OUR TAKE: Honoring Marcus Miller

Today finds me in Los Angeles. Though our (Paula and me) stay will be very brief, we are excited, honored and humbled to be participating in tonight’s Los Angeles Jazz Society’s 2024 Jazz Tribute Concert & Awards event. The amazing Alonzo Bodden is the host of the soiree, John Clayton is the Musical Director and Marcus Miller will be the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor that the society bestows.

Though we are “on the road” for this event, with those three men participating, it will feel more like a “home game.” Here is a fun fact: Alonzo, John and Marcus account for more than 100 sailings of our programs. That is a lot of chocolates on their pillows!

Normally, my involvement in events like this is limited to providing financial support and being there to enjoy the festivities. This time, I have been asked to present the award to Marcus and to say a few words about him. Though I am more comfortable being behind the scenes, I gladly accepted the role and look forward to sharing my thoughts about Marcus with those attending.

There will be a large crowd at the event, but the readership of The Weekender dwarfs that amount by a huge margin. So, why not share my introduction with you, hours before I get on the stage and fumble my way through the speech.

Anyone reading this who believes I am sharing the introduction with you as a means of killing two birds with one stone (i.e., that doing one piece that serves as both my introduction to Marcus and the weekly Our Take), should be ashamed of themselves. That thought never, never crossed my mind!

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Honoring Marcus Miller on Receiving the
Los Angeles Jazz Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award – 2024 

Introduction by Michael Lazaroff

In 2010, our company was discussing a new cruise program, one that would sail in the North Sea for several days and then dock in Rotterdam and become the hotel for folks attending the North Sea Jazz Festival. Working with MOJO, the Dutch company that produced the festival, we batted around names of top performers to play on the ship and then at the festival, but we needed a host.
 
For this event, we needed someone of the highest talent level, universally acknowledged as a superstar musician, known and revered by fans in Europe and the United States, as well as a person who had the people skills to engage guests from all over the world.
 
I asked the opinion of many musicians, agents and producers. Without a doubt, one name dominated the responses. Armed with that name, I contacted the folks at MOJO to share this information, but, before I could say a word, they asked me if I thought Marcus Miller would be acceptable to me. Laughing into the phone (no Zoom calls yet), I told them that Marcus was the near unanimous choice of those I polled.
 
Great, we were set. Marcus Miller would be the host of the North Sea Jazz Cruise.  There were two hurdles to making that happen. First, they asked me to contact him and make an offer. Second, though I knew the name and a lot about his career, I had never met the man.
 
Through a third party, I set up a meeting with Marcus at his studio in Los Angeles and flew out to meet him. I stumbled through my pitch afterwards Marcus asked two questions: “May I select the musicians?” and “Is there a budget for the talent?”
 
The answers were “yes” and “whatever you need.” As Bogie said to Claude Reins at the airport in Casablanca, this was “the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
 
The career of Marcus Miller spans decades and includes performing, composing, arranging and producing music with and for some of the most talented vocalists and instrumentalists in the world: Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Elton John, Roberta Flack, Al Jarreau, Bob James, Lalah Hathaway, Wayne Shorter and more. His talents have been utilized for live performances, recordings of all types, film, television and documentaries.
 
Perhaps his most famous associations were with David Sanborn, Luther Vandross and Miles Davis, a very diverse group of generational talents. Only someone with the talent of Marcus Miller could be the driving force for those three. Marcus Miller is a man for all music.
 
The experience with Marcus hosting the North Sea Jazz Festival was eye opening for us. Of course, we knew his musical chops, but he showed himself to be the very best host ever. He led the talent, engaged the guests and made himself available for all events.
 
Though, in no way is he a “smooth jazz” musician, when our host for that cruise, former NBA star Wayman Tisdale, became ill, Marcus stepped in to help his close friend host that program. 

Evidently, for years, Marcus and Wayman were exchanging bass lessons for basketball opportunities. Marcus served as a close confidante of Wayman’s during his tragic illness.

Upon Wayman’s passing, Marcus has become the leader of that program along with our other jazz programs. In fact, Marcus has hosted over 40 of our sailings. 

His talents on and off the bandstand are the best in our world of cruising. He is the straw that stirs this drink. In my 25 years of producing jazz events, I have learned that the best way to measure the stature of a musician is to watch them when they are with their colleagues.

Without fanfare or announcement, Marcus is the leader of every group of musicians with whom I have seen him. They hang on his every word, take stock of their status based upon his reaction to them and follow him on stage without hesitation.

Mind you, Marcus does not demand those reactions. In fact, he is more than a little oblivious to what he means to the others. In sports, you recognize the captain as the guy with the “C” on his jersey. In our jazz cruise world, just look for the man in the porkpie hat and follow him.
 
Before closing, I want to share a personal message. Marcus and his talented and brilliant wife, Brenda, have been the most significant association we have had during our 25 years of producing cruises. Never once has there been even a hint of conflict or concern. They have shown us respect and friendship and, we have tried to return those feelings at every turn.
 
