Botti at Sea II (’25) promises 7-days and nights of ensemble entertainment and showmanship unlike anything you’ve experienced!
Chris Botti
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An instrumentalist who can play straight-ahead as well as smooth jazz with his own personal sound and not a small amount of charisma and stage presence, Chris Botti is truly a star in the world of jazz and beyond. The trumpeter has thoroughly established himself as one of the important, innovative figures of the contemporary music world.
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Botti’s career was not an overnight success. Nonetheless, he went on to release a slew of not only top-selling albums, but also GRAMMY award-winning ones. Since the release of his 2004 critically acclaimed album, When I Fall In Love, Chris Botti has become the largest-selling American instrumental artist. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four #1 jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and GRAMMY Awards. His album, Impressions, won the GRAMMY for Best Pop Instrumental. Performing worldwide and selling more than 4 million albums, he has found a form of creative expression that begins in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre.
Over the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with the best in music, including Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Bublé, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and even Frank Sinatra. The trumpeter has also performed with many of the finest symphonies and at some of the world's most prestigious venues, from Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House and the Real Teatro di San Carlo in Italy. His bands have always featured top-notch jazz players, many of whom are established leaders on their own – from Geoffrey Keezer to Billy Childs. The man seems to do it all and do it with style.
David Foster
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“I believe that everyone gets three rounds in their life,” says musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, producer, and recording artist David Foster. “For me, two are completed and I’m on to Round Three. I think you have to change it up every round. My mantra is retreat and attack in another direction, which I’ve done twice. Now I’m going to do it again.”
Foster’s first round was as a studio musician, arranger, and recording artist. His second round was becoming one of the most successful songwriters and record producers in history — shepherding albums that have collectively sold in the hundreds of millions. This period of his four-decade career also found him creating The David Foster Foundation and volunteering his time and talent to over 400 charities, as well as becoming a household name as a performer throughout Asia where he tours annually. For his third round, Foster is gearing up to take on Broadway with several projects. These include writing the music for a new musical about the iconic, animated character Betty Boop, which will be directed by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell.
Foster seems constitutionally incapable of resting on his laurels, and his relentless drive has propelled him throughout his career. Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foster. He has created hit songs and award-winning gold and platinum albums for a diverse array of artists including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Seal, Chaka Khan, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Brandy, ’N Sync, Boz Scaggs, and Gloria Estefan. He has escorted singers who have straddled both pop and classical styles like Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban into the mainstream. He has also created culture-defining soundtracks for blockbuster films like The Bodyguard, Urban Cowboy, and St. Elmo’s Fire; and crafted timeless holiday classics, including perennial best-sellers like Josh Groban’s Noel, Michael Bublé’s Christmas, Celine Dion’s These Are Special Times, Rod Stewart’s Merry Christmas Baby, Andrea Bocelli’s My Christmas, and Mary J. Blige’s A Mary Christmas.
For his remarkable work, Foster has won 16 GRAMMY Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and racked up three Oscar nominations for Best Original Song. He has also earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, and Michael Bublé. Recently, he has been performing with his wife—actress and singer Katharine McPhee—in a production they call The Kat and Dave Show.
Diana Krall
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Diana Krall is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, Billboard magazine named her the second greatest jazz artist of the decade (2000–2009), establishing her as one of the best-selling artists of her time.
Krall is the only jazz singer to have eight albums debut at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. To date, her albums have garnered multiple GRAMMY Awards, 10 Juno Awards, and have earned nine gold, three platinum, and seven multi-platinum albums. Her unique artistry transcends any single musical style and has made her one of the most recognizable artists of our time. As The New York Times recently noted, she possesses “a voice at once cool and sultry, wielded with a rhythmic sophistication.”
Krall’s 1999 release of “When I Look in Your Eyes” spent an unprecedented 52 weeks in the No. 1 position on Billboard's Jazz chart, won multiple GRAMMY Awards, and went platinum in the United States and Canada.
Since the 1993 release of Stepping Out, her debut studio album, she has released more than a dozen albums, including Only Trust Your Heart in 1995, All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio in 1996, Love Scenes in 1997, When I Look in Your Eyes in 1999, The Look of Love in 2001, The Girl in the Other Room in 2004, Christmas Songs in 2005, From This Moment On in 2006, Quiet Nights in 2009, Glad Rag Doll in 2012, Wallflower in 2015, Turn Up the Quiet in 2017 and Love Is Here to Stay, with Tony Bennett, in 2018.
Her latest release, This Dream of You, has garnered critical acclaim from fans and press alike. Released in 2020, the album collects Krall’s scores of studio recordings she performed with her longtime producer Tommy LiPuma before his death in 2017. In addition to the title track — which is her rendition of the Bob Dylan song — the album features songs such as “But Beautiful,” “Autumn in New York,” “Almost Like Being in Love,” “How Deep Is the Ocean” and “Singing in the Rain.”
Katharine McPhee
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An accomplished actress and singer, Katharine McPhee, first burst onto the scene during a storied run on Season 5 of American Idol (2006), finishing in second place. As an actress, she is well-known to television audiences for starring in the CBS drama series Scorpion (2014-2018), and also as one of the leads in the NBC musical drama Smash (2012-2013), executive produced by Steven Spielberg. She starred in the Netflix comedy series, Country Comfort (2021). McPhee’s feature film credits include The House Bunny, Shark Night 3D, You May Not Kiss the Bride and Bayou Caviar.
