Jazz Cruises Conversations – Details, episodes & analysis

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Jazz Cruises Conversations

Lee Mergner

Music

Frequency: 1 episode/23d. Total Eps: 116

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.

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Brass, Voice & Vision: Bria Skonberg & Benny Benack III in Conversation

Season 7 · Episode 116

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 • Duration 51:31

Bria Skonberg has a confession: she's releasing two albums this year, one all-trumpet and one all-vocal, partly because she still hasn't figured out how to make the two coexist. "I'm always trying to find or write material that highlights them both in their best light," she says in this wide-ranging conversation with fellow trumpeter-vocalist Benny Benack III, recorded live aboard The Jazz Cruise.

The two have toured together, finished each other's sentences, and find themselves facing versions of the same creative questions: how do you balance two voices, build a discography with intention, and keep making music that matters?

Recorded on The Jazz Cruise 2026, the conversation covers the pair's prolific recording approaches (and the producer who keeps Bria from releasing six albums a year), the particular challenge of the trumpet as a lifelong pursuit, and what happens when the audience always wants more of whichever thing you just did less of. The episode also opens into a genuine conversation about jazz education and arts advocacy, sparked by audience questions, with both artists speaking from real experience in classrooms and clinics, not talking points.

A candid, energetic hour with two of the most compelling younger voices in jazz today.

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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.

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Jeff Hamilton & John Pizzarelli: Tales From the Road

Season 7 · Episode 115

Monday, April 27, 2026 • Duration 47:43

No moderator required. John Pizzarelli and Jeff Hamilton have been friends since 1984, and it shows — in the stories they finish for each other, the ones they've clearly been waiting to tell, and the ones that arrive sideways in the middle of something else entirely.

This Season 7 opener, recorded live on The Jazz Cruise 2026, is the kind of conversation that could only happen when two people have shared enough bandstands to stop performing for each other. Hamilton takes you back to his first night playing with Oscar Peterson, the Ray Brown philosophy of career preparation, and what it actually takes to pack a bag when you've been on the road since 1974. Pizzarelli traces his unlikely path to singing back to a Nat King Cole reissue, a last-minute Stash Records session, and a father who never missed a teaching moment — even when the lesson arrived as a one-liner. Stories about Bucky, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, and the future of straight-ahead jazz fill out the second half, with audience questions that are as good as the answers.

Pull up a chair. Piz and the Hammer have plenty more where this came from.

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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.

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Beyond the Cheeks: Sean Jones & Brinae Ali Revisit the Genius of Gillespie

Season 6 · Episode 114

Tuesday, December 23, 2025 • Duration 20:49

Recorded live on the Journey of Jazz cruise, this episode of Jazz Cruises Conversations features an in-depth discussion on the legendary Dizzy Gillespie. Host Lee Mergner is joined by trumpeter Sean Jones and tap artist Brinae Ali to explore Dizzy’s physical trademarks, his deep spirituality, and his enduring influence on the evolution of jazz.

Key Takeaways

The Myth of the Bent Trumpet: Sean Jones clarifies that while the most common story is that Dizzy sat on his instrument, the signature upward bend was purely cosmetic and did not change the sound of the horn.
The Truth Behind the Cheeks: Dizzy’s iconic puffed cheeks were actually caused by a musculature disease that progressed over time, rather than incorrect playing technique.
A Master Pedagogue: Despite his visual trademarks, Dizzy was a serious student and one of the greatest trumpet pedagogues in human history.
Musical Versatility: Dizzy’s sound extended far beyond bebop; he lent his voice to everything from large orchestras to gospel and soul records like Soul’ed Out.
Spirituality and Unity: A devout follower of the Bahá'í faith, Dizzy’s music—including his work with the United Nations Orchestra—was driven by a spiritual mission to bring people together.
The "Dizzy Spellz" Project: Brinae Ali explains her "brainchild" project, which reimagines Dizzy’s music through the lens of Afrofuturism, incorporating tap dance and a turntablist to parallel the "good, bad, and ugly" of his times.
Lorraine Gillespie’s Influence: Dizzy’s wife, Lorraine, was a professional tap dancer from Queens who played an instrumental role in his life and creative evolution.
Spontaneous Composition: Jones describes improvisation not as "making stuff up," but as spontaneous composition where the musician uses years of harmonic awareness to create in real-time.
The Lineage of Jazz: Jones argues there is no "separation" in the music, only extensions: Miles Davis is an extension of Dizzy, who was an extension of Louis Armstrong.

Sean Jones explains the history of jazz as a single, growing tree rather than a collection of separate plants. In this view, every new genre or legendary player is simply an "extension" of the same root system—where the sounds of the past, like those of Louis Armstrong, provide the essential nutrients for the "spontaneous compositions" of the future.

Bria Skonberg's Reset: From Pandemic to NYC Hot Jazz Camp Director

Season 6 · Episode 113

Tuesday, December 16, 2025 • Duration 01:06:24

Lee Mergner hosted a Listening Party with Bria Skonberg who played tracks from her recent album, "What It Means," and then talked about the making of the recording. The album blends many different influences, but it has a decidedly New Orleans flavor thanks to contributions from Herlin Riley, Don Vappie and Ben Jaffe.

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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.

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Dan & Chris Brubeck: The Maestro, Milhaud & "The Real Ambassadors"

Season 6 · Episode 112

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 • Duration 49:42

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.

Marcus Miller & Gregory Porter: The Real, Fazioli Pianos, and Creative Process Secrets

Season 6 · Episode 111

Tuesday, December 2, 2025 • Duration 54:20

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.

Oscar Peterson's Poem to Ella: A Look at Their Deep, Loving Friendship - w/Cecile McLorin Salvant, Sullivan Fortner & Kelly Peterson

Season 6 · Episode 110

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 • Duration 47:58

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,.

Marcus Miller & Ravi Coltrane: Dual Legacy, Finding Your Voice in Jazz

Season 6 · Episode 109

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 • Duration 46:31

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.

Emmet Cohen & Benny Benack III: The Future of Jazz, Community, and Inspiring Others

Season 6 · Episode 108

Tuesday, November 11, 2025 • Duration 53:16

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.

Sean Jones Interviews Wycliffe Gordon: JLCO, Teaching Jazz, and the Trombone's Sell

Season 6 · Episode 107

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 • Duration 54:41

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.”

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