Jazz Cruises Conversations

Jazz Cruises Conversations features full length interviews with jazz artists done on The Jazz Cruise, Blue Note at Sea and The Smooth Jazz Cruise, all produced by Jazz Cruises, LLC.

#87: Gregory Porter on Nat King Cole (with Lee Mergner) 04/15/2024

#87: Gregory Porter on Nat King Cole (with Lee Mergner) This conversation was recorded on the inaugural sailing of Botti at Sea and it featured an interview with the great vocalist Gregory Porter by Lee Mergner, as part of the Jazz on Film series he hosted that week. This episode is about the legendary Nat King Cole. Most people know about Gregory’s professional affinity for Nat and his music, but may not know just how personal that affinity is. He explains his deep love for Nat and even sings a few tunes that make that connection clear. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/30822093

#86: Mindi Abair with Talaya 04/03/2024

#86: Mindi Abair with Talaya In this conversation recorded on The Smooth Jazz Cruise 24.1, saxophonist Mindi Abair talks with cruise host Talaya from SiriusXM. . Mindi talked about collaborating with other artists on The Smooth Jazz Cruise. And about breaking into the music business when she first moved to LA where she was discovered by Bobby Lyle. She also reflects on partnering with guitarist Randy Jacobs in the band The Boneshakers. And of course she discusses her wine and jazz adventures. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/30664013

#85: Keb' Mo' with Alonzo Bodden 03/20/2024

#85: Keb' Mo' with Alonzo Bodden In this one-on-one conversation from Botti at Sea earlier this year, Alonzo Bodden, our longtime comedian in residence, sat down with Keb' Mo' to talk about his storied career in music. And that career has truly been storied, starting with the fact that Keb' released his first album way back when, billed by his given name of Kevin Moore. Of course, that became grist for material for our friend Alonzo. Make no mistake, Keb' is a humble yet gifted guitarist, singer and songwriter. Someone who has earned every bit of his remarkable success. As is often the case, the audience got into the act at the end with informed questions and comments. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/30464778

#84: Renee Rosnes with Catherine Russell 03/13/2024

#84: Renee Rosnes with Catherine Russell In this conversation from The Jazz Cruise '24, Catherine Russell interviewed pianist Renee Rosnes about her upbringing in Canada as a student of classical music who was introduced to jazz by an important mentor. Renee also reflected on working with jazz legends like Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson and James Moody. She also talked about her own music as a longtime bandleader and her very special collaborations with her husband, fellow pianist Bill Charlap. And, of course, about Artemis, the super group she founded that performed on the cruise. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/30358668

#83: Sheila E with Don Was 11/12/2023

#83: Sheila E with Don Was In this interview from Blue Note at Sea '23, noted record producer Don Was spoke with the great percussionist and bandleader Sheila E. Sheila talked with Don about her unique musical relationship with her father Pete Escovedo and her brothers. She shared stories of working with legendary artists such as Ringo Starr, Marvin Gaye, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson and Prince. She also explained the mission for her Elevate Oakland community organization. And she told us about her practice regimen. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/28603668

#82: Wynton Marsalis with Christian McBride 10/30/2023

#82: Wynton Marsalis with Christian McBride This episode features a very special interview with jazz icon Wynton Marsalis by his old friend Christian McBride from The Jazz Cruise earlier this year. The two have a long history going back to 1984 when Christian was a 14-year-old bassist in Philadelphia and Wynton took him under his wing. He even assured Christian’s mother that we would watch over Christian when he moved to NYC a few years later. Given their relationship and how they both became mentors to so many musicians across multiple generations, it should come as no surprise that the theme of their conversation here was about mentorship and inspiration. Wynton discussed his unique relationship with the late jazz writer and provocateur Stanley Crouch and with Betty Carter, as well as his connection to so many greats, not only in jazz, but in Black American culture, like Ralph Ellison, August Wilson and Albert Murray. Christian also gave Wynton a three-song Blindfold Test, featuring trumpeters. You can guess how that went. The two also played a couple of duets. But throughout their talk, it’s the stories about their elders that resonated. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/28452740

#81: Brian Culbertson with Talaya 10/15/2023

#81: Brian Culbertson with Talaya This episode features an interview with keyboardist/trombonist/bandleader Brian Culbertson by Talaya from The Smooth Jazz Cruise in 2023. Brian talks about recording his first album in his apartment when he was in college at DePaul in Chicago. He also explained how he came to develop his streaming show The Hang and how he recorded numerous albums during the pandemic. Along the way, Brian shares his creative process for writing, arranging and producing. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/28319291

#80: David Sanborn with Marcus Miller 09/29/2023

#80: David Sanborn with Marcus Miller In this conversation recorded during Blue Note at Sea '23, saxophonist David Sanborn talks with his old friend and colleague Marcus Miller about his storied life and career in music. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/28179209

#79: Christian McBride with Don Was 09/13/2023

#79: Christian McBride with Don Was In this conversation from Blue Note at Sea '23, host Don Was interviews Christian McBride about his practice regimen for the bass, his early years growing up in Philadelphia, his love of James Brown and how he handles his many roles as a musician, composer, bandleader, radio host and educator. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/28021485