Born in Los Angeles to a father who was a television producer and a mother who became a noted vocal coach, McPhee showed early musical talent and she was encouraged and even trained by her mother. She attended Boston Conservatory for three semesters, majoring in musical theatre, but left college before graduation and returned to Los Angeles to try out for television pilots. In March 2005, McPhee starred as Annie Oakley in a Cabrillo Music Theater production of the musical Annie Get Your Gun. But it was her successful audition and appearance on American Idol in 2006 that initially introduced her to a worldwide audience.
As a singer, Katharine is renowned for her powerhouse presence and show-stopping performances. In 2006, her first single, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny,” debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart. Propelled by the gold-certified single, “Over It,” her 2007 self-titled album debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200. 2010 saw the release of two records, Unbroken and Christmas is the Time To Say I Love You. That year, her rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” also climbed the charts as a top-five holiday hit. She went on to independently release 2015’s Hysteria to much fan praise. In 2017, McPhee reimagined, recharged, and reinvigorated a host of timeless standards on her fifth full-length album, I Fall In Love Too Easily, produced by Don Was. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. A sought-after performer, Katharine has taken the stage for various PBS broadcasts throughout the years, including Foster and Friends, Chris Botti In Boston, and headlining her own SoundStage special. In Spring 2018, McPhee made her Broadway debut starring as Jenna in the hit musical Waitress, featuring music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles. She then moved on to originate the leading role in the West End production of the show in London from February through June 2019. She later returned to star in the show one last time during the final weeks of its original run on Broadway from November 2019 through its closing on January 5, 2020.
In addition to her acting and singing career, McPhee is a passionate philanthropist, having served as an ambassador for organizations such as BuildOn, Malaria No More and Feeding America. In recent years, she has been performing with her husband—the keyboardist, composer and producer David Foster—in a production they call The Kat and Dave Show.
esperanza spalding
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Born in 1984 in Portland, Oregon, esperanza spalding (a.k.a. irma nejando) is an eaabibacliitoti* artist, trained and initiated in the North American (masculine) jazz lineage and tradition. Her work interweaves through various combinations of instrumental music, improvisation, singing, composition, poetry, dance, therapeutic research, storytelling, teaching, regenerative agriculture, urban land & artist-sanctuary custodianship, and growing in love as a daughter, sister, cousin, niece, auntie, great-auntie, friend, while collaboratively decolonizing within and through her hometown community. She co-founded and serves as lead curator for Prismid Inc., a non-profit that creates and stewards artist residency, performance, and workshop space in Portland, Oregon.
esperanza continues to collaborate and perform in new productions of “…(Iphigenia)”, an opera written by Wayne Shorter, for whom she wrote the libretto and co-produced its 2021/2022 premieres // is currently developing a mockumentary in collaboration with brontë velez and San Francisco Symphony // researching and developing liberation rituals in jazz and black dance // and through the Songwrights Apothecary Lab continuing a lifelong collaboration with practitioners in various fields relating to sound, healing, and cognition to develop music with enhanced therapeutic potential.
With her dance company Off Brand gOdds (co-founded with Antonio Brown) and the Songwrights Apothecary Lab she leads multi-week performance, teaching, workshop, and therapeutic-arts research residencies in collaboration with colleges and arts venues across the Americas, and throughout the world.
*European-African ancestored being influenced by American cultures living in Indigenous Lands of Turtle Island
Kool & the Gang
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Kool & the Gang's impact on the music landscape spans three generations, leaving an indelible mark through iconic tracks like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness, and Open Sesame. Their enduring legacy is underscored by two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and an impressive 31 gold and platinum albums. Remarkably, the band has maintained a continuous musical journey for an unprecedented 43 years, surpassing any other R&B group in history. Their distinctive fusion of funk and jazz has rendered them the most sampled band of all time.
Formed in 1964 by Khalis Bayyan (Ronald Bell) and his brother Robert "Kool" Bell, alongside neighborhood friends, Kool & the Gang initially navigated various names like the Jazziacs, The New Dimensions, The Soul Town Band, and Kool & the Flames before settling on their iconic moniker. Over the years, they honed their musical chemistry, supporting luminaries such as Richie Havens, and Richard Pryor.
Their eponymous 1969 debut album marked the genesis of a theme that still resonates today: music is the message. This instrumental masterpiece introduced their signature sound and powerful horn arrangements. The subsequent years witnessed a string of albums, including the audacious Live at the Sex Machine in 1970 and the gold-certified Wild & Peaceful in 1973, catapulting them to new heights with hits like Funky Stuff, Hollywood Swinging, and Jungle Boogie.
The '80s ushered in a new era with the platinum success of Ladies Night, featuring the chart-topping title track and the hit Too Hot. The decade solidified their mainstream dominance with the double platinum album Celebrate, headlined by the international anthem Celebration. Their chart-topping streak continued with hits like Get Down On It, Cherish, and Fresh from the multi-platinum LP Emergency.
As the '90s embraced hip-hop, Kool & the Gang's grooves became DJ favorites, making them second only to James Brown as a source of rap samples. Today, their global fame endures, fueled by a catalog that remains a staple for artists such as Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Madonna, and more. The band's influence spans film soundtracks, including Rocky and Saturday Night Fever. Their continued touring, collaborations with diverse artists, and accolades like the BET Soul Train Lifetime Achievement award underscore their timeless contribution to music. In October 2015, they cemented their status as American musical icons with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in the town they celebrated in one of their earliest hits, "Hollywood Swinging."
