Host Lee Mergner interviews brothers Chris and Dan Brubeck during the sailing of The Jazz Cruise '25, where they provide a deep, intimate look at the life and immense legacy of their father, jazz legend Dave Brubeck. The conversation spans Dave Brubeck’s surprising upbringing as a ranch cowboy, his transformative experience leading an integrated army band during World War II, the controversial and vital history of the musical The Real Ambassadors, and the origins of their family's distinct approach to jazz. The episode also features tracks from recordings the brothers did with their father.

Key Takeaways

• Dave Brubeck’s Cowboy Roots: Dave Brubeck grew up working on a 45,000-acre ranch, where his father, Grandpa Pete, was the foreman. Dave’s musical ideas, such as thinking in seven or developing polyrhythms (like three against a certain time), were inspired by his ranch duties, such as riding a horse or listening to the one-stroke engines powering the water pumps for the cattle.

• The Real Ambassadors Project: Dave and Iola Brubeck, who were strong proponents of the civil rights movement, wrote the musical The Real Ambassadors to highlight the hypocrisy of segregation in the United States, especially since jazz musicians were touring globally representing American democracy.

• Star-Studded, Controversial Cast: Louis Armstrong, Carmen McRae, and the innovative vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross starred in the recording. Louis Armstrong, who Joe Glazer (his manager) tried to protect from controversy, loved the character he played because it was closer to what he felt about racism but wasn't usually allowed to express publicly.

• The Monterey Regret: The musical was performed live only once, at the Monterey Jazz Festival, with the full cast. Dave Brubeck considered it one of his biggest regrets that a camera crew was prevented from filming the performance for a small fee, due to the interference of manager Joe Glazer, who wanted to wait for a major TV special.

• Integrated WWII Band: While serving as a rifleman in Patton’s army during World War II, Dave Brubeck was spotted playing piano in the mud. Colonel Brown pulled him from combat and tasked him with forming a band called the Wolfpack, specifically recruiting musicians who had been wounded (Purple Heart recipients). Due to their remote location and being "under the official radar," the Wolfpack was the first integrated band in the army.

• Iola Brubeck’s Lyrics: Dave's wife, Iola Brubeck, wrote the clever and politically relevant lyrics for The Real Ambassadors, as well as lyrics for many of Dave's other tunes, including "Ode to a Cowboy" and "My One Bad Habit".

• The Brubeck Waltz: Dave Brubeck and drummer Joe Morello innovated the jazz waltz by having the high hat play on every other beat (one, two, three, one, two, three) instead of the standard two and three. This allowed soloists, including Dave, to play in three, four, or halftime, and to stretch the time.

• The Disney Connection: Dave developed the album Dave Digs Disney (which included "Someday My Prince Will Come") after hearing Disney records softly through the wall from his children, Chris and Dan, who were listening to them while their father slept during the day.

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• 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.

This episode of Jazz Cruises Conversations features an interview by Michael Lazaroff with Journey of Jazz  '25 co-hosts Marcus Miller and Gregory Porter. The session evolved into a candid conversation where the three shared memorable cruise stories, discussed their musical influences (including Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, and Nat King Cole), recounted their extensive work in scoring films, and debated the double-edged sword of technology in the creative process. Marcus and Gregory were praised not only for being brilliant musicians but also for being two of the most wonderful, thoughtful, and caring men.

