Jazz Cruises Conversations
Jazz Cruises Conversations invites you to escape to the high seas for the most intimate and candid conversations in music. Go beyond the stage for full-length interviews with the biggest names in jazz and smooth jazz, recorded live on the world's premier floating music festivals. Guided by veteran host Lee Mergner (and other musicians, comedians, and on-board talent), hear legends open up about their careers, creative process, and lives on the road, all recorded exclusively on sailings of The Jazz Cruise, Blue Note at Sea, Botti at Sea, and The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Mergner and his crew’s knowledgeable perspectives ensure these aren't just chats—they are engaging, entertaining, and truly informative deep dives into the music. --- 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.
Episodes
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 ha...
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 st...
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 c...
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.
- Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever...
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 ...
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 ...
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 Peter...
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...
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 "Em...
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 convers...
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 "insp...
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 Gram...
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 ...
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
A Revealing Give-and-Take Between Friends Recorded live during the inaugural Journey of Jazz cruise, this episode features a unique "double interview" between longtime friends and colleagues Alonzo Bodden and Marcus Miller, with Alonzo asking Marcus about music and Marcus asking Alonzo about comedy.. From the hilarious pitfalls of bombing on stage to the technical reasons why bass players make the best conductors, nothing...
A Masterclass in Church Roots and Jazz Virtuosity Recorded live during The Jazz Cruise, this episode features a soulful and humorous interview between eight-time Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride and his friend and protégé, guitarist Dan Wilson. Originally taped for McBride’s SiriusXM show, The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian, the two discuss Wilson’s unique musical upbringing and his refusal to leave his home in Akron...
A Centennial Celebration of Jazz Stories In this milestone 100th episode of Jazz Cruises Conversations, recorded live on The Jazz Cruise '25, legendary guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli sits down with his longtime friend and collaborator, vocalist Catherine Russell. 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 Bi...
This conversation was recorded during The Jazz Cruise '24 and features an interview with world-renowned multi-instrumentalist James Morrison by Music Director Eric Marienthal. In this episode, Morrison discusses his unique approach to musicianship, the mental "switch" required to play multiple instruments at a high level, and his parallel lives as a professional race car driver and an airplane pilot who flies his own...
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.
- Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a ...
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 trumpete...
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