolutions are established then. The rate of compliance varies, of course, but, with any luck, most of them remain visible for Thanksgiving.

Before listing my resolutions, most of which include some aspect of music, I wish to share with you why Labor Day is the best time for introspective thought. 

• Labor Day is often viewed as the end of summer. Gone are the days of relaxation and simple pleasures. 
• Fall brings on activities, schedules, events and obligations. Just looking at my schedule for September gives me anxiety.
• At Jazz Cruises, not only is this the time to finalize the programming for the ’25 Cruises, but the details of the ’26 Cruises are put in place. A total of 10 or 11 cruise programs will be active in some way after Labor Day.
• Even though the last time I headed back to school around Labor Day was 50 years ago, some habits die hard. Post-Labor Day has always meant a new set of notebooks, pens and pencils. What else could you want?
  

Enough about the “why” of making resolutions on Labor Day. Let’s get to the good stuff, my list of resolutions that will take effect as you are reading this edition of The Weekender.

Labor Day Resolutions

1. Spend more time listening to John Coltrane. In prior editions, I confessed my ambivalence to the music of John Coltrane. Many viewed my comments as heresy. I was simply being honest. He uses a lot of notes to convey his message. It feels overwhelming and a bit foreboding. My goal is to immerse myself into his music with the hope of gaining both an understanding and an appreciation of his work. ’25 is his Centennial, the perfect time for this undertaking.  
    
2. Find ways to support the radio broadcasting of “smooth jazz.” When we first entered the world of “smooth jazz cruises,” every large city had a signature smooth jazz radio outlet. Those stations ruled the genre. For reasons that will forever escape me, one by one the format of those stations changed. A few remain alongside the satellite and online stations which support the genre. Jazz Cruises is looking to do whatever it can to support those stations, expand their reach and energize their listenership.  
   
   
3. Commit to including more “first timers” in the lineups of our programs. One of the most hotly debated issues both inside Jazz Cruises and among our guests is whether the lineups should be dominated by our traditional favorites or be a showcase for new performers. Since the number of performers on any one sailing is finite, to add a new performer requires the subtraction of another. Guests propose new musicians to us all the time. Sometimes the suggestions are amazing, but, more often than not, the proposed musician is not as talented as our long time performers. I will ask guests who propose new musicians to tell us whom they would delete to make room for their choice. Only then does the guest understand the complexity of the task.
   
   Nonetheless, we need to find a way to present new talent without diluting the quality of the programming. We will be working on that project right after Labor Day.  
   
   
4.  Create even better ways for our guests to share information/comments with us. At the bottom of this article, you will find my email address, which is included to encourage guests to share information and their comments with us. Our cruise programs are for the guests, so knowing what you are thinking, what you like and what you do not like is important to us. We are working on more ways for you to share with us. I do not like surveys as they tend to be too formulaic. Plus, we are looking for more “feeling” than just words. No one wants to spend their time writing us a term paper!  Personal interviews may be the solution. Stay tuned.  
   
5. Attend more live concerts. The Pandemic is over. It is time to get out and attend live music shows. This is good for the musicians, the local economy, your community and, most of all, for you! We are losing the shared experience of watching a movie at a theatre in favor of viewing movies at home. Do not let that happen with music.
   
   Though I would argue vehemently that seeing a movie in a theater is vastly superior to watching at home, clearly there is no comparison with respect to music, particularly jazz. You need to be there to watch the call and response, to enjoy the happiness of the musicians performing, and, most of all, to hear the music in real time and in real tone.
   

If you can, take a moment this Labor Day weekend to consider a few resolutions of your own. For those who remain actively pursuing their New Year’s resolutions you are absolved from this undertaking. I take my hat off to both of you. For the rest of us, it is time to resolve! 

I am currently attending the Vail Jazz Festival and sharing time with cruise guests. If there is a performance of Coltrane tunes by a newcomer, I will have hit 80% of my resolutions in one weekend. 

Economy of effort should have been my sixth Labor Day resolution, but I was too lazy to include it.

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].

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Important Information for Fans of
The Smooth Jazz Cruise

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 & ’26.2 have been announced. If you wish to reserve a stateroom on either sailing, you should act now.  The required action depends upon your current cruise status.

