The few songs I had heard from Joe Purdy prior to the cruise were a bit poppy, but still quite lovely. I was looking forward to hearing more and I was happily surprised at how much I enjoyed his performances. His music is quiet, tender, thoughtful and personal. He sings with raw emotion – like he really feels it and means it. I was really impressed by his lyrics…I left both of the two performances I saw with a line or two in my head. Lines like, “I know that I love the rain the most when it stops” and “I’m gonna catch me a goldfish today, I’m gonna catch me some quiet today.“

A few people I met on the cruise mentioned that in the folk world, there tends to be a lot of sadness…folk songs can be depressing! So it seemed any sort of happier, upbeat music throughout the week was always very welcomed. What I found really nice about Joe Purdy was that despite any somber topics in his songs, there seemed to be a hopeful, uplifting positivity underneath. His music feels like sunshine after the rain…he was one of my favorite new discoveries on Cayamo.

Joe Purdy

Sarah Jaffe has the kind of voice that doesn’t need to be loud to completely blow you out of your seat. The control she has over her vocal dynamics is mesmerizing. I saw her perform twice this week and during both sets the audience would become pin drop quiet and hang on every word….hell, every syllable! Her guitar playing proved to be just as subtle yet powerful too.

The 26 year old talked a bit about her current single “Clementine” which she originally wrote for her old band (Tomahawk Molly). She said it took her a while to come around to the tune, since she wrote it quickly as filler for a gig the same night (hence the repeating verses). Along with her own material, Jaffe covered a Justin Beiber tune and “Hang With Me” by the Swedish singer Robin.

I was left with a very memorable impression of this young talent…the quiet power of her delivery stayed with me long after the performance ended.

Sarah Jaffe

Rhett Miller’s set in the Spinnaker Lounge was one of the first I wandered into on the boat. I couldn’t have shown up more than 3 or 4 songs in, but he was already drenched in sweat…

When a performer plays solo, I think you usually expect a certain quietness or calmness. I was amazed to see Miller completely alone onstage beating his guitar with intensity, rocking out, head banging, strumming like a mad man! After one of his songs he admitted - ”I’m a spaz. I dunno what to tell ya.”

As the front man of the Old 97s, I guess Miller can’t help but ROCK, even without his band.

Rhett Miller

There’s so much music happening on Cayamo at every turn, so it’s typical to bounce from performance to performance. But when you decide to show up early, get a prime seat and stay for an artist’s entire set, it’s well worth it. My first experience doing that this week was for Greg Brown’s performance in the Spinnaker Lounge.

Joining Brown onstage was guitarist Jason Wilbur, who also performed with John Prine that same night. Wilbur played with effortlessness, perfectly complimenting Brown’s loose, finger-picking style. Prior to the performance, I had very limited knowledge of Greg Brown so I only knew to expect an extremely low, booming voice and beautifully written lyrics. What I didn’t expect was his humor! He had us in stitches with comedic tunes that were almost like spoken word…he told us about an unpleasant woman named Annabel being dead and gone and the dangerous task of bringing a cup of coffee to his sweetheart first thing in the morning. He sang about being happy, happy, happy…ALONE, and about his “fat boy blues”. There were really tender moments in the set too…a beautiful song about his grandmother and another about his wife (Iris Dement – also performing on the boat).

All in all, Brown really showed off his talent as a writer, and his unique approach to performing. I walked away with a real sense of how poetic and clever he really is.

Greg Brown

John Paul White and Joy Williams have been one of the most buzzed about acts on Cayamo. As the cruise began, these quickly rising stars were on everyone’s radar. And despite John Paul being seasick, causing one of their sets to be postponed, The Civil Wars certainly lived up to the hype.

The stars really must’ve aligned when these two artists met. Their voices are made for each other. Flawless harmonies ebb and flow in perfect sync and they both seem to really FEEL the music. Joy especially moves with every note…a playful dance that can really cast a spell on the audience. There’s something theatrical about this duo…I was surprised to see them wear the exact same clothes for all three performances – a kind of costume I suppose.

Add to their polished delivery a simply charming stage presence with delighful banter, and The Civil Wars are a must see. I caught all three of their performances and enjoyed songs from their debut album Barton Hollow as well as uniquely rendered covers…incluing Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me to the End of Love”, Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”, and my favorite – “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5.