“Do not hire your friends” is a very good business rule. But there is no rule against becoming friends with your business associates. It is my honor and privilege to call Marcus and Brenda my friends and I applaud the Los Angeles Jazz Society for having the wisdom and knowledge to honor Marcus Miller with its highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024.

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At this point, I anticipate thunderous applause from the audience, as they acknowledge the greatness of Marcus Miller and enjoy the relief of me not speaking any more.

I consider Marcus Miller to be the most complete and talented jazz musician I have ever known. But, what I admire most is his natural leadership skills. When on stage, he is always in charge, but never once have I heard him say something to assert that role. He simply does what he does and everyone knows to listen and follow.

Never once have I seen or heard him “brag” or “boast.” Well, there is the story of him telling Alonzo and me about his time with Prince Albert of Monaco. Alonzo asked a question about one matter Marcus mentioned. Responding as naturally as possible, Marcus told us the “he and Al” were working on a solution. “Al,” really!

Funny thing, it never dawned on him that others might find that reference to be a boast. He just does not think that way.

If only everyone in the world followed his lead. Just as all musicians do!

By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti at Sea, Christian McBride’s World at Sea and Journey of Jazz. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at [email protected].

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The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3
Will Be Announced On October 11!

With the number of completed reservations and Pre-Sale Reservations totaling over 2,000, Jazz Cruises will be announcing the plans for a third sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26. Though the full details are being finalized, here is what we know now:
 

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3
Dates: September 11, 2026 – September 18, 2026
Ship: Celebrity Summit
Port of Embarkation: Vancouver, BC
Port of Disembarkation: Los Angeles
Additional Ports-of-Call: Victoria BC and San Francisco (overnight)
Cruise Hosts: Marcus Miller & Boney James

Special Guests, Artists and Featured Performers will be announced, together with the reservation procedure, on October 11, 2024! A Special Announcement Webinar will be presented that day as well and Jazz Cruises will answer all questions you may have in real time. You may sign up for the webinar HERE.

NOTICE: To Guests With Reservations on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 or ’26.2 (’26.1/’26.2 Guests)
 

• The purpose of adding a third sailing is to provide all guests with the opportunity to sail on The Smooth Jazz Cruise. ’26.1 or ’26.2 Guests may not reserve a stateroom on the ’26.3 Cruise until every guest holding a Pre-Sale Reservation for any ’26 sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise has had the opportunity to reserve a stateroom.

Soon after the announcement of the ‘26.3 Cruise, ’26.1 or ’26.2 Guests will be provided an opportunity (small window) to transfer their reservations to The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3 (“‘26.3 Cruise”). In doing so, such guests will be relinquishing their current reservations, which will be made available to guests wishing to sail on one of those earlier sailings.

No system or procedure is perfect, but, by adding a third sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise, allowing ’26.1/’26.2 Guests to transfer to ’26.3, and restricting ’26.1/’26.2 Guests from reserving a stateroom for ’26.3, we believe that we have configured a very fair, equitable and user-friendly system to allow more guests to enjoy a ’26 sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise.

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John Clayton to Be Honored at Jazz Congress

John Clayton, who, for many years has ably led Anita’s Big Band on The Jazz Cruise, will be presented with the Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award at the Jazz Congress held Jan. 8-9, 2025 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC. The award was created in 2014 in honor of the longtime jazz record executive who was a champion and advocate for so many jazz artists over the last four decades. The annual award recognizes someone who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and vision in expanding the audience for jazz and who has made a real difference for the artists, the music and the audience. Previous recipients include Randall Kline, Brice Rosenbloom, Christian McBride, Terri Lyne Carrington, Darlene Chan, Barry Harris, Danilo Perez and Dee Dee Bridgewater  Pianist Gerald Clayton will present his father with the award during the keynote session of Jazz Congress.

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra’s Centennial:
The Music of Thad Jones

The Vanguard Orchestra, which features several All-Stars and Anita’s Big Band members from The Jazz Cruise (including Gary Smulyan, Dick Oatts and Terell Stafford), has just released Centennial: The Music of Thad Jones, an album celebrating the noted trumpeter and big band leader. Released on BCM+D Records, Centennial is a two-album set captured live at the ensemble’s Monday night home for nearly six decades, the Village Vanguard. The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, which he co-founded in 1966, modernized the big band sound as the world changed through the late ’60s and early ’70s. Jones’ writing and arranging drew upon the inspiration of two of the most iconic bands in jazz history: Duke Ellington and Count Basie, in whose band Jones had launched his career.  “Thad set the Orchestra up as a small group with a lot of horns,” says lead alto saxophonist Dick Oatts, the current band’s senior member and artistic director. “The way Thad wrote was just ingenious. It was the future of the jazz big band tradition.”

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Jazz Cruises’ Programs

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Mug Shots of the Week

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].