#78: Candy Dulfer with Talaya 08/24/2023

#78: Candy Dulfer with Talaya This episode recorded on The Smooth Jazz Cruise features an interview with saxophonist Candy Dulfer by one of our hosts Talaya. Candy talked about her very musical upbringing in the Netherlands with her father Hans, a noted jazz saxophonist, as well as her own unique journey, crossing paths and collaborating with Dave Stewart, Prince and Van Morrison, and establishing herself as a solo artist. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/27843375

#77: Marcus Miller & Alonzo Bodden 07/26/2023

#77: Marcus Miller & Alonzo Bodden This episode features a true 1:1 conversation between two old friends, comedian Alonzo Bodden and bassist/bandleader/composer Marcus Miller. Recorded on Blue Note at Sea '23, the two talked about music and comedy and everything in between. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/27572757

#76: Samara Joy with Shelly Berg 07/02/2023

#76: Samara Joy with Shelly Berg In this conversation recorded during The Jazz Cruise '23, Shelly Berg interviewed vocal jazz sensation Samara Joy for his "Generation Next" show on SiriusXM's Real Jazz channel. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/27349089

#75: Michael McDonald with Marcus Miller 06/19/2023

#75: Michael McDonald with Marcus Miller This week’s episode of the Jazz Cruises Conversations podcast features a very special interview by Marcus Miller with Michael McDonald, recorded on The Smooth Jazz Cruise earlier this year. Marcus talked with Michael about his long and storied career, which started out in St. Louis, playing and singing in local cover bands. The rest is history, which you’ll hear about in this engaging and entertaining talk. How about this little fact? Michael’s local young band backed Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry back in the day. And he explains the origin of the band name The Doobie Brothers. And Michael tells how he came to duet famously with Patti LaBelle on their smash hit “On My Own.” And now they’re doing a cruise together, the with us April 10-13 to Nassau in the Bahamas. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/27189894

#74: Chris Botti with Christian McBride 05/30/2023

#74: Chris Botti with Christian McBride In this one-on-one conversation from Blue Note at Sea earlier this year, Christian McBride interviewed Chris Botti for an episode of his Sirius XM radio show “The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian.” Chris talked about the rewards and challenges of his long-running residency at the Blue Note in New York City. The two also talked about Chris’ beginnings in Portland, Oregon, as well as the impact of the music program at the University of Indiana. Chris explained why the trumpet is such a difficult instrument to master. He talked about the impact of working with Paul Simon and Sting. And he even told a Frank Sinatra story. Finally, Christian gave Chris a little Blindfold Test with three trumpeters. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/26967714

#73: Renee Rosnes and Billy Childs with LeRoy Downs 05/19/2023

#73: Renee Rosnes and Billy Childs with LeRoy Downs In this episode of the newly renamed Jazz Cruises Conversations podcast, pianists Renee Rosnes and Billy Childs talked with host LeRoy Downs about their common history and inspirations. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/26895639

#72: Cecile McLorin Salvant with David Sanborn 05/03/2023

#72: Cecile McLorin Salvant with David Sanborn This conversation from Blue Note at Sea '23 featured the acclaimed singer and songwriter Cecile McLorin Salvant, who was interviewed by David SanbornThe two talked about Cecile’s passion and gift for the visual arts, and they dug very deep on her recent album Ghost Song, which he clearly listened to a lot. And they got into Cecile’s multi-genre project Ogress and her latest album Melusine. Throughout it all, Cecile candidly deconstructs her unique creative process. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/26736786

#71: Sullivan Fortner with Emmet Cohen 05/30/2021

#71: Sullivan Fortner with Emmet Cohen Sullivan Fortner sits down with fellow pianist Emmet Cohen to talk about coming from New Orleans to New York City and his emergence on the jazz scene. Sullivan and Emmet talk about the various piano competitions they entered together. Sullivan also discusses his musical relationship with vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant. And he shows Emmet some of his practice regimen on the piano. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/19292963

#70: Monty Alexander with John Clayton 05/11/2021

#70: Monty Alexander with John Clayton In this episode from our live conversation series on Facebook and YouTube, the noted pianist Monty Alexander talks with bassist and former bandmate John Clayton about his storied life in music. It’s a reunion of sorts because back in the mid-70s, Monty led a trio with John and drummer Jeff Hamilton. Monty reminisces about growing up in Jamaica and learning from people like Ray Brown and Oscar Peterson. We also surprised Monty with a special guest who dropped into the conversation for the last 15 minutes /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/19062965

#69: John Clayton with Ken Peplowski 04/11/2021

#69: John Clayton with Ken Peplowski In this Before & After listening session, co-presented on Zoom with JazzTimes, Ken Peplowski plays a dozen tunes for his friend and colleague John Clayton, who shows off his very acute ears. Besides going deep on the cuts, the two talk about a wide range of topics, including the nuance of the beat, the dangers of the metronome, and why fake books hurt rather than help young musicians. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/18675002