Kamasi Washington
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When Kamasi Washington released his Tour de Force LP, The Epic, in 2015, it instantly set him on a path as our generation’s torchbearer for progressive, improvisational music that would open the door for young audiences to experience music unlike anything they had heard before. The 172-minute odyssey featuring his 10-piece band, the next step, was littered with elements of hip-hop, classical and r&b music, all major influences on the young saxophonist and bandleader, who exceeds any notions of what “jazz” music is. released to critical acclaim, the epic won numerous “best of” awards, including the inaugural American music prize and the Gilles Peterson worldwide album of the year. Washington followed that work with collaborations with other influential artists such as Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Run the Jewels, Ibeyi and the creation of “harmony of difference,” a standalone multimedia installation during the prestigious 2017 biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York city.
His mass appeal continues to grow, drawing vibrant, multi-ethnic and multi-generational crowds with tour stops at the world’s most prominent festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury, Fuji Rock, Bonnaroo and Primavera.
John Clayton
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Bassist, Composer, Arranger and Producer, John Clayton is a busy man. He is a GRAMMY© winner with nine additional nominations and has written and/or recorded with artists such as Milt Jackson, Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Regina Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah, McCoy Tyner, YoYo Ma and Charles Aznavour, to name only a few. John was the principal bassist in the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (The Netherlands) from 1980-1984.
In 1986, John co-founded the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and rekindled The Clayton Brothers Quintet. In addition to his individual clinics and workshops, he was the Artist Director of Jazz for Centrum, The Port Townsend Jazz Festival, and the Vail Jazz Workshop. It is John’s arrangement of the “Star Spangled Banner” that helped propel Whitney Houston in her 1990 performance at the Super Bowl (the recording went platinum). His recordings with the Clayton Brothers, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Milt Jackson, Monty Alexander, Count Basie and others are plentiful.
John says “I’ve been guided by a village of musicians who helped me understand the humility that goes along with playing music at the highest level you can. Ray Brown used to tell me to ‘Just learn how to play the bass!’ If you take care of the music, it will take care of you.”
Jeff Hamilton
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Drummer Jeff Hamilton has been honing his big band skills since the tender age of 8, earning him a presence on the stage with legends like Ella Fitzgerald, the Count Basie Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, Monty Alexander, and Diana Krall. Featured in nearly 200 recordings – including 16 GRAMMY® Award-winning titles – with the likes of Natalie Cole, Barbra Streisand, Mel Torme and Herb Ellis, Jeff also teaches, arranges, and composes for the drums. Mentored by legends such as Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown, Jeff in turn has been a teacher and inspiration to multiple generations of young musicians.
Jeff is also the co-leader of the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (the GRAMMY®-nominated big band that provides backup for Diana Krall). The Jeff Hamilton Trio featuring Tamir Hendelman and John Hamar, has been a pillar of Jazz Cruises for nearly two decades, with Jeff serving as an untitled co-producer of The Jazz Cruise aiding our staff with insights and ideas.
One needs to arrive at a Jeff Hamilton event early enough to secure a seat as virtually every drummer on the ship will be there to watch and admire.
Antonio Sánchez & Bad Hombre
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Four time GRAMMY® winner Antonio Sánchez was a gymnast on Mexico’s Junior National Team, a conservatory-trained classical pianist, the composer and performer of the score for the Oscar-winning film Birdman and is one of the most inventive and heralded drummers on the planet today.
Born in Mexico City, Antonio Sánchez began playing the drums at age five and began to perform professionally in his early teens in Mexico’s rock, jazz and Latin scenes.
After pursuing a degree in classical piano at Mexico's National Conservatory he enrolled in Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Shortly after moving to New York City in 1999, Antonio was scooped-up by Pat Metheny, for whom he recorded nine albums and toured for 18 years. He has also performed with Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden — among others — and on several occasions he was named Modern Drummer’s "Jazz Drummer of the Year."
Antonio's popularity soared when he scored Alejandro Iñárritu’s film Birdman, winner of four Academy Awards including Best Picture.
Recent projects include his critically acclaimed The Meridian Suite, his sociopolitical electronica & drums exploration Bad Hombre and Lines in the Sand in which Sánchez turns his political anger into a moving musical statement as a protest against injustice in our current political climate and as a tribute to every immigrant’s journey.
In Spring 2022 Warner Bros Records released SHIFT (Bad Hombre Vol II). The much-anticipated recording features Sánchez collaborating with artists ranging from Trent Reznor to Lila Downs...from Meshell Ndegeocello to Dave Matthews and more.
Benny Benack III
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By age 31, Emmy-nominated trumpeter and singer Benny Benack III has proven to be that rarest of talents: not only a fiery trumpet player with a stirring command of the post-bop trumpet vernacular in the vein of Kenny Dorham and Freddie Hubbard, but also a singer with a sly, mature, naturally expressive delivery in the post-Sinatra mold, performing standards and his own astute songs with a thrilling sense of showmanship. This duel-threat ability was recognized by the 2022 Downbeat Critics Poll where he appeared as not only the #2 Rising Star Male Vocalist, but a top Rising Star Trumpeter as well. His superb intonation and bracing virtuosity enable him to handle astounding feats of originally composed vocalese (complex solos with written lyrics). On top of it all, he’s a highly capable pianist as well.