Key takeaways in bullet form

• Gregory Porter's Influences: Gregory draws inspiration from artists spanning the musical space between Nat King Cole and Donnie Hathaway, as well as local singers like Pastor Richardson. Gregory noted that standards are "community builders".
• Cruise Anecdotes: Marcus recounted the time he had to deal with McCoy Tyner's displeasure over performing on a Fazioli piano on the North Sea Jazz Cruise. He also shared a story about Joe Sample pausing a smooth jazz concert to scold the band for their tempo and lack of leadership.
• Film Scoring Careers: Both guests have notable careers in film scoring. Gregory Porter was scheduled to record a song for a movie featuring Kate Winslet. Marcus Miller detailed his film scoring start with Miles Davis, who passed off a movie score (completed in two and a half weeks) to him. Marcus has since scored films like House Party, Boomerang, and Marshall (a 1939-set film for which Wynton Marsalis provided music using the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and studio, refusing payment).
• Creative Process: Gregory Porter shared the deeply personal inspiration behind his song "Take Me to the Alley," which was written to express how his mother lived her life by running church missions in the "worst part of town."
• Technology in Music: The conversation addressed how technology has negatively impacted music by reducing the need for musicians to play with each other and fostering "deception" through manipulated recordings. Marcus noted that producers can now "fix" vocals to the point where singers don't sound like the record live. Gregory stated he dislikes the practice of fixing "the pimples" in his recordings, valuing organic expression.
• Future Plans: Marcus expressed a strong desire to produce music for Gregory Porter, calling him "the real".

Host and guest info and relevant links

• Host: Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of Signature Cruise Experiences.
• Co-host/Guest: Marcus Miller (Bassist, bandleader, composer).
• Co-host/Guest: Gregory Porter (Vocalist, songwriter).
• Future Cruise (Journey of Jazz '26): Marcus Miller and Gregory Porter return as co-hosts. The cruise sails January 24th through the 31st, departing from Tampa and includes two days in the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans. Wynton Marsalis will be performing for guests while the cruise is in New Orleans.
• Learn More: Sign up for updates at journeyofjazz.com.

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• 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.

110: Remembering Ella Fitzgerald & Oscar Peterson w/Cecile McLorin Salvant, Sullivan Fortner & Kelly Peterson

This episode of Jazz Cruises Conversations, hosted by Lee Mergner, is drawn from a "Jazz on Film" session on the Journey of Jazz Cruise. The session focuses on the lives, careers, and close relationship of jazz titans Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson. The episode includes the reading of a poem Oscar Peterson wrote about Ella, audio excerpts from Oscar Peterson's 1980 BBC television show appearance with Ella, and a post-screening discussion featuring contemporary artists and Oscar's widow.

Key Takeaways

• Content Overview: The session featured clips of Ella Fitzgerald, including the earliest known film footage of her from 1957, and an excerpt from her 1980 appearance on Oscar Peterson’s BBC television show.
• Oscar Peterson's Dedication: The episode includes the reading of a poem Oscar Peterson wrote about Ella Fitzgerald, read by Christian McBride, which emphasizes her unique talent, stating she sings "with a voice quite beyond belief."
• The 1981 Interview and Performances: The featured audio comes from Oscar Peterson's television show appearance with Ella, recorded around 1981 when Ella was 64 years old,. During this segment, Ella and Oscar perform "Mellow Tone," "Baby Won't You Please Come Home," and the Vincent Youmans tune, "More Than You Know",,,.
• Ella's Early Career: Ella Fitzgerald initially wanted to be a dancer. She began singing after winning an amateur contest in Yonkers by trying to sing like Connie Boswell and performing "The Object of My Affection," earning the first prize of $12.50,. She joined the Chick Webb Orchestra after an unsuccessful attempt to join Fletcher Henderson’s band, who deemed her "real skinny" and "not the glamour type",.
• The Song Books: Oscar Peterson described her work on the Song Books as an "almost monumental project". Ella noted that the first one, the Cole Porter Song Book, was completed in only about three weeks,. Cécile McLorin Salvant views this project as a foundational part of American music history, archiving the standards and setting Ella as a "historic Mount Rushmore figure."
• The Accompanist's Role: Pianist Sullivan Fortner affirmed Oscar Peterson's observation that Ella's singing creates a "harmonic need" within the accompanist, thus making the players better. For an accompanist playing with a singer, Fortner stresses that the lyric and the message behind the song must be the priority over the melody, tone, or the piano player's input,.
• Ella and Oscar's Relationship: Kelly Peterson, Oscar’s widow, described the relationship between Ella and Oscar as a deep, loving friendship,. She recounted the story of Oscar’s elaborate fake ink spill prank on Ella's new white fur coat. Kelly also shared a moving anecdote about Oscar wearing the heavy gold lion pendant (his "medal" gifted by Ella) on the morning he instinctively felt she had died.
• Vocal Evolution: When comparing early and later clips of Ella's performances, Cécile McLorin Salvant noted that while her voice quality changed (becoming deeper with a wider vibrato, often singing in lower keys), her fundamental concepts remained "spot-on".
• Preferred Configuration: Cécile McLorin Salvant shared her preference for the quartet configuration when performing, a

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• 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.

