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.
Jazz Cruises Conversations
Pianists Roundtable with Mark Ruffin
In this roundtable discussion taped on Blue Note at Sea '19, six of the pianists performing on the cruise – Gerald Clayton, Sullivan Fortner, Ashley Henry, Stu Mindeman, Takeshi Ohbayashi and Brett Williams – sat down with Mark Ruffin of Sirius XM to talk about their entry into playing music, their influences and their creative process. They also discuss how they approach playing with singers and what they'd tell their children about pursuing a life in music. 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 Afrodeezia on Blue Note.