The Weekender

OUR TAKE: G.O.A.T. & Mt. Rushmore Candidates

As a sucker for any list that purports to list the “Top 20” of anything or anyone, I am surprised that we have never undertaken such a list for the performers on our cruises and other jazz musicians.

For anyone wondering what is meant by G.O.A.T. and Mt. Rushmore candidates, the first stands for the Greatest of All Time and the second is a reference to the South Dakota mountainside sculptures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. That landmark is the reference point for the Best 4 of any particular endeavor, sport or undertaking.

With that said, I am interested in what our readers and guests believe to be G.O.A.T. of the world of “straight ahead” jazz and the G.O.A.T. of “smooth jazz,” as well as the Mt. Rushmore of various instruments and vocals. So that we can compile the results and share them with everyone, we ask that you use the attached form to make your selections. 

Our staff met this week to discuss whether selections should include:

(a) Active or Passed Musicians
(b) Musicians who have sailed with us or not
(c) Selection of Individuals from Performing Groups

Active or Passed Musicians. 
Jazz fans are often criticized for paying more attention to Musicians who have passed than those who are actively performing. The purpose of this selection process is not to anoint Miles Davis or Grover Washington, Jr. Folks like them are firmly established and do not require further exaltation.

We do, however, want to recognize any performer who has performed on one of our cruise programs, whether they are active or passed. To put some names to this category, alto players Jeff Clayton and David Sanborn are fair game for selection.

Musicians Who Have Sailed With Us or Not.
Though we like to think that every great jazz musician has performed on our cruise, there are several amazing performers who, for whatever reason, have not joined us at sea. Let’s add them to our selection process. If one or more performers in that category receive a significant number of votes, we will endeavor to add them for a future sailing.

Selection of Individual from Performing Groups.
Some of the most significant musicians on our cruises began as being part of a Performing Group. The ever-popular Anat Cohen first appeared on The Jazz Cruise as part of George Wein’s band. Patches Stewart has become a fixture on The Smooth Jazz Cruise, but he first joined us as part of Marcus Miller’s band. Feel free to pick out a performer who may not be performing on his/her own right now but is a prominent musician in your mind.

So ends our instructions. Some may ask why are we doing this exercise? Several reasons. Filling out lists like this is fun. Spending a few minutes mulling over who are your favorite jazz musicians sounds like a good thing to do all by itself. 

Full disclosure, we will use the results here to gauge once again which musicians pique the interest of our guests. We think we know, but once in a while we need to test our observations and instincts. Making sure that we are presenting the musicians that you want to see and hear is paramount.

Anecdotal information is persuasive, even if it is simply counting the number of guests who attend our various performances, But, every once in a while, taking stock with hard numbers is best. Plus, our staff has created at least 16 different betting opportunities for us. The over/under as to how many of you will respond is the most hotly contested.

Start picking!

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].


Signature Cruise Experiences

We have formed a new entity to produce some of our upcoming cruise programs, Signature Cruise Experiences. As the name suggests, Signature Cruise Experiences will feature cruise programs outside of our current music repertoire. Stay tuned for more information about these exciting new programs.

Jazz Cruises will continue to be the flagship title for The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Botti at Sea, Journey of Jazz and, hint hint, another jazz cruise program soon to be announced.


Update: The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & ‘26.2

The excitement for The Smooth Cruise ’26.1 & ’26.2 has been amazing.

Guests on the ’25 Cruises are exercising their exclusive right to rebook their current staterooms for a ’26 Cruise and more than 1,200 guests not sailing on a ’25 Cruise have completed Pre-Sale Reservations establishing their priority to select a stateroom and complete a reservation.

These steps have some important dates coming up very soon!

Guests Sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.1/’25.2:

Your exclusive right to rebook your current stateroom for a ’26 Cruise ends on September 15. Beginning on Monday, September 16, unreserved staterooms will be placed back into available inventory. With 1,200 guests eligible to select a stateroom shortly, we urge those who wish to sail on a ’26 Cruise to complete their rebooking before the end of the day on September 15.

Guests who completed Pre-Sale Reservations for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1/’26.2:

•    These guests were sent reservation procedure information on Thursday, September 12. If you have not received that information yet, please email or call us at 844.616.6279.
•    Starting on September 19, the first of several groups holding a Pre-Sale Reservation will start to select staterooms and complete their reservations. This process will continue until Open Booking begins on October 17.

As always, The Smooth Jazz Cruise is in demand. The rules for securing your reservation are clearly described. If you have any questions, though, give us a call. Otherwise, the procedure is in your hands.


Upcoming Jazz Festivals

There are a few jazz festivals that are happening next month in October and
that feature artists associated with Jazz Cruises programs (in chronological order).

Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival

October 10-13, 17-20 – Avalon Ballroom, Catalina Island, CA
Featuring Candy Dulfer, Rick Braun & Richard Elliot, Peter White,
Mindi Abair, Vincent Ingala, Marcus Anderson and more.


Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival

October 17-20 – Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Featuring Brian Culbertson, Bob James, Najee, Norman Brown, John Pizzarelli,
Rick Braun, Peter White, Keiko Matsui and more.


Exit Zero Jazz Festival

October 25-27 – Cape May Convention Center, Cape May, NJ
Featuring Christian McBride & Ursa Major, Dee Dee Bridgewater
and Bill Charlap, The Cookers, JAZZ HOUSE KiDS and more.


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’ 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. 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.  

Stay tuned for the launch of The Jazz Cruise ’26. Most of the lineup has been secured, so we should be announcing the details of the cruise in mid to late October.


The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & ‘26.2
Lineup Just Announced!
’25 Sailings Fully Reserved

Both sailings for 2025 are fully reserved and the Waitlist has more than 4,000 entrants. Through Sunday, guests sailing on a ’25 Cruise are eligible to rebook their current staterooms for a ’26 Cruise.

Guests not sailing in ’25 who wish to sail in ’26 are encouraged to go to www.thesmoothjazzcruise.com and complete a Pre-Sale Reservation for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26. Doing so is the best way to establish your 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 more than 90% reserved. Act NOW to reserve one of the remaining staterooms. Veranda, Ocean View, and Inside Staterooms are available in limited quantities


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 12 months, the cruise is more than 65% reserved. Menu of land-based excursions in Victoria and San Francisco has been announced.

Check out Jazz Cruises’ curated trips to Wine Country, Special Shows and more (https://journeyofjazz.com/excursions/). Reserve your stateroom now to be eligible for events at that time. 


Mug Shots of the Week

Linda S. – Massachusetts
Mimi T. – Missouri

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].

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