Ravi Coltrane with Marcus Miller

Marcus Miller interviews Ravi Coltrane about his musical evolution and the dual legacy of his parents, Alice and John Coltrane. This insightful and candid talk, recorded live on the Journey of Jazz cruise, covers the challenges of growing up under the shadow of a jazz icon and finding one's own voice through the music.

Key Takeaways

• The episode is a conversation between host Marcus Miller and guest Ravi Coltrane, focusing on Ravi's development as a jazz saxophonist.
• Ravi's father, John Coltrane, passed away in 1967 when Ravi was 2 years old, leaving Ravi to be raised by his mother, Alice Coltrane. Ravi notes that his father’s instruments are currently in his stateroom.
• Ravi began his musical journey playing the clarinet throughout junior high and high school. He switched to the soprano saxophone at age 16 after his mother gave it to him for his birthday as a hint, later moving to the tenor saxophone.
• Ravi did not initially feel pressure from his famous last name because, during the 1970s in the San Fernando Valley where he grew up, John Coltrane was still considered "underground" or "counter culture".
• The death of Ravi’s older brother, John Jr., in an automobile accident when Ravi was 17, caused a "void" that Ravi later filled by studying his father's music. Ravi began listening to his father's records to gain answers for questions asked at parties, and through this, the music "hit" him.
• Ravi worked with key members of the John Coltrane Quartet, including joining drummer Elvin Jones's band in 1991 (though he felt he was "prematurely" ready) and later working with pianist McCoy Tyner in the 2000s.
• Ravi and Marcus discuss the meaning of being "ready" to perform at a high level, noting that it means being "prepared to do the job properly" and recognizing that evolution and learning are continuous processes.

Host and Guest Info

Host: Lee Mergner (introduction), Marcus Miller (interview).
Guest: Ravi Coltrane.

This talk was recorded during the Journey of Jazz cruise. 

Marcus Miller provided the theme music, which is a clip from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

The talk was captured by Brian Ratchkco and his production team.

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• 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.

Pianist Emmet Cohen sits down with his longtime friend, trumpeter and singer Benny Benack III, for a conversation recorded during the recent Journey of Jazz cruise. This interview tracks Cohen's journey from a college student to becoming a celebrated artist and future host of The Jazz Cruise. Cohen discusses the inspiration behind his acclaimed "Masters Legacy Series" and the creation of his globally popular "Emmet's Place" online concert series.

Key Takeaways

The episode features an interview of pianist Emmet Cohen by his friend, Benny Benack III.

• Cohen and Benack III have known each other since they were both in high school.
• Cohen began his association with the cruises as part of a student group from the University of Miami's Frost School of Music, where he studied with mentor Shelly Berg.
• His early performances on the cruise included playing passenger jams. He later performed with the New York Voices and the legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb (who played on Kind of Blue).
• Cohen created the "Masters Legacy Series" as a concept to bring his generation closer to jazz masters, since the traditional bands of legends like Art Blakey or Miles Davis no longer existed.
• The Masters Legacy Series includes five recorded albums spotlighting collaborations with elders such as Jimmy Cobb, Ron Carter, George Coleman, Benny Golson, Tudy Heath, and Houston Person.
• The "Emmet's Place" online concert series began on March 20, 2020, when a gig was canceled, and the venue offered to pay his fee if he performed from his apartment.
• The first concert, set up simply with an iPhone on a stack of books, garnered 40,000 views on Facebook.
• Cohen felt a sense of historical continuity with the "Harlem Rent Party" tradition of the 1920s during Prohibition, which mirrored the lockdown environment.
• Benack III noted that Cohen was always one step ahead in the jazz community, being the first to stream successfully with good sound and organization.
• Cohen and Benack III emphasized that the future of jazz revolves around community, and being a "master musician" means uplifting others and making everyone around you sound great.
• Cohen will be hosting The Jazz Cruise next year.

