Host Lee Mergner welcomes brothers Chris Brubeck and Dan Brubeck on the Journey of Jazz Cruise 2025 to discuss growing up with their father, the legendary Dave Brubeck, and how they carried on his musical legacy.

Key Topics and Discussions:

• Dave Brubeck's Cowboy Roots: Dave Brubeck grew up a cowboy; his father, Grandpa Pete, was a tough rodeo champion and foreman of a vast 45,000-acre ranch. Dave's experiences riding horses and hearing the rhythms of nature, like the one-stroke engines for cattle water pumps, inspired his musical time concepts.
• The Grandparents' Marriage: The surprising marriage between "Grandpa Pete" (the tough cowboy) and the grandmother (a classical pianist who studied in Europe with a student of Franz Liszt, Derer Hess). The grandmother attempted to bring "high culture to the ranch," sometimes resulting in pranks played by Grandpa Pete on visiting opera guests.
• Military Service and the Wolfpack: Dave Brubeck served in Patton's army during World War II, present near the Battle of the Bulge. After playing piano impromptu for troops at a supply depot nicknamed "The Mud Hole," Colonel Brown reassigned Dave to put together a band. The band, nicknamed the Wolfpack, was significant as the first known integrated band in the army.
• Darius Mio and Composition: Dave Brubeck's interest in composition led him to study with the great French composer Darius Mio at Mills College after WWII. Mio, who encouraged Dave to "Praise your boogie woogie for me," inspired Dave to pursue large-scale compositions to remind humanity of the horrors of war (a pursuit that eventually led him to break up the classic quartet).
• Joining the Family Band: The brothers' journey into music was gradual, beginning with exposure to jazz musicians like Joe Morello as children. The formal establishment of the family group occurred when a promoter suggested Dave, Darius, Dan, and Chris perform as a quartet, eventually leading to the formation of the New Brubeck Quartet. Chris played fretless bass in this group.

Musical Selections Mentioned/Played:

• "Ode to a Cowboy": Written by Dave and lyricist Iola Brubeck, originally intended for Dan Brubeck. The track played is from the album In their own sweet way.
• "The Real Ambassadors": The anti-segregation musical co-written by Dave and Iola Brubeck. The original recording featured Louis Armstrong, Carmen McCrae, and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. The show was performed live only once by the original cast at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
• "Someday My Prince Will Come": Dave's version, inspired by hearing Disney tunes playing softly through the wall from his children's record players. Dan Brubeck, the drummer, explains the new approach to the jazz waltz developed by Dave and Joe Morello.
• "My One Bad Habit": A ballad written by Dave and Iola Brubeck, inspired by a line Ella Fitzgerald told Dave at a diner: "my one bad habit is falling in love". Chris Brubeck confirms playing the trombone on this track.

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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 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.

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.

This episode, from a Jazz on Film session on the Journey of Jazz cruise, features an engaging discussion about the legacies of Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson with guests Cecile McLorin Salvant, Sullivan Fortner and Kelly Peterson, Oscar’s widow.

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Episode 110 of Jazz Cruises Conversations, is drawn from a "Jazz on Film" session on the Journey of Jazz Cruise. This session focuses on the lives, careers, and close relationship of Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson. The episode features the reading of a poem Oscar Peterson wrote about Ella, and includes audio excerpts from Oscar Peterson's 1980 BBC television show where he interviewed and performed with Ella Fitzgerald.

Following the clips, Lee Mergner hosts a post-screening discussion with vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, pianist Sullivan Fortner, and Kelly Peterson (Oscar Peterson's widow), exploring the profound influence and dynamic between these two greats.

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Key Takeaways

Oscar Peterson's Dedication: The episode includes the reading of a poem Oscar Peterson wrote about Ella Fitzgerald, emphasizing her voice as "quite beyond belief". The voice reading the poem is identified as Christian McBride.
The 1981 Interview: The discussion includes audio from Oscar Peterson's television show appearance with Ella, recorded in 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 reveals that she initially wanted to be a dancer. She started singing after making a bet with girlfriends to enter an amateur contest in Yonkers. She tried to sing like Connie Boswell and performed "The Object of My Affection," winning the first prize of $12.50. She later joined the Chick Webb Orchestra after an attempt to join Fletcher Henderson's band failed because she was "real skinny" and "not the glamour type".