The two expressed nothing but gratitude for having been invited on the ship and said they’d love to come back and perform again. John Paul promised he’d take plenty of Dramamine next year.

The Civil Wars

It’s hard for me to even believe I’ll be on another music cruise Sunday…I guess that’s why I’ve yet to blog about it! Is it real?! It is…

7 days of some of the greatest folk music I could ever ask for is ahead of me. These are just a few of the artists performing…the acts I’m most excited to see:

Lyle Lovett
John Hiatt
John Prine
Loudon Wainwright III
Keb’ Mo’
Greg Brown
Richard Thompson
Lucinda Williams
The Civil Wars
The Belle Brigade
Sarah Jaffe

I’m VERY interested to see how this cruise compares to Jam Cruise. I have a feeling it could be a mighty bit different. We’ll be sitting and listening to the words of these tunes…and the stories from these amazing songwriters. The performances end not too long after midnight, and maybe I’m wrong but I think I may actually get some sleep!

Just 3 days till another musical adventure on the open water…I’ll be blogging as much as I can, so ‘stay tuned’!

Before his band began to play in the Zebra bar, Surprise Me Mr. Davis front man Nathan Moore said to the crowd, “It’s not every day you start your set at 2am…usually they’re kicking your butt out at that time.” Nothing on Jam Cruise is the usual, and this eclectic super group is another example of just that. I should mention – although I said ‘crowd’, there couldn’t have been more than 50 people gathered in front of the stage for this set; it was a light crowd for Jam Cruise. But what was evident (and telling) were the amount of musicians in the audience.

SMMD consists of The Slip, Nathan Moore, and Marco Benevento. The distinctive differences in these three acts make the scope of their collective sound practically limitless. There were songs during their late night set that could be described simply as folk…others were rock…while most tunes could not be neatly classified. While it’s difficult to describe the music, it’s easy to say that this band is even better than the sum of its parts.

With very few acts on Jam Cruise focused on ‘the song’ (it’s called JAM cruise for a reason), it was a breath of fresh air to hear brilliant lyrics and vocals from Nathan Moore. With the backing of such solid musicians and a bond of friendship clearly guiding their tight sound, SMMD delighted many cruisers who appreciated their skill for crafting a song.

Surprise Me Mr. Davis

I’m off the ship and home from Jam Cruise, but my mind is still wrapping itself around all that I saw and heard on board. Soulive’s theatre set was one of my favorites of the whole week. The three-piece consists of brothers Alan and Neal Evans on drums and keys respectively and Eric Krasno on guitar. It’s all instrumental, and it’s some of the smoothest and funkiest sounding  soul and jazz I’ve ever heard.

Soulive put out an album of Beatles covers in 2010, and I was delighted that they incorporated many of those into their set. They did “Come Together” and “Eleanor Rigby” brilliantly…and played a powerful, building version of  “I Want You” with “Tomorrow Never Knows” stuck in the middle of it. There was something very classy about their renditions…I think any Beatles fan would’ve been proud.

What struck me about this music was that I was pulled in and captivated by the songs even with no lyrics to grab me. And usually with any instrumental music, I expect to be dancing like crazy, but this was something else…a different kind of groovy that I really enjoyed just sitting and watching. My attention was held by the true talent and soul dripping from every note.

Soulive

After a day in Jamaica yesterday, what could’ve been better than a little reggae music? And not just any reggae…classic songs we know and love from a legendary band like Toots and the Maytals! It was a special set, for sure.

The music lovers on board Jam cruise aren’t really the type to clap along to the music or shout “Amen!” and “Hallelujah!”, but that’s exactly what they were doing during this performance. There’s something so contagiously fun about really good reggae music and yet so relaxing at the same time.

That chillllll, happy vibe was the perfect soundtrack as the warm Caribbean wind whirled around us outside on the pool deck and the sun lit up the passing clouds pink and peach. As the band started up “54-46 Was My Number”, I think inside we all said one of many thank yous for this amazing musical adventure.

Toots & the Maytals

I honestly might not have checked out this band had my good friend not suggested it. He said I should bring my dancing shoes and be prepared for them to put on a hell of a show. Well he was certainly right on! This band is the epitome of HIGH ENERGY. Aside from the drummer, each band member is a multi instrumentalist who also sings. Throughout the set, each singer took a turn on lead vocals and got the crowd riled up in their own way…with call and response and LIVELY dance moves! There were even times when the whole band would dance in unison, getting the crowd to move along wth them.