Host and Guest Info

Host: Benny Benack III. 
Guest: Emmet Cohen.

This conversation was recorded on the Journey of Jazz cruise.

The podcast theme music is by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.

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• 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.

Show Notes: 107: Wycliffe Gordon with Sean Jones

This episode of Jazz Cruises Conversations, recorded live on the recent Journey of Jazz cruise, features trumpeter and educator Sean Jones interviewing fellow brassman Wycliffe Gordon about his remarkable life and storied career in music. Jones and Gordon share a similar background, both having Georgia roots and musical beginnings in the church and gospel tradition. The candid conversation covers Wycliffe Gordon's formative years, his pivotal experiences playing with Wynton Marsalis, and his successful solo career.

Key Takeaways

• Early Musical Roots: Wycliffe Gordon grew up in rural Georgia, in towns like Westboro and Augusta. His musical exposure at home was classical piano music (Beethoven, Mozart, Schuman, Schubert) played on a reel-to-reel recorder by his father, who studied classical music but performed in churches. Gordon's "musical syntax" is rooted in the music of the church.
• Introduction to Instruments: Although his first calling was drums, which his parents forbade, Gordon was introduced to the trombone in the seventh grade (age 12). His introduction to jazz came around age 13 or 14 from a five-record compilation set called an "anthology of jazz, 10 sides.” He was captivated by the music of Louis Armstrong, particularly the tune "Keyhole Blues.”
• High School Experience: Gordon participated in the McDonald's All-American High School band in the summer of 1984, during his senior year. This experience provided many "firsts," including his first time on an airplane and his first trip to New York. His future wife was also a member of this band.
• Work with Wynton Marsalis: Gordon was the seventh member to join Wynton Marsalis’s Septet. He was later part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO).
• The Wynton Connection: Wycliffe first met Marsalis during a workshop at Florida A&M, where he impressed Marsalis by creating a spontaneous riff in the call-and-response tradition of the church. Although he was initially sent home after a trial gig for not being ready, he returned after dedicated practice. His first recording with Marsalis was Crescent City Christmas Card in 1989.
• Solo Career and Education: Gordon decided to leave Wynton's band (around 2000) to pursue his own interests, including taking a teaching position at Michigan State. He later started his own record company because a Blue Note executive told him that the "trombone just doesn't sell.”
• Multi-Instrumentalism: Gordon plays all trombones (tenor, bass, alto) and the slide trumpet, noting that the one he likes most is the one he is playing at the time. Sean Jones highlighted that Gordon is also an "amazing trumpet player," citing his tribute album, Hello Pops.
• Education Philosophy: Wycliffe stresses the importance of accountability in his students and the necessity of creating material that makes practicing interesting, especially given the challenges young people face with attention and critical thinking skills. Sean Jones shared a moment during the National Youth Orchestra of Jazz (NYO) program where allowing students to be vulnerable and emotionally expressive created a lasting tradition of connection.

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• 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.

This episode features a moving and candid listening party session with vocalist Niki Haris, recorded live during the Journey of Jazz cruise. Host Lee Mergner sets the scene as Niki plays and discusses several tracks from her deeply personal and spiritual album, Lift Thine Eyes. Niki reveals the challenging circumstances, including personal loss, her daughter’s diagnosis, and housing struggles, that led her to create this "inspirational record" as a form of self-encouragement and anchoring.

