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.

Guest

Lee Ritenour

Lee Ritenour is a legendary, GRAMMY® Award-winning guitarist whose dazzling five-decade career has seen him traverse and master nearly every genre, from '70s fusion to '80s pop crossover and Brazilian jazz. With 45 albums, 16 GRAMMY nominations, and an Alumnus of the Year award from USC, his accolades are immense.

Known for thousands of sessions with legends like Frank Sinatra, Pink Floyd, B.B. King, and Tony Bennett, Ritenour was also the fingers behind the '90s supergroup Fourplay. His 2010 album, Lee Ritenour’s Six String Theory, featured an all-star lineup including George Benson and B.B. King. His latest album, Dreamcatcher, is his first-ever solo guitar record, born from the personal challenge of losing his house, studio, and nearly 100 guitars in the 2018 Malibu fire, and the global tragedy of the pandemic. The album, which he calls a "life-saver," showcases his eclectic, melodic, and purposeful instrumental guitar work.

Jazz Cruises Conversations

Lee Ritenour

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