Benny has performed internationally as an Emcee/Host for the Youtube sensation Postmodern Jukebox, and achieved his own viral success amassing millions of views for his crooning alongside the Grammy-award winning “8-Bit Big Band.” In early 2020 he released A Lot of Livin’ to Do, the follow-up to his well-received 2017 debut One of a Kind. This sophomore effort, richly varied in mood and brimming with bop inflection, features bassist extraordinaire and Jazz ambassador Christian McBride (whose GRAMMY-award winning Big Band frequently calls upon Benny in the trumpet section) and drummer/producer Ulysses Owens, Jr., as well as the radiant Takeshi Ohbayashi on piano and Rhodes. His vocalese duet on “Social Call” from this album alongside fellow young star vocalist Veronica Swift became an instant smash hit single, being transcribed and learned by Jazz vocalists around the world.
Emmet Cohen
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Jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is one of his generation’s pivotal figures in music and the related arts. Leader of the Emmet Cohen Trio and creator of the “Masters Legacy Series,” Cohen is an internationally acclaimed jazz artist and dedicated music educator.
Winner of the 2019 American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association, Emmet is also an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Indianapolis. Emmet Cohen has performed, recorded, or collaborated with Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Jimmy Cobb, George Coleman, Jimmy Heath, Tootie Heath, Houston Person, Christian McBride, Kurt Elling, Billy Hart, Herlin Riley, Lea DeLaria, and Bill T. Jones.
Gerald Clayton
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Four-time GRAMMY-nominated pianist/composer Gerald Clayton began his formal musical journey at the prestigious Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where he received the 2002 Presidential Scholar of the Arts Award. Continuing his scholarly pursuits, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance at USC’s Thornton School of Music under the instruction of piano icon Billy Childs, after a year of intensive study with NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron at The Manhattan School of Music. Clayton won second place in the 2006 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Piano Competition.
Gerald is the son of iconic bassist John Clayton, so it is likely that his informal musical training began at home. The combination of top notch training and inherited talent has resulted in a career marked by performances with such distinctive artists as Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, Dianne Reeves, Ambrose Akinmusire, Dayna Stephens, Kendrick Scott, John Scofield Ben Williams, Terell Stafford & Dick Oatts, Michael Rodriguez, Terri Lyne Carrington, Avishai Cohen, Peter Bernstein and the Clayton Brothers Quintet. Clayton also has enjoyed an extended association since early 2013, touring and recording with saxophone legend Charles Lloyd.
Gerald has served as the Musical Director of the Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour, a project that has featured his trio along with Ravi Coltrane, Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard and Raul Midón on guitar and vocals.
Gerald has performed on several sailings of The Jazz Cruise and earlier editions of Blue Note at Sea, as a solo performer, as part of a group and as a leader of his own group.
During her remarkable 21-year recording career, saxophonist/vocalist Mindi Abair has garnered two GRAMMY® nominations, recorded with some of the biggest names in music, and built a substantial following among jazz and blues audiences with her soaring melodies and powerhouse style. You might know her as the featured saxophonist on American Idol, sitting in with Paul Shaffer on The Late Show with David Letterman and The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, or from moonlighting on tour with Duran Duran or Aerosmith. As a solo artist, she has consistently topped the Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Blues charts.
In 2018, Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers won 8 Independent Blues Awards including Artist of the Year, and an Independent Music Award for Best Blues Song Fan Award for “Pretty Good For A Girl” featuring Joe Bonamassa.
Morgan James
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"A phenomenal talent whose feel for classic soul music is bone deep...This woman is on fire." -- The New York Times
When talking about Morgan James, it's best to start with the voice - an instrument through which she can communicate anything. A gift bestowed upon her that she has expertly trained, meticulously nurtured, and passionately galvanized into action by an urgency to make real music. Next, the stories, and she has them in spades. They are full of truth and beauty, heartache and thoughtfulness. They reveal colors we weren’t expecting to see. They make us close our eyes and relate. And finally, the soul – the emotional and intellectual energy through which these parts are fueled. That special something that prompted The Wall Street Journal to herald her as "the most promising young vocalist to come along so far this century." Morgan James is a soul singer and one voice is all it takes. The right vocalist can make you fall in love at first listen, elicit tears or bring you back to a different era altogether. A microphone and a stage remain the only necessities. That holds true for New York-based soul singer, songwriter, and Broadway actress Morgan James.
Morgan’s latest full album Nobody’s Fool is a luminous love letter to 90s R&B, featuring nine brand new songs, and one cover of Jeff Buckley‘s “Everybody Here Wants You”; the release of which culminated in a 60 city US tour with her band. The album is her third original soul album recorded at the world-class Memphis Magnetic Recording, along with Memphis Magnetic and A Very Magnetic Christmas, both recorded live to analog tape.
Alonzo Bodden
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After 30 years in comedy and over 30 Jazz Cruises, Alonzo Bodden has been able to marry his two passions: comedy and jazz. “There is nothing like the cool and creativity of the jazz world, I love it,” says Alonzo. His big break was “New Faces of Comedy” at the Just for Laughs Festival (Canada). He credits winning Season 3 of NBC's Last Comic Standing, as his introduction to America.
With four comedy specials, sitcoms, The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and The Nightly Show to his credit, he has done it all. His comedy CD, Man Overboard, was recorded on a Smooth Jazz Cruise. His latest comedy special, "Stupid Don’t Get Tired,” is available on YouTube. "The highest compliment I get is when I’m riffing onstage during a cruise and one of these brilliant musicians says “that’s jazz.” What could be cooler than that?”
Sullivan Fortner
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Sullivan Fortner was born and raised in New Orleans. He started playing the piano from the age of four. His mother was the choir director of a Baptist church; he began playing the organ there at the age of seven. After studies at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Sullivan went on to obtain a bachelor's degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music.