Key Takeaways

• The Album's Inspiration: Niki Haris's album, Lift Thine Eyes, is described as an "inspirational record" or her "latest spiritual release," created before the pandemic. The music served to encourage Niki through personal struggles, including moving to Georgia and facing intrusive questions about her "people" at the bank, her mother's illness, her daughter's diagnosis, and losing her house after returning from a trip to Russia. The album's title references the Bible verse, "I will lift my eyes to the hills from which cometh my help and my help cometh from the Lord".
• Track Spotlights:
  • "Optimistic" (first track on the album) is Niki's arrangement, featuring Eric Marienthal (who is the music director for all Jazz Cruises) as the musical director and Trey Mclofflin. The song encouraged her to "keep your head to the sky".
  • "It is Well with My Soul" is an arrangement by Mitch Foreman on piano. Niki shares the tragic history of the 1813 song, written by a man who lost his five daughters and home in the Chicago fires.
  • "Time After Time" is a cover of the Cyndi Lauper song, chosen because a friend, Cindy Looper, used Niki's music as an opener for her tour. The song's lyrics spoke to Niki's feeling of being alone until a couple (her daughter's pediatrician's parents) stepped in to offer support, reminding her that "the universe is conspiring for your good". Eric Marienthal also played on this track.
  • "I Got Lost" is an Irving Berlin song that Niki found spiritual. It features Mitchell Foreman on piano, whom Lee Mergner notes played in Wayne Shorter's electric band.
  • "Just Keep Going On" is a song written by Eric Bib (the blues guy), which has a slight southern influence as Niki had moved to Augusta, Georgia.
  • The final song played was the Blind Faith song (sung by Steve Winwood and featuring Eric Clapton on guitar) "Can't Find a Way to Live" (referred to as "Blind Faith song," or "In the presence" or "Find a new way to live").
• Family Background: Niki’s father was the great jazz pianist Gene Harris.
• Grandmother's Influence: Niki's paternal grandmother was adopted by a Jewish family in Chicago after her Native American and African-American mother passed away in a brothel in Pinebluff, Arkansas, around 1913. Her grandmother told Niki, "Everybody's my cousin," which is how Niki walks through life.
• Music Career and Housing: Niki worked with pop artists for nearly 20 years, including Madonna. She has a song opening for Cyndi Lauper's final tour, and she performs dance music and other genres, in addition to jazz and gospel. Niki still maintains a home in St. Joseph Benton Harbor, Michigan (where Al Capone used to vacation) and rents out property to golfers in Michigan (near a golf course built by Jack Nicklaus) and in Augusta, Georgia, which she calls "mailbox money"

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• 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.

Show Notes: 105: John Clayton & Jeff Hamilton with Marcus Miller

This episode of Jazz Cruises Conversations, recorded live on the Journey of Jazz '25 cruise, features an interview conducted by co-host Marcus Miller with John Clayton (bassist/arranger) and Jeff Hamilton (drummer), the longtime co-leaders of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (CHJO). The conversation focused on the formation and 40-year history of their Grammy Award-winning big band, which performed on the cruise and also backed Diana Krall.

• Formation and Longevity: Clayton and Hamilton first discussed starting a big band in 1972 while in college at Indiana University, but officially began the orchestra in 1985. Keeping the band together for 40 years involved delegating tasks: John was responsible for writing the charts and arranging, while Jeff managed the finances and knew which musicians in Los Angeles to call and who would "get along together and played great".
• Musician Selection and Personality: The CHJO intentionally seeks out musicians who bring personality and "gravy" to their playing, rejecting the "clean studio precision" typical of many Los Angeles "reading bands" and "rehearsal bands". John Clayton's arrangements are often written specifically for the personalities of the musicians, much like Duke Ellington did.
• Integration and Inclusivity: The co-leaders were determined to have a "rainbow colored band" and were both vocal about wanting an integrated band, contrasting with the predominantly white or all-white bands historically prevalent in jazz. They continue to be open to musicians regardless of sex or definition, provided they maintain the band’s quality. 
• Working with Vocalists: The band has successfully collaborated with singers such as Joe Williams, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Barbara Morrison, and Ernie Andrews. When arranging for a vocalist like Diana Krall, John Clayton writes for the individual person.
• Program Selection: The CHJO prioritizes playing music that makes the band happy, rather than catering to audience requests.
• Big Band Challenges: The challenges for big bands have changed over the decades. Unlike the past where touring was common via bus, big bands now rely on opportunities like music series in concert halls across the US and may fly to do single concerts.
• Drummer's Role: Jeff Hamilton (the drummer) adheres to the philosophy of Mel Lewis that a musician should not change their style for the group but rather "serve the music" and invite others into their beat. John Clayton praised Jeff's ability to achieve a sound that is "not loud but it's full," allowing the music to reach all parts of the bandstand without monitors.
• Arranging Style: To keep his compositions contemporary and avoid being in a "rut," John Clayton actively seeks out different resources to expand his writing vocabulary, colors, and ideas. The CHJO's arrangements include John's unique sound, or "gravy," often written with specific musicians in mind, like Mel Lewis's loose relaxation or Oscar Brashear's personality.
• Mentorship and Education: Both Clayton and Hamilton actively teach and share their knowledge. John Clayton received guidance from Ray Brown when he was 16, who instilled the responsibility of "passing it on" to others. Jeff Hamilton noted that they had a CHJO youth orchestra for about three years in Los Angeles and have mentored many successful music

