This piece is dedicated to the late and great Sarah Elizabeth Gewald who loved Jam Cruise just like I do.
Jam Cruise 10…how in the world is it even possible that we just celebrated such a monumental landmark! 10 cruises!!! I remember Jam Cruise 1 like it was yesterday. Not only does time fly, but the life changing experiences that have occurred on board all these years are simply unforgettable.
And this year, on our 10th voyage, we continued to not only blow the minds of our 3000 passengers, but also our own.
The photos I have chosen to tell this year’s story are only just a fraction of what Jam Cruise 10 was all about. I urge you to visit our home page and check out our official photos and press reviews.
So let’s start the fun…I tell this story every year but I never participate in the lifeboat drill because all I do is run around with a camera laughing at the musicians looking super silly. Each place to meet is a called a muster station. So I arrive at each group saying, “YOU MUST MUSTER!!!” Then I jump into some cute photos. Here are some A-listers and I couldn’t help but grab Anders’ wife’s um….
I’ve been a HUGE fan of Chali’s for years. And I’ve been begging him to come on Jam Cruise. The timing was never right. I was at the Ogden in Denver and he was opening up for KDTU and Public Enemy. I watched his whole set and made up my mind. I was going to convince him to come on board. The second he saw me backstage he said, “Annabel, I’m ready, let’s do this.” It was a perfect interaction…and once on board he did an OUTSTANDING job on board with Break Science, Galactic & Ozomatli. He loved the cruise so much more than he could have imagined. In fact, everyone does…
This is an emotional one…the first concert my father took me to was Bruce Hornsby when I was 13. I’ve followed him ever since. My father told me that if I ever booked Bruce on Jam Cruise, that he’d reserve a stateroom. I booked Bruce one month after my father died last March. Bruce not only played White Wheeled Limousine for me and for my dad (his favorite song) but Lebo, my favorite artist, painted during his set so I had to buy it and get a photo with Bruce next to it. Very special…
For the first time on board, we had two PHENOMENTAL Lighting Director’s get together to do an LD workshop – Jeff Waful & Chris Kuroda delivered a riveting account of what it’s like to be behind the board, what inspires them and so much more.
Ah Zebra Night, the unofficial theme night created by the cruisers to match one our venues the Zebra Bar. Big Sam was in costume EVERY time we had a theme. Very flattering to us at Jam Cruise to see the musicians get so behind the essence of what our event is all about.
Toubab Krewe was one the highlights on board this year. We visited Haiti and they performed on the beach with very special guests from Sierra Leone Refugee Allstars and more. Basically they were a perfect fit for a beach set. Luke Quaranta is a beautiful man and a wonderful musician.
The Jam Room is a venue set up with amps, mics, keys and a drum kit (called backline) for any musician to come and jam. It’s the soul of Jam Cruise because never before and never again sit-ins happen. And it’s where you’ll get to see things like Kraz on bass!!!
Cloud 9 Adventures has started a non-profit arm called Leaving a Positive Legacy. The mission is to give back to the communities we visit while on Jam Cruise. Here we are in Labadee, Haiti where the team was able to get over 12,000 pairs of NEW shoes donated. How cool!!! We called this a shoe-shoe train.
There’s our beautiful lady, the MSC Poesia.
So really, check out the look on John Oates’ face. He had the same smile all week long. “This is the best thing ever, Annabel!” But getting him on board is part of the fun of the story. I met him at the Belly Up in Aspen, CO last winter when he was sitting in with Umphrey’s McGee. “You’ve GOT to come on Jam Cruise, John.” Months later, I tried to convince my boss to let him on. Then I came up with a great twist that would make more sense. Umphrey’s and the New Deal have an awesome side project called the Omega Moos that we booked since both bands were to be on board. I figured it would make sense to have John Oates play a few of his own Hall & Oates tunes with them since they were already part of the repertoire. BANG! John confirmed and he absolutely ROCKED it with the Moos as well as various other bands on board. You should check out the Omega Moos show and the other Jam Cruise sets on www.iclips.net.
This photo is so cool. We have various theme nights throughout the cruise and the passengers get WAY into them. Creative costumes flow everywhere including this amazing one during green night of a group of grapes!