For more than a decade, Sullivan Fortner has been stretching deep-rooted talents as a pianist, composer, band leader and uncompromising individualist. The GRAMMY® -Award-winning artist received international praise as both key player and producer for his collaborative work on The Window, alongside Cecile McLorin Salvant with whom he frequently tours and records. As a solo leader, he has released four recordings to critical acclaim: Moments Preserved; Aria; Tea For Two; Solo Game.
In addition to his associations with such diverse voices as Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Diane Reeves, Etienne Charles and John Scofield, Sullivan’s frequent and longtime collaborators have included Ambrose Akinmusire, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Tivon Pennicott, Peter Bernstein, Nicholas Payton, Billy Hart, Gary Bartz, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Fred Hersch and the late Roy Hargrove. Recent collaborations include GRAMMY-nominated releases Dear Love (Empress Legacy) and Generations from leaders Jazzmeia Horn and The Baylor Project, respectively.
Sullivan’s accolades include the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowship awarded by the American Pianists Association, Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship, the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists and the prestigious Shifting Foundation Grant for artistic career development.
Wycliffe Gordon
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Musical ambassador and interpreter of the music, Wycliffe Gordon is one of the world’s most renowned and award-winning jazz trombonists touring today. Wycliffe is a former member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Named “Trombonist of the Year” by Jazz Journalists Association for an unprecedented 15th time, DownBeat Critics Poll has named Wycliffe “Best Trombone” six times, and he has been the recipient of the Louie Award, the International Trombone Award and the “Satchmo” Award, amongst many others.
Wycliffe tours as a soloist and regularly with his quintet headlining at legendary jazz venues and festivals. He’s released more than 20 albums as a leader and eight more as a co-leader. He’s performed with an impressive list of artists including David Sanborn, Dianne Reeves, Anat Cohen, Arturo Sandoval, Doc Severinsen, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Tommy Flanagan, Shirley Horn, Joe Henderson and Branford Marsalis.
A respected educator and mentor, Wycliffe is the director of Jazz Studies at Augusta University in Georgia and he presents master classes, clinics, workshops, children’s concerts and lectures to students from elementary schools to universities all over the world. He’s been an artist-in-residence or taught at prestigious educational institutions such as the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Michigan State University, Peabody Conservatory, Temple University and Arizona State University.
Wycliffe has sailed on more Jazz Cruises programs than any other musician. He has performed in every configuration imaginable and is the guardian of The Jazz Cruise Gospel Hour, one of the most cherished and beloved elements of The Jazz Cruise.
Terell Stafford
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Terell Stafford, acclaimed trumpet player based in New York, has been hailed as “one of the great players of our time, a fabulous trumpet player” by piano legend McCoy Tyner. Stafford is recognized as an incredibly gifted and versatile player, he combines a deep love of melody with his own brand of spirited and adventurous lyricism. Stafford’s exceptionally expressive and well defined musical talent allows him to dance in and around the rich trumpet tradition of his predecessors while making his own inroads.
Ben Williams
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When it comes to black music, Washington, D.C. produces its share of game-changers. That long list includes Duke Ellington, Chuck Brown, Marvin Gaye, Shirley Horn, Roberta Flack, Bad Brains, Meshell Ndegeocello, Wale, and Oddisee. You can add Ben Williams to that venerated roster.
For more than a decade, Williams has steadily become one of the most acclaimed and versatile bassists in modern jazz. In 2009, he won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. He has performed/recorded with such giants as Pat Metheny, George Benson, Stefon Harris, David Sanborn, Lauryn Hill, Wynton Marsalis, Robert Glasper, Maxwell and Nicholas Payton. In 2013 and 2015 Williams received the DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll Rising Star Award for Bass. Williams became a “Rising Star” when he won the 2009 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Bass Competition Award that landed him his first record-deal with Concord Records. Thereafter, he recorded and released State of Art in 2011 with his band, Sound Effect. The album received an impressive 4.5 star review in DownBeat Magazine and reached #1 on the charts of iTunes and the National BillBoard. He was named the 2011 iTtunes Breakthrough Artist of the Year in the category of jazz.
As a leader, Williams revealed his talents as a keen composer and bandleader on his first two Concord Records albums – State of Art (2011) and Coming of Age (2015). As gripping as those albums are, they don’t prepare you for Williams’ newest album, I AM A MAN, released Rainbow Blonde, a new imprint co-owned by singer, songwriter, and kindred spirit, José James. Sonically, the new album departs grandly from the mostly acoustic instrumental settings of his previous albums. Williams imbued his love for modern R&B and hip-hop and his socio-political awareness subtly on State of Art and Coming of Age. But on I AM A MAN, he brings them to the fore with mesmerizing vocal-centric songs that will surely raise his profile higher in modern soul and rap circles.
With the help from sound engineer Brian Bender, I AM A MAN boasts a humid and hazy sound that recalls Soulaquarian albums released by The Roots, Erykah Badu, Bilal, D’Angelo, Common, and Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor. “I wanted to make this not just a musical statement, but sonically, I wanted to dig into a different sound. We had the opportunity to work in the studio to craft some sounds. What you hear is Brian’s brilliance with engineering. I wanted this record to deal with the past, present, and future,” Williams says.
Eric Marienthal
Music Director![](https://bottiatsea.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SJC23.ericmarienthal.popupimage.1920x1080.jpg)
Botti at Sea Music Director Eric Marienthal has won two GRAMMY® Awards and has been nominated eight times as a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band, Jeff Lorber Fusion and Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. Having performed in over 80 countries and played on hundreds of recordings, films and TV shows, Eric also has recorded 15 solo recordings including his latest entitled Double Dealin’ with his friend Randy Brecker. Eric's recordings have produced several top 10 radio singles including three tunes that reached #1 on its respective chart.