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• 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.

This episode captures a coffee talk session from the recent Journey of Jazz Cruise, where host Lee Mergner interviews the great pianist Sullivan Fortner ("Sully"). Since Fortner does not enjoy talking about himself, the interview uses prompts featuring names of influential people in his life. Fortner, an adept mimic and great storyteller, shared profound lessons from his mentors and even played the piano for the audience in the mode of Oscar Peterson.

Key Takeaways

• Musical Beginnings: Fortner's mother was his first music teacher. He and his two younger sisters were "weaned on gospel music" and learned ear training by singing in three-part harmony. His father, who played trumpet in high school, taught him about responsibility.
• A Stern Mentor: Fortner attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). During a lesson with Ellis Marsalis, after playing "Lush Life" and making a mistake, Marsalis retrieved the sheet music, threw the chart in his face, and asked, "Any questions," ending the lesson.
• The Oberlin Shift: Fortner studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio. He describes the food as a "culture shock" but the experience as the best thing he could have done, as he "wasn't ready for place like New York". He had to "pretty much relearn how to play the piano" in Ohio. His teacher, Dan Wall, was his "musical father".
• Learning from Masters:
  • Jason Moran instructed him to focus on stride, boogie woogie, rag time, and solo piano, rather than the more common influences of Herbie Hancock or Keith Jarrett.
  • Barry Harris's workshop, which he attended every Tuesday, was held in the Baroness Pannonica's old house. Fortner recounts the story of receiving his first and only 30-minute lesson from Harris after playing a Thelonious Monk tune on Thelonious Monk's piano (which Harris refused to touch).
• Seven Years with Roy Hargrove: Fortner spent seven years in Roy Hargrove's band, describing the experience as a "doctor's diploma and road chops". He witnessed Hargrove's dedication despite intense physical struggles, including an incident in Italy where a "geyser of blood" shot out of Hargrove's arm during a gig, yet Roy continued to play.
• Vocal Collaborations: He met Samara Joy as a scared freshman at Barry Harris's class and contributed to her Grammy-winning holiday album. He has played with Cécile McLorin Salvant for 10 years. Salvant's repertoire is wide, including music from 500 BC and songs sung in five languages. He described Dee Dee Bridgewater as "fearless" and a "triple quadruple threat".
• The Oscar Peterson Challenge: Fortner participated in a tour playing Oscar Peterson's music with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, noting that Oscar's playing was "demanding," "relentless," and "very complicated and complex".
• Awards and Albums: Fortner's albums include the Grammy-nominated Solo Game (the one with the upside-down cover) and Southern Nights. He recently received the inaugural Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award ($300,000 over four years).

Host and Guest Information

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• 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.

This week's episode, recorded during the Journey of Jazz Cruise on the West Coast, features Dee Dee Bridgewater in conversation with co-host Marcus Miller, sharing stories from her remarkable five-decade career. The interview explores her journey from setting big goals at age seven to her life in Paris, discussing how she overcame adversity and developed the tools to succeed both artistically and professionally.