Despite the mid day dip of energy among the cruisers, it seemed like everyone who decided to take a quick listen to Ozomatli was pulled in and had no choice but to stay and dance. Even those who weren’t up for dancing were moving in some way…it was impossible not to feed off the energetic performance of the band not to mention their fast paced, world music sound. Check these guys out live if you ever get the chance! I’m looking forward to another set from them in the theatre tonight.

Ozomatli

This was probably one of the acts I was most looking forward to on Jam Cruise. If you read my blog or listen to my radio station, you probably know that JAM music isn’t necessarily my genre of choice. A singer/songwriter like Bruce Hornsby is more up my alley…and when you add in his noisemakin’ band, I’m totally in. I was excited to see how Hornsby would adapt to being on a ship full of jam bands…and the truth is, he didn’t have to! His band was incredibly tight and at times very funky. Plus, special guests like George Porter on bass and Ivan Neville on piano created even more of a jam on stage and therefore a buzz in the audience.

During his set, Hornsby would definitely take the pace down and even play solo for a bit, but the tunes would always build up…with other band members joining in, creating a full sound and getting the crowd amped! I was struck by how much of a commanding presence he had up there…at times it even seemed liked he was conducting an orchestra, motioning to the band and cuing them to follow his lead.

A friend of mine asked how many people showed up for this performance, and said he was a little confused as to who on Jam Cruise was a fan of Bruce Hornsby. Of course I told him he was looking at one :) but I also think any music lover can appreciate a pro like Hornsby (and of course his kickin’ band), and a lot of them DID out on the pool deck during this performance, possibly to their surprise.

Bruce Hornsby

After yesterday’s sail away party and a night FILLED with music, I think a lot of first time Jam Cruisers and veterans alike were feeling groggy this morning. It’s not easy to get your sea legs and adjust to the late night schedule on day 1. So the start of day 2 today was a slow one. At close to 2pm on the Pool Deck stage, Keller & the Keels made the sun seem even brighter with their infectious bluegrass music. This trio provided the perfect soundtrack to the beautiful sunny day and delighted with covers of well-known tunes that made everyone smile and sing along. It’s no surprise that Keller Williams brings some comedy into this act, and the trio creates a kind of breath of fresh air with their unique music…music that most importantly, you can shake a leg to!

Keller & the Keels

As if I wasn’t spoiled enough on Christmas and my birthday this year (I was!), I’m about to be taken on an adventure like none other… a 5-day cruise stopping in Labadee, Haiti and Falmouth, Jamaica. That alone is exciting…now add 30 or so musicians and bands performing pretty much ALL NIGHT. Oh and there will be a couple thousand music lovers on the boat ready to party! as well as 3 theme nights where we’ll all dress up and run amok. JAM CRUISE. This will be my second Jam Cruise and I’m BEYOND excited!

Especially with the frigid weather finally hitting us these days, it’s so hard to believe I’ll be on Jam Cruise in just 5 days, but it all starts on Monday. Here are some of the acts I’m most looking forward to:

Galactic
Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers
Keller & the Keels
Toots & the Maytals
Soulive
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Surprise Me Mr. Davis
Toubab Krewe

Like last time, I’m going to try to post updates from the ship…internet connection is spotty, so I’ll do as much as I can. And of course I’ll have much to report when I return!

Jam Cruise 10

What do The O’Jays, Kool & The Gang and Patti LaBelle have in common?

It’s the first ever SOUL TRAIN CRUISE!!!

Date: February 17, 2013 – February 24, 2013
Port: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Destination: Sailing to beautiful Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay

Details: An incredible array of the biggest and most iconic acts in R&B history will kick off the Soul Train Cruise’s maiden voyage, including Patti LaBelle, The O’Jays, Kool & the Gang, Jeffrey Osborne, War, The Spinners, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, George Duke and many more aboard Holland America’s MS Westerdam, an internationally recognized luxury cruise ship with more than two-thirds of the cabins featuring verandas.

