As soon as we can, we will be ready to hit the gas pedal and restart our engines.
Though many have been fighting the pandemic for longer, we just finished our third week. It has been a whirlwind of emotions, actions and undertakings.
When I was a kid in grade school, we loved to play bombardment! The game was played in a gym and was a cross between dodgeball and capture the flag. If one side knocked down your “pin” or eliminated your forces by hitting them with the ball, you lost. I guess that there may have been some strategy involved, but it was largely sanctioned mayhem. That is how we feel now, only our pin is still standing and our forces have not been eliminated.
Our mission has been to make sure that our guests are treated properly, given the various elements, and that we can move forward to execute and produce great cruises. After all, when this is over, and it will be over at some point, returning to normal life will be a welcomed relief.
So, what do we, as jazz fans, do now. Here are some suggestions:
First and foremost, be safe and stay healthy.
Support our artists and musicians by purchasing their CDs, downloading or however you secure your music.
Check out the website of your favorite artists and musicians and send them a note through their contact link. Tell them that you care.
Listen to SXM Watercolors, SXM Real Jazz or any of the streaming stations available.
In the meantime, we will be sending you messages from the artists and musicians who are sailing on our four cruise programs in 2021.
In addition to those messages, we will provide some stories, anecdotes and brain teasers, all geared to keeping your jazz chops finely honed. Yes, at least for us March 13 was The Day The Music Stopped. Notice we said “stopped,” not “died.” As soon as we can, we will be ready to hit the gas pedal and restart our engines. Our music will continue forever.
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.
Shoot Your Questions to Us Via Email
The staff of The Jazz Cruise and The Smooth Jazz Cruise remain under lock down and are working from home. Of course, we are still available to answer your questions via email. Please submit your questions to either info@thejazzcruise.com or info@thesmoothjazzcruise.com. Questions about Blue Note at Sea should be directed to info@bluenoteatsea.com.
We will respond as promptly as possible either by email or by phone call, so be sure to include a telephone number when you reply. We look forward to hearing from you!
SFJAZZ Collective Releases New Album
A partner of ours for several years now, SFJAZZ is one of the world’s most important jazz presenters and institutions. In addition to hosting concerts and events at its SFJAZZ Center, the organization supports the SFJAZZ Collective, a working band of 8 of the most original and creative bandleaders on the scene. They compose original material for the group and also arrange material from a noted composer.
A recent edition of the group (David Sánchez, Etienne Charles, Warren Wolf, Edward Simon, Matt Brewer and Obed Calvaire) performed on The Jazz Cruise in 2019. That group, which also includes Adam Rogers and Martin Luther McCoy, has just released an album of a live performance from the SFJAZZ Center in 2019. The recording features original arrangements of material from Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way and Sly and the Family Stone’s Stand!
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