Put them together and you have a pretty good synopsis of our jazz world today. COVID–19 is threatening our enjoyment of our music and we all long to be able to celebrate jazz as we have for years. So, how can we turn Mayday into May Day? A menacing threat into a joyful celebration? As of today, it will take a lot of work, imagination and spirit. Let me share what we, at Entertainment Cruise Productions, are doing.

Every day, without exception, we are working on the best possible plans for The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise and Blue Note at Sea. The Jazz Cruise and The Smooth Jazz Cruise are iconic programs. How else could they have continued for so many years and sailings! The spirit and aura of those cruises are unlike any other music event. Perhaps it is the shared space of the venues and the amenities. Perhaps it is the excitement that our world-class musicians bring to the ship. After all, many music cruises present nostalgias through performances by artists of a bygone era, ghost bands, tribute bands or other imitators. On our jazz cruises, we have today’s top stars performing the music. They may be playing traditional tunes, but they are doing so from their perspective and with their brand.

When we sail again, all of the elements of our cruise programs that you, our amazing guests, have come to expect must be on full display. There will undoubtedly be a new world order due to COVID-19, which makes holding onto the aspects of life that are rich in texture and meaning all the more important. When we talk about this, we are not trying to freeze our programs in time, but we are making sure that the underpinnings of what we offer remain intact.

In a world where “social distancing” is the rule, we will be seeking the intimacy of shared experiences, the interface between a musician and a fan, the freedom to move about as one feels and, most importantly, the opportunity to learn, grow and receive pleasure from the interaction with folks of like minds and tastes.

My God, do we miss hanging with our jazz fans. In working out the arrangements with our guests due to the cancelled cruise and questions about our next sailings, formal barriers have been lowered. People are sharing their thoughts, their concerns and their hopes in the most open and unfiltered way. We would like to think that we are a comforting ear to bend, but the outpouring that we see extends well beyond our purview. The pandemic may be the most compelling shared experience of our lifetime. As such, we are all comrades in arms, pen pals and brothers and sisters. In the face of tragedy, we are all a little closer and less defined by race, religion, gender, status or wealth.

How much of this will continue when we get to the other side of this mess is difficult to predict. How many suits or pairs of shoes do we really need? To what extent do we miss restaurants, the pulse of a shopping mall or downtown activities? Continuing to read books or going to the movies, instead? Having a drink on the patio or going to your favorite bar?

Each of us will find our own way and make our own decisions. But, for me, the choice between Pandora and live music will be easy. More than any one thing, I miss listening to a group playing, a vocalist singing and hanging with folks who love music. Throw in a scotch or a glass of wine and I am back to normal. So, that is what it will take for my next May 1 to be a May Day celebration and not a Mayday call for help.

Our Take is written by Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise and Blue Note at Sea. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at michael@ecpcruises.com.