Eric is the recipient of the Berklee College of Music Distinguished Alumnus Award for outstanding achievements in contemporary music. Eric was also named one of the top 3 alto saxophonists in Jazziz Magazine's Readers Poll along with Phil Woods and David Sanborn. For the past 22 years Eric has organized an annual charity concert for the High Hopes Head Injury Program in Tustin, CA. These concerts have raised awareness for this great organization and have raised over 2 million dollars.
For the past few years, Eric has applied his vast knowledge and experience in the world of jazz to being the Music Director for all of Jazz Cruises’ sailings. In that challenging role, Eric is charged with curating the performances, schedules and support for hundreds of the top musicians in the world. His ability to perform this task with skill and professionalism has made the quality of the programming on those sailings among the very best in the world.
Arlington Jones
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Arlington Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1973, but his family moved to Dallas, Texas in 1976 when his father received a job transfer. His musical journey started at an early age because of his parents’ music heritage and vast album collection. He began studying piano at age eight, started playing in church, and took drum lessons as well. His extraordinary talent and great passion for music soon blossomed. Watching him play now, no one could guess that he told his parents he wanted to stop taking lessons after the first week! Yet, with encouragement from them, he persisted.
Arlington’s study of classical music was later combined with jazz studies in college. He went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree from Southwest Texas State University in music, composition, arranging, performance, theory, and jazz studies. His main jazz music influences are Oscar Peterson and Duke Ellington. Claude Debussy is his favorite classical composer. Arlington expresses, “When I began taking piano lessons, I never imagined music would affect me in the way that it has. Playing music has become my destiny, my responsibility, my aspiration.”
His soulful style, lush harmonies, and impeccable groove are what he is known for. Whether performing solo or with his band, Arlington Jones & The Brethren, he has the gift to take listeners of all ages on an unforgettable journey – a contagious toe-tapping, finger-snapping, hand-clapping, head-bobbing experience! Not only is he pleasing to listen to but also exhilarating to watch! Right through each note, Arlington exudes energy from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet! Notable for always being dapper, he matches vintage threads and contemporary fashion with his eclectic tie and sneaker collection.
Over the years, Arlington has distinguished himself as a successful independent recording artist, composer, and producer under his label Zamaria Records. His music reveals the history of traditional and modern jazz, influenced by ragtime, stride, classical, blues, Latin, funk, and sacred styles. He has multiple album recordings and piano music books. He branded his own jazz piano techniques book, master class, and music web series entitled The Way I Hear It™. Arlington is a Steinway Artist. He tours internationally and has shared the stage with many music artists and groups. He contracts commissioned works, specializing in jazz piano concertos and modern sacred choral pieces.
Performing around the world provides a constant outlook on the music industry and helps him relate to music students and aspiring musicians. Arlington has years of experience as an educator, clinician, adjudicator, and guest lecturer in all levels of elementary, secondary, and higher education. He partners with a variety of music education programs, schools, universities, and organizations. He uses his innovative hands-on teaching techniques to educate piano students, other instrumentalists, and composers of all ages and genres. He created a special interactive presentation for kids called I Can Improvise™ Youth Concert, a fun way to learn about song form, improvisation, music history, and concert etiquette.
Between tour dates, Arlington is involved with arts and jazz preservation programs. He is currently the Artistic Director for the Sammons Jazz Program at the Sammons Center for the Arts in Dallas, Texas. He helped to spearhead the Dallas Jazz Appreciation Month committee. He serves on the Advisory Committee for the Cedar Valley College Music Department. His contributions in the arts and music education communities have led to great awards and acknowledgements.
Arlington seeks to promote the preservation and appreciation of music as an art form by pairing energetic live performances with music education and history. He is devoted to the enrichment and empowerment of musicians and their families through master classes, clinics, workshops, and literature. Most importantly, Arlington is dedicated to creating music that speaks life to the hearts, minds, and souls of people around the world – music that will evoke joy, hope, faith, peace, healing, and love for all generations and cultures!
Arlington and his wife, Hope, have a daughter, Christian, and a son, Arlington III. Together they have founded The Music Stand, a nonprofit organization. He and his family live in Arlington, Texas.
Jay Williams
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Jay Williams is no stranger to the Gospel, Jazz and R&B community. With a little over 3 decades of experience, Jay combines fine technique, professionalism, structure and discipline to the God-given art of drumming he has been blessed.
Jay started playing drums at the tender age of 3, along side his dad the late Judge Williams, Sr. who was a phenomenal organist in the Washington D.C. area. Playing in church helped cultivate his sense of music and love for the drums. It wasn't long after Jay took interest in exploring other styles of music, his interest grew to appreciate styles like jazz, rock, R&B, latin, and country.
By the age of 18 years, Jay found himself professionally working in the Washington, DC vibrant music scene. Jay's passion, hard work and dedication along with his experience eventually led up to him professionally working with numerous main stream artist around the world.
Jay's versatile yet flexible gift has gained him local, national and international media coverage, as well as the opportunity to illustrate his art of drumming during National conventions. Jay has been viewed by many on various televised shows featured on BET, MTV, The Word Network, Mega Hertz, WHUR Christmas DVD Special and other local televised stations. Jay has also performed in countless venues throughout the country and abroad. Jay also received recognition as Co-Producer for the 2009 3 time Stellar-Award nominated CD "The John Tillery Project."
