Paula and I celebrated our 7th Wedding Anniversary last week. We picked up food at our favorite restaurant, enjoyed a nice bottle of wine, ate dinner in our dining room and then watched a movie. It was wonderful, except for the fact that this is precisely what we did the night before and the weekend before that. Had we watched Groundhog Day, our reality would have been complete.

The next day was lovely, so we sat outside and listened to music. It was then that I realized that I had missed most of Jazz Appreciation Month. For obvious reasons, that is one celebration that I take seriously. We usually go to our jazz club at least twice, enjoy replays of our cruises on SiriusXM’s Real Jazz and Watercolors channels and take in as many online or on-air JAM events as possible. Not this year. Yes, there were some events that we could have viewed or streamed, but there was “no joy” to be found.

That feeling has now passed. Through a long list of little efforts, contributions and acts of kindness, it was once again solidified that our jazz community should be the model for the country and the world in terms of attitude and commitment. Many musicians created videos or tributes to our cruise guests, SiriusXM Executive Trinity played our music from The Jazz Cruise on Real Jazz and hundreds of guests sent emails thanking us for keeping the music and good vibes going during these troubled times.

Even the sadness of several deaths of great jazz musicians was meaningful. By remembering them, we were able to delve into the deep history of jazz and, once again, allow the decades of great music to wash over us and invigorate our hearts and souls. The world looks a lot less evil and distraught when you accept that this same world produces such great music. The metaphor of the “bandstand” explains it all.

Everyone on the bandstand is capable of playing a solo and doing so is exciting for both the musician and the audience, but the solo is only significant when juxtaposed to the sound of the band playing together. Each has a place and each needs the other to flourish. In the midst of all the turmoil surrounding us, the interplay of the solo and the band — the sharing of the bandstand for the united purpose of creating music and the joy that each musician feels whether they are listening to another’s performance, joining in with the group or taking off on their own — constitutes the various aspects of our lives.

As alluded to above, this was almost the worst Jazz Appreciation Month I have ever experienced. But, thanks to the deeds of others, I was reminded that I was supposed to “appreciate” this month and that enjoying the wonders of “jazz” is the best conduit for doing so. Play on!

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.