Key Takeaways

• Early Ambitions & Idols: Dee Dee decided at the age of seven that she would be an internationally known jazz singer, well-respected by musicians, and would live in Paris, France—all of which came true. Her greatest idol was Nancy Wilson, whom she admired for her voice, style, and class, along with Lena Horn and Diahann Carroll.
• The Importance of Storytelling: Dee Dee transitioned from focusing primarily on musical notes and melody to telling the story of a song. This shift was heavily influenced by her time in the Broadway production of The Wiz and working with its director, her second husband, Gilbert Moses.
• Life in France: Dee Dee lived in Europe for 24 years. Her celebrity status in France was jump-started when a poster of her from the musical Sophisticated Ladies was used throughout Paris. She found great success, including filling 3,000-4,000 seat theaters after a successful duet with Ray Charles.
• Josephine Baker Connection: Dee Dee served as the honorary president of the Josephine Baker Association. Her great aunt, Lahi G. (Ladi G E), was responsible for bringing Josephine Baker to Paris and is referenced in Baker's biographies.
• China Moses's Start: When Dee Dee was offered a rock album deal with Virgin Records, she declined it and instead convinced the label to sign her daughter, China Moses, who was 16 at the time. Dee Dee acted as a "tough mama," refusing to critique China's style, ensuring China's success stemmed solely from her own efforts.
• The Thad Jones School: Dee Dee's musical education primarily came from the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, which she joined before John Fattis. Thad Jones gave her the nickname "Renion" and taught her to learn by ear, often changing arrangements mid-song ("We're going back to letter C").
• The Woodshed Network: Dee Dee founded the Woodshed Network in 2019 for young women in jazz to create a safe space and provide them with essential business tools for successful careers. The idea originated after she observed issues while on the faculty of the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program.

Host and Guest Information

RoleNameDetails from Source
Guest | Dee Dee Bridgewater | Charismatic and expressive jazz singer, career spanning five decades. Discusses her album Just Family (produced by Stanley Clark) which features the song "Maybe Today". Winner of a Tony Award for The Wiz.
Interviewer/Host | Marcus Miller | Co-host of the Journey of Jazz Cruise. Provided the theme music: "High Life" from the album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.
Host | Lee Mergner | Host of Jazz Cruises Conversations podcast.

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• 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.

This freewheeling conversation between two longtime friends, bassist Marcus Miller and comedian Alonzo Bodden, took place on the Journey of Jazz cruise that sailed from Vancouver to Los Angeles with stops in Victoria, BC and San Francisco.  The two decided to interview each other, with Alonzo asking Marcus about music and Marcus asking Alonzo about comedy. 

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• 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.

This interview with guitarist Dan Wilson by his friend and mentor Christian McBride was taped during The Jazz Cruise for broadcast on the radio show “The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian” on SiriusXM’s Real Jazz channel. This LEARN session covers their joint history, as well as Dan’s early musical development, playing in church. In keeping with the format of Christian’s show, the two also play some improvised music together.

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• 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.

This conversation was recorded during The Jazz Cruise earlier this year, and it featured a conversation between two of our longtime favorite performers – vocalist Catherine Russell and guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli, with Catherine taking on the interviewer role. For the last few years, John and Catherine have been performing together in a project they call 'Billie and Blue Eyes,' spotlighting the music of Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. John talked about coming up in the jazz and music world and hanging (and playing) with legends like Benny Goodman, Les Paul, Joe Venuti, Zoot Sims, Slam Stewart, Clark Terry, George Shearing, and of course, his father Bucky. Plus, John shared some stories about working with pop icons James Taylor and Paul McCartney.

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• 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.

This conversation was recorded during The Jazz Cruise '24 and it features an interview with multi-instrumentalist James Morrison, who talked with the cruise's music director Eric Marienthal about the challenges of playing multiple instruments at a high level.  James also discusses his experiences as an airplane pilot, who does in fact fly himself and his bandmembers to many of his gigs.

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• 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.

This conversation with saxophonist Mindi Abair, hosted by Talaya of "Watercolors" on SiriusXM, was recorded on the second week of The Smooth Jazz Cruise earlier this year.  The two talked about Mindi's storied career and her interests off the bandstand.

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• 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.

