Our Take: The Night Was Magic!
As you know, I love what I do for a living. I love good music. I love talking to musicians. And, more than anything, I love being able to bring great music to appreciative fans.
That has been the formula for the past 20 years of our cruises. During that time, I have amassed a litany of wonderful music moments and memories. None more rewarding than our show this week in St. Louis. We had the honor and pleasure to present Bob James and two of our cruise favorites, Marcus Miller and David Sanborn, as they reprised their 1987 Grammy Award-winning album, Double Vision.
For a significant segment of our audience, Double Vision was a seminal recording with a similar impact that Kind of Blue has with another segment of our folks. Double Vision included one cover song, but the rest were amazing tunes written by various combinations of James, Sanborn and Miller. Miller’s “Maputo” is often hailed as the national anthem of contemporary music, the music that is now presented on The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Al Jarreau sings on the album and Steve Gadd is on drums. Not a bad fivesome.
For the limited Double Vision Revisited tour, the amazing Billy Kilson (one of the stars of Blue Note at Sea ’20) takes the Steve Gadd role and our own Larry Braggs assumes the duties of Al Jarreau. The differences are erased by the overwhelming success and power of this newly formed group of five. You would think that listening to music that you first heard 32 years ago would have a nostalgic feel to it, but the music sounded fresh, hip and on point for today. The only nostalgic element was watching three master musicians recreating the magic that made the original album so well received.
I love good music. I love talking to musicians. And, more than anything, I love being able to bring great music to appreciative fans.
I sat in the corner of the back row of the Orchestra section of the venue. My vision was blocked frequently as the audience spent a large part of the evening on their feet! No problem there. Watching a 100% filled auditorium having so much fun on a hot, sultry Tuesday night in St. Louis meant the world to me. They were there to cheer a hometown hero (David Sanborn), pay tribute to a legendary composer and pianist (Bob James) and to experience again the mastery of a bassist and leader (Marcus Miller).
We surprised the audience with a guest appearance by our #1 raconteur, Alonzo Bodden, who was greeted with yet another standing ovation. We weren’t on a ship or at sea, but for nearly two hours, that spirit, that energy … yes, that magic was there! For us at Entertainment Cruise Productions, nothing means more.
Our Take is written by Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director – Jazz of Entertainment Cruise Productions. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at michael@ecpcruises.com.