When we were starting our cruise programs, 20 years ago, we would follow the festival season from late spring to the fall. Going to a festival, setting up a booth and meeting potential guests was our social networking program. It was arduous, inefficient, expensive, time consuming and more fun than anyone should have as a middle-aged man. The crowds were amazing. Some were there for the vibe. Some for the chance to let loose. But, by far, most were there to enjoy their music and do so in a relaxed, sun-kissed venue amidst their friends or at least their fellow fans.

Even before the horrors of COVID–19, the festivals began to change. VIP this and that. Healthy food options. Catered food. Wine tastings. Special seating. I must admit that I enjoy many, if not most, of those changes. But, last night, I was watching “Jazz on a Summer’s Day” on Turner Classic Movies. (Note: One week, we will spend the entire Our Take discussing the joys of TCM!) “Jazz on a Summer’s Day” documents the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival and features performances by Thelonious Monk, Louis Armstrong, Gerry Mulligan, Dinah Washington and many others. Back then, jazz could be a part of every teen’s musical playbook. Rock ‘n’ roll was on the horizon for sure, but the journey from jazz to early rock ‘n’ roll was not too far at all. I was struck by the apparent simplicity of the production, the attentiveness of the crowds and the excitement in their expressions. At that time, going to a jazz event may have been the outer boundary of polite society, a veritable walk on the wild side.

I then flipped the channel to CNN, where young folks had found a much different way to spend a summer’s evening. Both examples reflect the reality of their times, and, between the “film” on TCM and the “now” on CNN, it felt like the entirety of my life was on screen. It was like flipping through cards and photos to imitate motion like an old cartoon. You could stop and focus on one vision or another, but the excitement came from seeing how it flowed. 

I believe that “change” is more often good than bad. Clearly it is inevitable. TCM was also showing “Life With Father,” a 19th-century look at life in New York City with the Day family. There were enough politically incorrect elements of that movie to fill a book. Yet, the movie is generally heralded as a classic. Not one minute of the movie is relevant to the world today and I could not find anything, other than falling in love, to be timeless. Figuring out what to do with those movies, those experiences and those images will be challenging going forward, for sure. How do we balance the elements of life that comprise our youth, but are sorely out of place now? Do we denounce them? Do we apologize for them? Or do we accept the notion that determining what is the right thing requires context. The only true measure is what was in your heart at the time.

I guess I have figured out why the loss of summer jazz festivals is bothering me so much. Even today’s jazz festivals give me the opportunity to enjoy the past, the present and the future. Even if the music is new, the composition stems from an historic origin. The technology and production level, as well as the players, are part of the present. As for the future, well, I would like to believe that attending a jazz festival is something that will survive whatever it is that we are enduring now, on several fronts, and will always be the perfect complement to those long, slow moving summer days and the excitement and exhilaration of those magical summer nights.

Now, as for this summer … total bummer!

TIME FOR A BREAK!

Taking time off around the 4th of July has become a tradition at Entertainment Cruise Productions. Our offices will be closed Monday (June 29) through Friday (July 3). We believe that a mid-summer pause from our day-to-day operations will invigorate us all.

When we come back, on Monday (July 6), we will be unveiling the lineups for our Las Vegas shows (more info below!) and will return to our customary communications about our jazz cruise programs for ’22. Though we are not here, you may reserve one of the remaining staterooms on any of our four ’22 sailings: The Jazz Cruise ’22; The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’22: All-Star Edition; The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘22.1 and The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘22.2.

We wish each of you a wonderful week and holiday weekend! And, yes, there will be a July 4th Edition of The Weekender! If you look carefully, The Weekender is guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

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.

Jazz Interludes kicks off with Adrian Cunningham: Professor Cunningham and His Old School Band. Keep your eyes peeled for the full lineup, including Emmet Cohen, Russell Hall, Veronica Swift, and more.

The professionally filmed and edited content is delivered in short, easily digestible episodes. You can expect to see 3-4 new episodes released weekly throughout the summer. Be sure to visit VailJazz.org, subscribe to the weekly e-newsletter, or follow on social media for more info.