The Song Books: Oscar Peterson notes the "almost monumental project" of her Song Books. Ella mentions that the first one, the Cole Porter song book, was completed in about three weeks. Cécile McLorin Salvant considers this project a foundational part of American music history, setting Ella apart as a "historic Mount Rushmore figure" who archived the music.

The Accompanist's Role: Sullivan Fortner explains that a good singer, like Ella, creates a "harmonic need" within the accompanist, making the players better. For an accompanist, the lyric and the message behind the song must be the priority, overriding melody, tone, and the piano player's input at the bottom.
Ella and Oscar's Relationship: Kelly Peterson describes their relationship as a deep, loving friendship. She shares the story of Oscar's famous ink spill prank on Ella's new white fur coat. Kelly also recounts the moving anecdote of Oscar wearing his heavy gold lion pendant (his "medal" given by Ella) on the day he instinctively knew she had died.

Vocal Evolution: The guests discuss the comparison between early Ella (1957 clips) and later Ella (1981), noting that while the quality of her voice changed (wider vibrato, deeper, songs in lower keys), her core concepts remained largely the same and "spot-on".

Musical Configuration: Cécile McLorin Salvant expresses a preference for the quartet configuration because it maintains the versatility and looseness of a duo setting, although she enjoys singing with

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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.

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.

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.

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.

In this episode of Jazz Cruises Conversations, recorded live on the recent Journey of Jazz cruise, trumpeter and educator Sean Jones interviews 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 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 Wesboro and Augusta. His father played and studied classical music, using a reel-to-reel recorder to play music by composers like Beethoven, Mozart, Schuman, and Schubert. His introduction to hearing live music was primarily through the church, where his father played the piano and organ.
• The Trombone and Jazz: Gordon was introduced to the trombone in the seventh grade (age 12). His fundamental musical syntax is rooted in the church. His introduction to jazz came around age 13 or 14 from a five-record compilation set, likely on Columbia or CBS, called an "anthology of jazz, 10 sides," which spanned from early slave chants to modern jazz. He was captivated by the music of Louis Armstrong, particularly the tune "Keyhole Blues".
• High School Experience: Wycliffe Gordon participated in the McDonald's All-American High School band in the summer of 1984, his senior year. This experience offered him many "firsts," including his first time on an airplane and his first trip to New York. His future wife was also in that band, as one of the two participants from Kentucky.
• Work with Wynton Marsalis: Gordon was the seventh member to join Wynton Marsalis’s Septet. Later, he was part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JALCO), having first dibs on a spot when the Septet disbanded in 1995.
• Transition to Solo Career and Education: He left Wynton's band to pursue other things, including a teaching position at Michigan State. He started his own record company because a Blue Note executive told him that the "trombone just doesn't sell".
• The Wynton Tip: Wycliffe recounts the story of meeting Wynton Marsalis during a workshop at Florida A&M, where Marsalis was impressed by his ability to quickly generate a riff based on the call-and-response tradition of the church. This led to a brief trial gig in Texas, where he was initially sent home for not being ready, but returned after dedicated practice, eventually leading to his first recording with Marsalis on Crescent City Christmas Card in 1989.
• Multi-Instrumentalism: Gordon discusses playing various trombones (tenor, bass, alto) and the slide trumpet, emphasizing that the one he likes most is the one he is playing at the time. Sean Jones highlights that Wycliffe is also an amazing trumpet player, citing his tribute album, Hello Pops.
• Education Philosophy: When asked about encouraging fundamentals and individuality in students, Wycliffe and Sean Jones discuss the challenge of engaging young people and fostering accountability and critical thinking skills. Sean Jones shares a story about vulnerability and emotional expression with students in the National Youth Orchestra of Jazz (NYO

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.

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"

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.

This interview from the Journey of Jazz cruise was hosted by Marcus Miller, co-host of that sailing, who talked with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, longtime co-leaders of the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Their Grammy Award-winning big band performed during the cruise and the two also played with their old friend Diana Krall. Marcus talked with John and Jeff about the group's formation and long 40-year history. And he opened the floor to numerous questions from the audience.

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.