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Jazz Cruises Conversations — Music
Jazz Cruises Conversations

Jazz Cruises Conversations invites you to escape to the high seas for the most intimate and candid conversations in music. Go beyond the stage for full-length interviews with the biggest names in jazz and smooth jazz, recorded live on the world’s premier floating music festivals.

Guided by veteran host Lee Mergner (and other musicians, comedians, and on-board talent), hear legends open up about their careers, creative process, and lives on the road, all recorded exclusively on sailings of The Jazz Cruise, Blue Note at Sea, Botti at Sea, and The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Mergner and his crew’s knowledgeable perspectives ensure these aren’t just chats—they are engaging, entertaining, and truly informative deep dives into the music.

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Signature Cruise Experiences is the Gold Standard for Charter Theme Cruises since 2001. In that time, we have produced over 100 full ship theme charters, most of which featured a significant music theme and top performers.

Our goal has been to present the very best musicians possible and do so with authenticity and professionalism. Our music venues are the best at sea and our sound production is Performing Art Center quality. Nothing but the best for our talent which translates to the very best for our guests.

Latest Episodes:

#40: Jeff Lorber, Paul Jackson, Jr. & Everette Harp with Eric Marienthal Apr 11, 2020

Show notes

In this conversation taken from the Smooth Jazz Cruise in 2020, Jeff Lorber, Paul Jackson, Jr. and Everette Harp - three of the most prominent figures in the genre – talk with Eric Marienthal about their affinity for jazz fusion, funk and soul, as well as about their common experiences, as both leaders and sidemen. This episode is sponsored by the Berks Jazz Fest. The podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions.

Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

#39: Dianne Reeves with John Clayton Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

The Grammy Award-winning vocalist sat down with bassist and arranger John Clayton during The Jazz Cruise in 2020 to talk about growing up in a diverse musical household and how her family shaped her musical vision. This episode is sponsored by SFJAZZ. The podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions.

Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

#38: Christian McBride with Mark Ruffin Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

Bassist and bandleader Christian McBride talked with Mark Ruffin in a taping of "The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian" show that Christian hosts on SiriusXM. In this conversation from Blue Note at Sea '20, Christian and Mark talk about how they produce the show, and Christian discusses his roots in Philadelphia and his lifelong love of sports. And he tells stories about his relationship with Lou Donaldson and James Brown. This episode is sponsored by SiriusXM. The podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions.

Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

#37: Jonathan Butler with Marcus Miller Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

Guitarist and vocalist Jonathan Butler sat down with Marcus Miller during The Smooth Jazz Cruise to talk about growing up a child star in South Africa and the challenges he faced personally and professionally as a result of Apartheid. And he explains his special relationship with Nelson Mandela. This episode, the third in our second season, is sponsored by the Real Jazz Channel on Sirius XM. The podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions.

Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

#36: Kurt Elling with Eulis Cathey Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

The dynamic and creative jazz vocalist Kurt Elling talks with Eulis Cathey of SiriusXM about his early years in Chicago finding his own voice and career path. In this conversation recorded on The Jazz Cruise in 2020 the Grammy award-winning singer discusses the impact of some of his mentors in Chicago, including saxophone great Von Freeman. This episode, the second of our second season, is sponsored by the Sarasota Jazz Festival. The podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions.

Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

#35: Chris Botti with Don Was Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

In this interview recorded at the Blue Note at Sea tent at the Monterey Jazz Festival, trumpeter Chris Botti sits down with Don Was of Blue Note Records to talk about growing up in the Pacific Northwest and his evolution as a musician and performer. This episode is the first of our second season and is sponsored by Monterey Jazz Festival. The podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions.

Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

#34: Bob James, David Sanborn & Marcus Miller with Don Was Nov 12, 2019

Show notes

One of the most popular tours on the jazz circuit in 2019 was the Double Vision Revisited with Bob James and David Sanborn, along with Marcus Miller, performing the songs from the 1986 album Double Vision. The three sat down with musician, producer and Blue Note Records exec Don Was for a conversation in the Blue Note at Sea tent at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September 2019. The three talk about their early breaks and experiences navigating through the music business and about how the album came about and about how it inadvertently created a genre of music – Smooth Jazz. This episode is sponsored by Blue Note Records. The Jazz Cruise Conversations podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions, the worldwide leader in music-themed cruises.

Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

#33: Chucho Valdes with Eulis Cathey Nov 05, 2019

Show notes

Legendary Cuban jazz pianist Chucho Valdes talks with Eulis Cathey from SiriusXM about growing up in Cuba in a very musical family including his father – pianist Bebo Valdes. In this interview from the Jazz Cruise in 2019, Chucho also discusses his band Irakere, the Havana Jazz Festival, Dave Brubeck and Roy Hargrove. This episode is sponsored by SFJAZZ. The Jazz Cruise Conversations podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions, the worldwide leader in music-themed cruises.

Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

#32: Drum Talk with Mark Ruffin Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

In this conversation from Blue Note at Sea in 2019, Mark Ruffin talks with four drummers and percussionists - Gene Coye, Conor Parks, Marijus Aleksa and Weedie Braimah – about their initial exposure to jazz, what drummers initially inspired them and their lives in music. This episode is sponsored by the Real Jazz channel on SiriusXM. The Jazz Cruise Conversations podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions, the worldwide leader in music-themed cruises

Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

#31: Lalah Hathaway with Marcus Miller Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

Vocalist Lalah Hathaway talks with one of her early mentors – bassist/bandleader Marcus Miller – in this conversation recorded in front of a live audience in the second of the two sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise in 2019. The two old friends talk about Lalah's early days at Berklee, the importance of collaboration and much more. This episode is sponsored by the Blue Note. The Jazz Cruise Conversations podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions, the worldwide leader in music-themed cruises.

Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

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