#68: Bria Skonberg with Jennifer Wharton 04/06/2021

#68: Bria Skonberg with Jennifer Wharton In a recent conversation streamed online, bass trombonist Jennifer Wharton interviewed trumpeter and singer Bria Skonberg about her life in music. The two discussed everything from choosing the right mutes to balancing the professional demands of playing music with the personal demands of family life. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/18625640

#67: Niki Haris with Ann Hampton Callaway 03/28/2021

#67: Niki Haris with Ann Hampton Callaway This singer-on-singer chat was streamed live at part of Jazz Cruise Conversations Live series on social media. Niki Haris talked with fellow vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway about her colorful and unique career from singing and touring with Madonna to performing jazz at festivals and venues all over the world. Niki also talks about growing up as the daughter of legendary jazz pianist Gene Harris. And the two share memories of their time together on The Jazz Cruise. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/18498335

#66: Paquito D'Rivera with Ken Peplowski 02/02/2021

#66: Paquito D'Rivera with Ken Peplowski Paquito D’Rivera spoke with fellow clarinetist (and saxophonist) Ken Peplowski in this chat that was streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. The two voluble favorites of The Jazz Cruise talk clarinet of course, but they also discuss Paquito growing up in Cuba, his introduction to music and jazz, his affinity for Brazilian music and his long musical relationship with trumpeter Claudio Roditit, who passed away recently. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/17794406

#65: Christian McBride with Alonzo Bodden 01/20/2021

#65: Christian McBride with Alonzo Bodden Bassist/bandleader/composer/radio host/educator/artistic director Christian McBride talks with comedian Alonzo Bodden about social issues, sports, comedy, jazz and of course, the bass. We also surprise Christian with some special guests who show up about 45 minutes in and who kept the conversation going for another half hour. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/17624141

#64: Nicki Parrott with John Clayton 01/12/2021

#64: Nicki Parrott with John Clayton The multi-faceted bassist AND singer Nicki Parrott talks with fellow bassist John Clayton about growing up in Australia and about how and why she took up the bass. The two share their memories of Ray Brown, a mentor to John and a big influence on Nicki. They also discuss their common appreciation for cooking and Nicki shares a short clip from her well-produced web series Chez Nicki Jams, in which she shares a favorite recipe and performs a short number while the dish cooks. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/17522165

#63: Wycliffe Gordon with Eulis Cathey 01/05/2021

#63: Wycliffe Gordon with Eulis Cathey The virtuoso trombonist Wycliffe Gordon talks with Sirius XM radio host Eulis Cathey about his long and storied career, which began in Augusta, Georgia. Wycliffe explains the impact of playing music in the church there in Augusta. He also discusses his introduction to jazz, as well as the far-reaching influence of his mentor, Wynton Marsalis. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/17431652

#62: Terell Stafford with Eulis Cathey 12/29/2020

#62: Terell Stafford with Eulis Cathey Noted trumpeter and educator Terell Stafford talks with Sirius XM radio host Eulis Cathey about his background as a classical musicians and how he made the transition to become an accomplished and influential jazz musician. Terell talks about some of his mentors and also about what he tries to teach his students in his role as head of the music department (including classical and jazz) at Temple University. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/17361353

#61: Ann Hampton Callaway with Kurt Elling 12/22/2020

#61: Ann Hampton Callaway with Kurt Elling Ann Hampton Callaway talks with fellow singer and songwriter Kurt Elling about growing up in Chicago and she shares insight into her creative process for choosing and writing songs. The two talk about the legacy of Freddy Cole whom they both got to know well during sailings of The Jazz Cruise over the years. Ann even performs a song in memory of their old friend Freddy. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/17286992

#60: Jeff Hamilton with Ken Peplowski 12/15/2020

#60: Jeff Hamilton with Ken Peplowski Jazz drum great Jeff Hamilton talks with his longtime friend and colleague Ken Peplowski about his life's journey in music, including how he got started on drums, his work with legends like Ray Brown and Oscar Peterson, and leading his own groups, such as his two trios and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/17133401

#59: Joey DeFrancesco with Alonzo Bodden 12/08/2020

#59: Joey DeFrancesco with Alonzo Bodden In this edition of Jazz Cruise Conversations Live, the noted organist (and multi-instrumentalist) Joey DeFrancesco talks with comedian Alonzo Bodden about his lifelong love of the Hammond B-3, as well as about how he was "discovered" by Miles Davis with whom he would play when he was a teenager. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/17105531

#58: Randy Brecker & Ada Rovatti with Eric Marienthal 11/10/2020

#58: Randy Brecker & Ada Rovatti with Eric Marienthal Legendary trumpeter Randy Brecker and saxophonist Ada Rovatti talked with their friend and colleague Eric Marienthal about how they've balance their marriage and their music. They also discuss the legacy of the Brecker Brothers and how they've strived to keep that music alive. /episode/index/show/jazzcruiseconversations/id/16742777

Jazz Cruises Conversations

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