If you would ask Jay "What does he love most about his music career?" He would tell you, "I love playing music, I believe music is healing to all...I love to see how music make people feel, the smile on there face is priceless."
Randy Jacobs
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Randy Jacobs, a San Francisco native raised in Detroit, embarked on his music career at the tender age of 13. He started by working with Motown's renowned writers, producers, and artists, gaining experience while developing his unique no-plectrum playing style.
One of Jacobs' early breakthroughs was co-authoring the Top-Five R&B hit, "Wide Receiver," alongside former Miles Davis bassist and singer Michael Henderson. His journey continued with Was (Not Was), where he co-authored the Top-Ten hit "Walk the Dinosaur." Jacobs also played a pivotal role in Soul Mission, a gospel R&B project featuring artists like Tata Vega, Mavis Staples, Booker T. Jones, and Steve Cropper, releasing a record for Sony/Epic Records.
In 1994, Randy Jacobs established his own band, The Boneshakers, where he expressed his fusion of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and soul. He released several albums, including Book of Spells and Shake the Planet featuring Sweetpea Atkinson on vocals.
Jacobs expanded his horizons by collaborating on the critically acclaimed I-10 Chronicles series and the Bill and Bonnie Hearn project. In 2005, he ventured into jazz-influenced solo instrumental music with From Me To You featuring notable artists.
Now, with his latest release, The Return Of Randy Dynamite, Jacobs explores his instrumental music capabilities further. He revisits songs from his high school years and combines them with new compositions. The album, recorded live in the studio, showcases a talented lineup, including Gregg Bissonette on drums, Jervonni Collier on bass, Jon Gilutin on keys, and percussionist Lenny Castro. Renowned musicians like Rick Braun, Teddy Zig Zag, Paul Shilt's Weimar and others contribute to the album's vibrant sound.
Randy Jacobs' illustrious career has seen him collaborate with a diverse range of artists, from Robbie Williams to B.B. King, reflecting his versatility and unwavering passion for music.
Thana Alexa
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Surprising is the word that perhaps best describes GRAMMY® nominated, Downbeat cover artist, and winner of the International Songwriting Competition, Thana Alexa, an extraordinarily creative force in music. An awe-inspiring vocalist, composer, arranger, and producer – for whom the voice is both a lyrical and experimental instrument – her music pushes the boundaries of the genre into new and unexplored territory with deep seeded roots in jazz and overtones of contemporary soul and world music.
Regina Carter, violinist, recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Award and Doris Duke Award says, "Thana isn't afraid to take risks. Her vocal performances are powerful, vulnerable, joyful, spiritual and genuine. Her use of rhythm, textures and intricate harmonies is unique and at times, complex. Sometimes you think you know where she is going, then she SURPRISES you."
Alexa’s 2x GRAMMY® nominated album ONA (self-release, March 2020), is her focus, her mission statement. Translated to "SHE" from her family's native Croatian, ONA was inspired by the cross generational and cross-cultural stories of the immigrant women in her family and evolved into an exploration of the experiences of contemporary women everywhere. Its premise crystalized in 2017 after her attendance at the Women's March on Washington, D.C. after which she was inspired to learn more about the stories of the women in her own family and the influences that their life experiences have had on her own existence, growth and sense of freedom. The album speaks to us musically about every facet of womanhood, conveying a message of strength and empowerment.
Singer and composer Becca Stevens said, “Thana Alexa’s ONA is an exquisite work embodying boundless creativity and genre that stretches to every corner of the Earth, and the imagination. ONA is a story of strength, authenticity, and the deeply grounding nature of the divine feminine.”
ONA has spawned more female-focused projects: Alexa, together with GRAMMY® nominated artist, Nicole Zuraitis and first-call bassist, Julia Adamy formed SONICA, a dynamic trio that incorporates intricate vocal harmonies, electronics, vocal loops, percussion, electric bass, and keyboards over a blend of original music and modern arrangements. The trio’s self-titled debut album, fully engineered, produced and mixed by Thana Alexa was released on September 30, 2022 via Outside In Music. Alexa also created the project Founding Mothers of Jazz in conjunction with MusicTalks Concerts to celebrate and honor the powerhouse women who helped build the jazz genre from the ground up, many of whom are not historically recognized for their contributions because of their gender.
During the 2020 Coronavirus lockdown, Alexa made headlines as a co-founder of what Rolling Stone called the first “virtual jazz festival” and fundraising initiative, Live From Our Living Rooms. Over the course of their three series (including a partnership with the DC Jazz Festival to present their FromHome series), Alexa, together with co-founders Owen Broder and Sirintip, contracted over 120 artists, raised over $140,000, and helped facilitate grants to over 80 US based musicians in need. Live From Our Living Rooms received attention from Rolling Stone, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, the BBC, and more.
The New York Times has called Thana, "a jazz singer with a global perspective," and Billboard has said, "Thana Alexa stood out...something entirely new, evocative and exhilarating."
Perhaps Alexa’s most important and ongoing collaboration has been with her husband, five-time GRAMMY® winner Antonio Sanchez (composer for the Oscar winning Birdman film and drummer with Pat Metheny for 20 years). Together with his band Migration they have recorded three critically acclaimed albums and have toured worldwide throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Alexa also sings lead vocal in the live production of Sanchez's newest project, Bad Hombre, which features the music of 12 guest artists who appear on his album, including Trent Reznor, Dave Matthews, Meshell Ndegeocello, Lila Downs, Kimbra, Silvana Estrada, Thana Alexa, her trio SONICA and others. The album, SHIFT (Bad Hombre Vol. II) was released on August 26, 2022 on Warner Music.
