Love Jazz? Try This Theme Cruise
Week-Long Live Music Cruise Spotlights Big Name Groups
November 2007 departure on Holland America Westerdam cruise ship features straight-ahead jazz stars Ken Peplowski, Cyrus Chestnut, Dizzy Gillespie Big Band live
Boomers and seniors who love the most American form of music and would like to hear it while cruising through the Caribbean should look into The 2007 Jazz Cruise. The oldest and best known music ship charter Jazz Cruises LLC has booked an all-star lineup for its annual straight-ahead jazz theme cruise November 11-18, which leaves from Fort Lauderdale and includes Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Half Moon Cay among its ports of call.
It would be wise to book really soon, since the company says this seventh full ship charter is 85 percent sold out. This year, the music director will be Ken Peplowski, the clarinet and saxophone player.
As an extra treat, the 2007 Jazz Cruise will include Latin jazz legend Arturo Sandoval, billed as a "Special Guest." He will be performing with his entire band,
Among the performers booked are: Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Eddie Higgins, world-renowned saxophonist James “Red” Holloway, bassist Jay Leonhart. drummer and composer Victor Lewis, the Eric Alexander Quartet, singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway, the Cyrus Chestnut Trio, the Houston Person Quartet, pianist Dr. Lonnie Smith and his trio and a great tribute band, the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, directed by Slide Hampton, featuring Roberta Gambarini.
Prices range from $1,400 per person, double occupancy and up, but some categories of staterooms are already wait-list only. Among those wait-listed is the $7,500 penthouse.
The person who makes it happen is Anita E. Berry, a former travel agent, who worked to assemble groups on the Norwegian Cruise Line years ago. "In 1999, when NCL announced they were dropping their theme cruises, I took the guest list I’d been developing for ten years and set out to realize my dream of a full-ship charter dedicated solely to jazz," she says. "Our first sailing in October 2001 was a sellout charter cruise with 1254 passengers on Holland America’s m/s Maasdam." Last year the Jazz Cruise went to the Mexican Riviera.
Performances on the 2007 Jazz Cruise take place in four or five venues at once and guests are invited to "graze." According to Berry, the aim is a “listening room” concept where music is the star and conversations and distractions are strongly discouraged. Guests can also meet the musicians during the “Conversation with the Stars” onboard panel discussions. There are CD signings as well.
More information is available from The Jazz Cruise Web site. Bookings can be made via phone at 800.762.6737. Vacationers can e-mail the company at sales@thejazzcruise.com.