To book go to to: http://www.soultraincruise.com

Bulgarian pianist Plamena Mangova was our soloist on board ship in an eclectic recital programme that evening, raising the roof with her exciting rendition of Ginastera’s Argentinian Dances.  The next day we docked at the beautiful city of Valetta, Malta, where our sightseeing trip allowed plenty of time to enjoy the two amazing Caravaggio paintings in the Co-Cathedral. The site of our shore concert in Malta was the Palazzo Parisio, known as the “mini Versailles” because of its highly ornate decoration.  We were delighted to be reunited with Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda Forsyth who performed Kodaly’s Duo for violin and cello and Vivaldi’s Double Concerto; in between, Maria Meerovitch joined Pinchas for Brahms’ Sonatensatz.  Fabulous performances in a stunning setting!  That evening, back on board Wind Spirit, the ECO Ensemble and Maria Meerovitch gave us a lovely rendition of Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet.

We are at sea all day today and looking forward to two more concerts this afternoon and this evening, as we sail towards Greece across a deep blue ocean.

Our Music Cruise programme got off to a great start.  Anna Hashimoto’s Mozart Clarinet Concerto was outstanding in the opening concert, in which Stephanie Gonley also directed a spirited performance of Grieg’s Holberg Suite.  Sergej Krylov’s violin playing yesterday afternoon (Mendelssohn D minor Concerto and a Paganini Caprice) was unforgettable, and he also proved himself to be an excellent conductor (Mozart G minor symphony). ECO principal cellist Caroline Dale shone in Tchaikovsky’s touchingly beautiful Andante Cantabile for cello and strings, whilst Behzod Abduraimov’s solo piano recital last night was a revelation (Danse Macabre and Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz no.1 were spine-tinglingly exciting).

As well as terrific music-making we have also enjoyed perfect weather, a dramatic view of Stromboli at dusk yesterday, dolphins frolicking alongside the ship at breakfast time, and some happy reunions with previous music cruise passengers and musicians.  Everyone is so happy to be back on board the exquisite Wind Spirit!

Stephen Johnson has been captivating our passengers with his talks and interviews, and is about to give a talk on Schumann (prior to Igor Levit’s piano recital this evening). We will anchor off Sorrento and the orchestra will disembark by tender straight after lunch, to set off for our rehearsal and concert at the chapel of the Grand Hotel Cocumelia where we will play The Four Seasons with Joshua Bell. Our youngest passengers, three teenage girls from Miami, have been specially looking forward to meeting Joshua and hearing him play so are in for a treat today and tomorrow…

Joshua Bell and Maria Meerovitch both arrived safely, and Maria and Sergei Nakariakov have just played a breathtaking recital of music for trumpet / fluegelhorn and piano. Joshua is currently rehearsing a Saint-Saens piano trio with Steven Isserlis and Ana-Maria Vera.

We enjoyed three concerts yesterday: Claire Jones gave a lovely harp recital of music spanning four centuries, and the ECO played two short concerts in order to fit in that which had been postponed the previous day. A highlight for me was Britten’s Serenade for tenor, horn and strings (Benjamin Hulett and John Thurgood were both magnificent)whilst Steven Isserlis gave great performances of a CPE Bach Cello Concerto and two Hebrew melodies by Ravel, and Sergei Nakariakov convinced many of us that Mendelssohn’s youthful d minor Violin Concerto is much better suited to the trumpet! And the Orchestra shone in the Elgar Serenade, Bartok Rumanian Dances and Haydn Trauer Symphony.

This morning we awoke to a calm sea and received some good news: we had made such good progress overnight that we would reach Sicily this afternoon rather than tomorrow morning. Our resident musicologist, Stephen Johnson, interviewed conductor Gianluca Marciano about ‘the role of the conductor’ and revealed some fascinating insights.

Today we have managed to squeeze in three short concerts: Stephanie Gonley will direct and Steven Isserlis appear as soloist in the early afternoon concert (Haydn, CPE Bach and Ravel), Gianluca Marciano will conduct the pre-dinner concert (the postponed concert from yesterday including Britten Serenade for tenor, horn and strings with Benjamin Hulett and John Thurgood as soloists, and the Mendelssohn Trumpet Concerto with Sergei Nakariakov)and Claire Jones will play a late night harp recital.

So far so good! Lots of happy passengers and musicians, undeterred by our short spell of rough weather yesterday.