Guests Sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.1 & ’25.2. If you have a reservation on either of the ’25 sailings, from now through September 15, 2024 (’25 Guest Rebooking Period), you have the exclusive right to rebook your current stateroom for a ’26 sailing. Rebooking is a simple process. Click on Rebooking and follow the prompts. Please refer to the email you received on August 15, 2024 for Your Personal Online Reservation Token that is required to book online. (NOTE: If you have not rebooked your current stateroom by September 15, 2024, that stateroom will be returned to inventory and will be available to those who have completed Pre-Sale Reservations. If you wish to reserve a different stateroom or sail on a different week than you are sailing now, please contact the office before September 15, 2024 to start that process.)

Guests Not Sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.1 & ’25.2. Guests not sailing in ’25, but who wish to reserve a stateroom for a ’26 Sailing are urged to complete a Pre-Sale Reservation immediately. Doing so establishes your priority to reserve a stateroom once the ’25 Guest Rebooking Period ends. The order in which you will be selecting a stateroom will be determined by your sailing history with Jazz Cruises and the date of your Pre-Sale Reservation.

A record number of Rebooking and Pre-Sale Reservations have been completed at this time, so please move forward as soon as possible.

’25 Guest Rebooking Period ends on September 15, 2024!

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Labor Day Reminder

The Jazz Cruises’ office will be closed on Monday, September 2, 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]. We will reopen on Tuesday, September 3, at 10 AM ET.

All of us at Jazz Cruises wish you and yours a happy, fun and safe Labor Day.

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New Albums

Two artists who will perform during the Journey of Jazz ’25 have recently released new albums.

Warren Wolf’s History of the Vibraphone

Vibraphonist (and multi-instrumentalist) Warren Wolf has just released History of the Vibraphone, which pays homage to the jazz greats on that instrument, including Roy Ayers, Terry Gibbs, Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson, Cal Tjader, Gary Burton, Dave Samuels and Joe Locke.
 
“What I decided to do on History of the Vibraphone is to play material from some of the top players who’ve ever held a pair of mallets in their hands,” Warren explains. Along with Warren are saxophonist Tim Green, pianist Alex Brown, bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Carroll “CV” Dashiell III. Warren will perform the music from this recording in a special concert in Victoria, one of the stops during Journey of Jazz ’25.

Chucho Valdes & the Royal Quartet’s Cuba & Beyond

Recently named NEA Jazz Master Chucho Valdés and his group, the Royal Quartet, have just released Cuba & Beyond, an album that pays tribute to the rich musical history of his native country. The renowned pianist and band leader, who will sail on Journey of Jazz ’25, also gives a nod to his formal classical music education with “Mozart a la Cubana” and to his friend, the late Chick Corea, with a cover of “Armando’s Rumba,” a famous Chick composition.  

“Chick has had so much of an influence on me,” Chucho explains. “I definitely wanted to commemorate him on this album.” Performing with Chucho on this recording are Horacio El Negro Hernández (drums), José Armando Gola (bass) and Roberto Jr. Vizcaino (percussion).

2024 marks 60 years since Chucho recorded his debut studio record, Jazz Nocturno (Areito, 1964), at the young age of 22 years old.

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Upcoming Jazz Events

Jazzmeia Horn with Texins Jazz Band

Vibraphonist (and multi-instrumentalist) Warren Wolf has just released History of the Vibraphone, which pays homage to the jazz greats on that instrument, including Roy Ayers, Terry Gibbs, Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson, Cal Tjader, Gary Burton, Dave Samuels and Joe Locke.
 
“What I decided to do on History of the Vibraphone is to play material from some of the top players who’ve ever held a pair of mallets in their hands,” Warren explains. Along with Warren are saxophonist Tim Green, pianist Alex Brown, bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Carroll “CV” Dashiell III. Warren will perform the music from this recording in a special concert in Victoria, one of the stops during Journey of Jazz ’25.

Northampton Jazz Festival

Stroll, sip and dine your way through downtown Northampton to the sounds of jazz ensembles at establishments across town on Friday, September 27, and Saturday, September 28. The Jazz Strut & features free & evening jazz performances in breweries, bars and restaurants throughout downtown Northampton. Each ensemble starts at 30-minute intervals and plays for two hours, so you can be sure to catch a lot of live jazz and good times on Jazz Strut night!

Jazz Fest Day features a free music lineup of jazz musicians from around the region and across the country performing in a variety of downtown venues throughout the day, followed by a special evening with internationally known artists performing a ticketed concert at the Academy of Music.

Monterey Jazz Festival

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Jazz Cruises’ Programs

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Mug Shots

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].