Jazz Cruises Conversations

The daughter of the influential soul and R&B singer Donny Hathaway, Lalah Hathaway has made her own way through a long career as one of the more accomplished vocalists of her generation, eventually earning five Grammy awards and recording with everyone from Joe Sample to Snarky Puppy. During one of the two sailings of the Smooth Jazz Cruise, Lalah sat for a 1:1 conversation with Marcus Miller...

Over the last few years, Renee Rosnes has become a regular performer on The Jazz Cruise, playing with her trio or with a quartet or even solo. She's recorded nearly two dozen albums as a leader and also played in the bands of jazz greats such as Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, James Moody and Ron Carter. A founding member of the SFJAZZ Collective, more recently she's been...

Four vocalists on Blue Note at Sea '19 - Kurt Elling, Niki Haris, Kandace Springs and Ivan Peroti – sat down with Mark Ruffin of the Real Jazz channel on Sirius/XM in front of a live audience during the cruise. During this lively panel discussion, the four singers talked about their repertoire, their approach to performing and their influences. This episode is sponsored by Sirius/XM. The Jazz...

Guitarist Lee Ritenour has recorded more than two dozen albums as a leader since his debut "First Course" in 1976, as well as countless recordings as a studio player. A founding member of the contemporary jazz group Fourplay, Ritenour has been nominated for 16 Grammy awards. During one of the two sailings of the Smooth Jazz Cruise '19 he spoke with Marcus Miller about his life as a...

Coming out of his hometown of Houston as a young singer, Steve Tyrell had an auspicious introduction to the music business as a producer working with Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and as an A&R man with Sceptor Records. He eventually turned to singing full-time and has had several hit albums. His performance of "The Way You Look Tonight" in the film "Father of the Bride" br...

Panel discussion featuring saxophonists Candy Dulfer and Nubaya Garcia as well as trumpeters Russell Gunn and Marquis Hill, from Blue Note at Sea 2019. This conversation was ably moderated by Sirius XM's Mark Ruffin and includes an interesting cross-section of players from very different backgrounds. They each talked about their early experiences and exposure to jazz, as well as about their w...

Saxophonist Boney James was initially a reluctant cruiser several years ago, but these days he's not only a regular artist, but also one of the hosts of the Smooth Jazz Cruise.  During one of the two sailings of the Smooth Jazz Cruise, Boney sat down with our comedian in residence (and contemporary jazz aficionado) Alonzo Bodden to talk about how his career developed and grew from being a sid...

Clarinetist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski has been an important part of the Jazz Cruise family for many years. Widely considered one of the greatest living jazz clarinetists, the very witty musician has served as programmer, music director and host for the cruise. During the Jazz Cruise 2019, Peplowski sat down with Sirius/XM host Eulis Cathey to talk about his roots in Cleveland and his storied l...

Michael Cuscuna and Don Was have a lot in common.  Both produced Bonnie Raitt, albeit 20 years apart, and more importantly both have played a large part in the legacy of Blue Note Records, with Cuscuna working closely with Bruce Lundvall to produce both new releases and reissues during the 80s and 90s and with Was directing the label as its president since 2012. During Blue Note at Sea, the two sa...

Pianist and composer Dave Grusin has had a long and successful career not only as a recording artist and performer but also as a scorer in film and television. Winner of both Grammy and Oscar awards, Grusin has contributed to the scores and soundtracks of more than 100 films and dozens of TV shows.  In partnership with the late Larry Rosen, he founded GRP Records, one of the most important record...

The dynamic young vocalist Cyrille Aimee wowed audiences of The Jazz Cruise 2019 with sets that mixed Gypsy jazz, mainstream jazz, and even a little beat boxing, as well as material from her latest album of Sondheim songs.  She sat down with Eulis Cathey to talk about how moving to New Orleans revitalized and inspired her. This episode is sponsored by Sirius/XM’s Real Jazz channel. The Jazz Cruise...

In this interview from Blue Note at Sea 2019, pianist/keyboardist Robert Glasper talks with Don Was about his creative process and how he seeks new sources of inspiration from contemporary music.  Both Glasper and Was are hosts for the cruise which features contemporary jazz. This episode is sponsored by the Blue Note Jazz Clubs. The Jazz Cruise Conversations podcast is produced by Entertainment C...

This episode of Jazz Cruise Conversations features a highly insightful interview between host and renowned jazz radio personality Dick Golden and Grammy Award-winning pianist Bill Charlap, recorded live during The Jazz Cruise 2019. The core of the conversation focuses on Charlap's profound and multi-faceted collaboration with NEA Jazz Master and American original, Tony Bennett. The discussion...

Show Notes: Wynton Marsalis with Marcus Miller (Blue Note at Sea 2019) This compelling episode of Jazz Cruise Conversations captures an animated, insightful interview with legendary jazz trumpeter, band leader, composer, and ambassador, Wynton Marsalis, recorded live during Blue Note at Sea 2019. Hosted by bassist and fellow cruise headliner Marcus Miller, the conversation offers a deep look into...

Jazz icon, NEA Jazz Master, and composer Benny Golson (who celebrated his 90th birthday during the cruise) sits down with SiriusXM's Eulis Cathey aboard The Jazz Cruise 2019 to share candid stories from his unparalleled career,,. Golson recounts growing up in Philadelphia, his path from aspiring concert pianist to saxophone legend, his pivotal, early relationship with John Coltrane (including...

Bassist, bandleader, and host Marcus Miller sits down for an insightful and entertaining one-on-one session with his friend and comedian-in-residence, Alonzo Bodden. Recorded on The Smooth Jazz Cruise 2019, Miller discusses the definitive chronology of his life, clarifying that he was 21 years old when he started playing with Miles Davis, not 14. The conversation also delves into his prolific care...