On the way back to the ship for lunch we received a message to say that Steven Isseris, who was due to fly out and join us, waa having serious problems at Heathrow. He was originally to have flown to Athens and then taken a connecting flight to Zakynthos but we had sent him a message to tell him that in view of our change of itinerary he should terminate his journey in Athens where a car would now pick him up and take him to the ship in Nauplion. The check-in staff in Heathrow told him that he was not allowed to cancel the second of his two flights, as the double flight ticket London-Athens-Zakynthos was a special price and cheaper than if he just flew the first part of the journey, London-Athens!! We do not yet know how Steven managed to persuade them to bend the somewhat perverse airline rules but apparently he did, and is now on his way to join us in Nauplion.

Our first concert last night was a great success, with Claire Jones and William Bennett playing a spirited Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto to send a concert full of beautiful playing: Caroline Dale and Stephanie Gonley shone in performances of Massenet’s Last Sleep of the Virgin and Meditation from Thais, Phil Harmer was the elegant oboe soloist in Cimarosa’s Overture to I Traci Amanti, and Claire Jones also delighted the audience with Debussy’s Danses Sacree et Profane.

The sun is almost ready to set over the hills of the Peloponnese and we are looking forward to the Captain’s Cocktail Party, a short concert in which Igor Levit will be soloist in a Mozart Piano Concerto, and a great dinner.

Opry Country Classics Cruise sails Jan. 30 – Feb. 6, 2011 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas to the Eastern Caribbean © 2010 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Fans of the most treasured songs in country music history are in for a treat when the Opry Country Classics Cruise sails Jan. 30 – Feb. 6, 2011 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas to the Eastern Caribbean.

The music-filled, seven-night adventure features Grand Ole Opry stars Charley Pride, Jim Ed Brown and Jeannie Seely. Additionally, newcomer Chris Young, nominated for the Top New Solo Vocalist award by the Academy of Country Music, will be part of the line-up along with special guest Helen Cornelius. This marks the Opry’s 14th annual cruise and its first on Royal Caribbean International.

A full casino, deck activities including a FlowRider surf simulator, nine-hole miniature golf course, dancing, first-run movies, and gourmet dining also are included. All meals in Freedom of the Seas’ main dining room and Windjammer Café, including a special “Welcome Aboard” party with the Captain and a gala Bon Voyage Dinner are included.

Departing from Port Canaveral, the cruise visits three ports of call: St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in the Bahamas.

“We always have the time of our lives meeting the fans and enjoying our fellow artists’ music on board the Opry Cruise,” Pride said. “It looks like the 2011 cruise is going to be better than ever.”

“Royal Caribbean International looks forward to welcoming the stars of the Grand Ole Opry and guests aboard Freedom of the Seas,” said Vicki Freed, senior vice president of Sales, Trade Support and Services, Royal Caribbean International. “In addition to the exciting Opry Country Classics line-up, guests will enjoy a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean aboard one of the world’s most innovative cruise ships.”

At 160,000 gross registered tons, Freedom of the Seas has a capacity of 3,634 guests at double occupancy. In addition to the exclusive Freedom-class amenities, the ship also features the cruise line’s exclusive amenities such as the Studio B ice-skating rink; full-size basketball and sports court; iconic rock-climbing wall; and the Royal Promenade, a boulevard that runs nearly the length of the ship, lined with boutiques, restaurants, and bars and lounges.

Prices for the Opry Country Classics Cruise start at $1,158 per person, government taxes and fees are additional. To book this cruise and participate in all the private Opry functions, contact Corporate Travel Service Inc. at 866-653-OPRY (6779). For more information on each artist on the cruise, details about ports of call, on board activities, visit oprycruise.com.

For full coverage of Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, see:

RCL’S DAZZLING FREEDOM OF THE SEAS:
Biggest, Most Innovative Cruise Ship Afloat Offers Everything & More

Don Francisco

Barry McGuire

Nancy Honeytree

Michael Card

Matthew Ward

All of these artists will be in concert on an Alaskan cruise July 24-31. Even if the timing doesn’t match your availability to join this cruise, look a moment at all that’s available and the things you’d enjoy if you could go.  Amazing, isn’t it?!

There are currently some great buys in religious travel, and Katie has her finger on the pulse of things you might enjoy.   With good planning, saving and a travel assistant who looks out for you, a memory-making trip can be within reach.   Explore the possibilities!