In this conversation recorded during Botti at Sea '24, as part of the Jazz on Film series hosted by Lee Mergner, we showed a bit of Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Stanley Nelson's 2019 documentary about the great trumpeter.  To talk about Miles' life and legacy, we asked another great trumpeter, Randy Brecker, who has always been a marvelous story teller.  Perhaps no other artist lends themself more to stories than Miles Davis.  Randy not only put Miles' singular influence in perspective, but shared some of his personal encounters with Miles, including their exchange about who discovered the wah wah peddle first. 

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• 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.

This conversation was recorded on The Jazz Cruise earlier this year and it featured a talk with Jazzmeia Horn and Cyrille Aimee, moderated by fellow vocalist Catherine Russell, who is also one of the hosts of The Jazz Cruise.  The two talked about their unique musical roots – Jazzmeia's in gospel and Cyrille's in French gypsy music and how they first got into jazz.  They also share their creative process for recording and composing.  And there's lots more, including questions from our discerning guests.

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• 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.

This conversation with three of our artists was recorded on the first sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise earlier this year. It features a talk with Rick Braun, Richard Elliot and Peter White, moderated by one of our hosts, Talaya from Sirius XM. The three old friends talked about the first time they met, mostly going back to the 80s, when fusion was at its peak and Smooth Jazz was just emerging as a genre.  Then, Rick talked about working with Sade, Peter explained why almost every British band sings with an American accent, and Richard recalled his formative time with Tower of Power. But there's lot's more in this very engaging and often funny conversation.

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• 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.

As part of the Jazz on Film series on Botti at Sea '24, host Lee Mergner showed a bit of the documentary "Still Bill" about Bill Withers.  Jose James, who paid tribute to Bill with his album "Lean on Me," then talked with Lee about the great singer-songwriter's music, life and legacy.

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• 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.

This conversation recorded on the Jazz Cruise earlier this year is from one of our LEARN sessions held during the day. James Morrison interviewed fellow trumpeters Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack the third.  They talk plenty of brass of course, but also about how they balance playing and singing.  And the two talk about how their own style and sound evolved.  Finally, they take a bunch of interesting questions from the audience.

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• 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.

In this episode, two of our longtime cruise hosts and headliners—Alonzo Bodden and Marcus Miller—talk music, comedy and life in a free-wheeling and entertaining conversation recorded on The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Although Alonzo kicks it off as the interviewer, in reality any session with these two longtime friends is bound to go back and forth, with one turning the tables on the other, and with a healthy dose of good-spirited razzing along the way.

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• 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.

This conversation was recorded on the inaugural sailing of Botti at Sea in 2024 and it featured an interview with the great vocalist Samara Joy, as part of the Jazz on Film series Lee Mergner hosted that week.  Samara talked in depth about Sarah's incredible legacy and about her own evolution as a jazz singer in this candid conversation.

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• 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.

This conversation was recorded during the most recent sailing of The Jazz Cruise and it featured an interview of NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron by our artistic director Shelly Berg.  Kenny talked with Shelly about his early formative years growing up in Philadelphia, as well as about lessons learned from playing with jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Yusef Lateef, Charle Haden and Stan Getz.  Kenny and Shelly also geek out about both the piano and teaching piano. 

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• 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.

This conversation with vocalist Jeffrey Osborne was recorded during a recent sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Jeffrey talked with Marcus Miller about his rigorous health regimen and about his early years as a vocalist and his time with LTD, which started as a back up band for Sam and Dave. Did you know that Jeffrey actually started out as a drummer?  With the O'Jays, no less. You'll learn even more interesting aspects about Jeffrey's music and career during this fascinating talk. Oh, and a fellow vocalist makes a late but funny cameo appearance during the interview.

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• 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.

This conversation was recorded during the most recent sailing of The Jazz Cruise and it featured an interview with two longtime friends and colleagues—Paquito D'Rivera and Chucho Valdes.  Going back to their native land of Cuba, Paquito played in Irakere, a band founded in 1973 by Chucho who led that band for more than four decades.  The two recently reunited for an album called I Missed You Too as well as for a tour with their sextet.  The Jazz Cruise All-Star James Morrison handled the moderator duties in this very animated conversation filled with wit and wisdom.

Send us a text

• 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.