Alexa was musical from a very early age. She began playing violin at the age of 4 and by 12 was first chair in the Stamford Youth Symphony. She had ambitions to become a classical violinist. At 13, she moved with her family to Croatia and was challenged by learning a new language and by the cultural change of living in Europe. It was in Croatia that she discovered her voice, taking lessons with a voice teacher who introduced her to the music of jazz, blues and soul. At 16, she was discovered by world class jazz vibraphonist Bosko Petrovic, who is credited with bringing jazz to Croatia and who was her mentor until she returned to the U.S. for college.
Alexa graduated from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and Eugene Lang College with dual bachelor’s degrees in jazz and contemporary music and psychology, respectively. During her time at the New School she was mentored by legendary drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, who encouraged her to start composing and arranging for his ensemble. Alexa also became one of the first vocalists to involve herself in the New School's instrumental ensembles, quickly making a name for herself as an instrumental vocalist willing to explore the full range of the human voice. Professors Billy Harper, Jane Ira Bloom, Reggie Workman, Kate Baker and Richard Harper all supported her on her mission as she began to experience her voice and music from the standpoint of an instrumentalist rather than a one-dimensional singer, which informed the compositions for her first album. That was the first surprise in what would be many surprises to come.
"As musicians, we have an incredible ability to reach people through art." Alexa said. "If you're making art it has to say something. Every turning point in the history of the world has involved art and artists connected to the movements of change. I want to be part of that."
Herlin Riley
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A native of New Orleans, Herlin Riley started on the drums when he was three. He played trumpet through high school, but he went back to drums in college. After graduating, he spent three years as a member of a band led by Ahmad Jamal. In the ensuing years, he worked often with Wynton Marsalis as a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and of Marsalis's small groups and appears on more than two dozen of the trumpeter’s albums. Riley played a large part in developing the drum parts for Wynton Marsalis's Pulitzer Prize-winning album, Blood on the Fields. He has also worked with George Benson, Harry Connick, Jr., and Marcus Roberts. As a leader, Herlin has released four albums: Watch What You’re Doing; Cream of the Crescent; New Direction; and Perpetual Optimism.
He's also co-led a group with fellow Crescent City drummers Jason Marsalis and Shannon Powell, the New Orleans Groovemasters, that celebrates the music of New Orleans—past, present and future—with a fiery sound that evokes second lines of that city, as well as funk, R&B and jazz.
Peter Cincotti
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Peter Cincotti burst on to the scene at 18 years old when he became the youngest artist ever to reach #1 on the Billboard Jazz Charts. Since then, Peter has been wowing audiences around the globe in some of the world’s most prestigious venues from Carnegie Hall to L’Olympia in Paris.
His albums have been produced by music icons such as Phil Ramone and 16-time GRAMMY® winner David Foster, while the New York Times raves he’s "Going on legend."
Peter has collaborated with artists ranging from Andrea Bocelli to David Guetta, shared the stage with legends such as Ray Charles, has been featured in blockbuster films such as Spiderman 2, represented the global fashion brands Ermenegildo Zegna and Tod’s and appeared as himself in Season 3 of the hit Netflix series House Of Cards, singing a duet with the president.
In late 2022, Peter’s sold out shows at legendary Cafe Carlyle had the New York music scene buzzing, with Town & Country raving that Peter is "already a New York institution."
Peter released his sixth album Killer On The Keys in the Fall of 2023. The album honors some of the most influential piano icons of all time, and also includes autobiographical originals that tell tales of life on the road, growing up in New York, and losing his father at his first professional gig when he was 13. Blending influences ranging from Nat King Cole, Billy Joel, and Lady Gaga, to John Lennon, Bill Evans, and Coldplay, Peter connects generations of pianists with his daring arrangements, sultry vocals, and a style all his own.
In December 2023, Peter's new original Christmas song "Because It's Christmas" reached #25 on the US Top 40 Mainstream A/C Billboard Chart, #12 on the Holiday Top 15 and #3 on the Independent Artists Chart.
Nate Phillips
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Nate Phillips has been a long time member of the Jazz Cruises' family going on 19 years, probably one of the longest reigns of almost anyone. With Nate’s musical history which includes sessions and tours with many of the artist who perform on our cruises he continues to enjoy his love of music and his supporting role.
Over his career Nate has worked with many artist including the group Pleasure, The Crusaders, Ronnie Laws, Jeff Lorber, Herb Alpert, George Benson, The Dazz Band, Esther Phillips, Bobby Lyle, Wayne Henderson, Gabor Szabo, Roy Ayers, Chico Hamilton, Joe Henderson, The Dramatics, Willie Bobo, Narada Michael Walden, Billy Cobham, Harvey Mason, Hubert Laws,Lee Ritenour, Richard Elliot, Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright, Marcus Miller, EnVogue, The United We Funk Allstars, George Clinton, Wilton Felder, Bobby Caldwell, Patti Austin, Regina Bell, Swing Out Sister, Eric Marienthal, Art Porter, Cheap Trick, The Barkays, The Gap Band, The SOS Band, Con FunkShun, Lenny Williams, Michael Henderson, Sherrille, Alexander O’Neal, Bobby Lyle, Mindi Abair, Euge Groove, Everett Harp, Peter White, WaymanTisdale, Bobby Caldwell, Brenda Russell and Brian Culbertson.