When I say my boy Logic stepped up to the plate, it’s an understatement. Here’s what happened: we had an artist cancel last minute so we were left with a 2-hour main stage slot to fill. A month or so before the cruise, Logic asked me if he could do a “Logic and friends” set on board. Now mind you, this was asked after we announced the schedule. “Logic, you gotta bring these things up to me BEFORE crunch time of the event.” Unbeknownst to me at the time, he had planted a seed. So when I was scrounging to fill this prime spot on board, the first thing I thought of was LOGGGICCC!!! So I grabbed him and said, “ok buddy, this is your chance, you’ve got two days to put together a Logic & Friends set – it’s 2 hours long on the pool deck, do NOT let me down.” Let me tell you folks….he ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED IT – tons of special guests, incredible jams, all improv, NO rehearsal, just on the spot great music….I was SO impressed that I took the mic when the set was over and told the crowd the story and praised the HELL out of my good friend. Bravo Logic…and i love the photo that Dave Vann captured. We love each other very much….
Ah Toots…the legend. A little ball of energy with a spirit that rocks Jam Cruise.
I can’t even believe how great this photo came out with my little point and shoot. I had to include it. It’s Toots behind Toots!!!
I’ll try not to get teary while writing about this one. Ivan is one of my dear friends, let’s start there. So when I asked him to do an Atrium piano set on board, he gladly obliged. But I expected a whole lotta funk from his set. Nope, that wasn’t even close to his theme. He was all about wearing his heart on his sleeve…he told stories, he even cried while talking about what Jam Cruise means to him, life experiences he has had, losses of people he loves and more. And the music…completely unexpected…Rasberry Beret, In Your Eyes, Landslide and more. Pure emotion. Totally real and vulnerable. Tears were flowing everywhere. Thanks, Ivan. I love you more than ever.
One of the greatest creations ever. And I can’t really call him human. He’s a little bit higher than a normal human. But his heart is very human and very big. Col Bruce has become a true staple in my life and I am very grateful for his friendship. Plus having him on board every year just makes Jam Cruise that much more special.
Karl’s my boy…plain and simple. Friends since 96, played my wedding, stayed at my house, countless dinners, endless phone calls about life, Jam Cruise every year, the list goes on…I wrote him an email the other day telling him that I wanted him as a friend for the rest of my life. Shouldn’t be too hard…
I love catching shots like this around the ship. Jam Cruise enables musicians to spend DAYS together where they normally are ships passing in the night while on tour (ok, no pun intended). Here are hard core awesome boys: Robert Walter, Stanton Moore, Robert Mercurio, Corey Henry & Sergio Rios.
Don’t be sad it’s over, be glad it happened. Yes, I even said that on stage but that’s a bunch of bullshit. I’m super bummed the New Deal broke up. Yes we will probably get a reunion show at some point, but it’s really like a part of my soul died. This band has helped shaped who I am in the jamband scene. I was their very first US street teamer, I followed their career for over a decade, I got on my knees at Langerado and begged them to do Jam Cruise then got to introduce them during their last show this past cruise. I cried during the show like a baby while dancing my ass off at 3:00am. What a moment…what a life experience.
Ah, the famous day at sea…everyone on the gorgeous pool deck all day long in bathing suits soaking up the sun and the fabulous music. It’s quite amazing…
Corey Glover is SOOOO awesome. I love that he has joined Galactic. Not only has he made such an impact on that band, but also on our scene. His voice, his sassiness, his cool factor is way above the norm. Forget Living Colour, Corey is OURS!
Simon embraces Jam Cruise whole-heartedly. He’s so cute and fun all week long. I really don’t need to write a long paragraph about him, this photo says enough with one bloody in hand and another right below. Ready for action and safe with his helmet!
I love you with all my heart, New Deal boys!!!!
I call him Krazie – (pronounced Kraz-E not crazy ) – Been seeing him since before Soulive when Lettuce got going. Wow that was so many years ago. Now, he’s become such a star, such a dynamic musician. And of course, he’s a Jam Cruise staple. Plus, he’s one of my favorite musician friends ever…we meet on a very deep level and can never just chat for a minute, turns into an hour long convo where no one else exists except that never gets to happen cuz he always has to play or one of us gets pulled away by someone else. Love you, Krazie!!!
Years ago, Burning Spear did a song called “Jammin on Jam Cruise.” It was a true compliment. So we decided for our 10th cruise to put a few amazing musicians together to write a Jam Cruise theme song. And it turned out GREAT. Thanks to George, Anders, Stanton, and Robert Walter for creating something so cool! Watch it here
It such a beautiful thing that I get to become true friends with the musicians on Jam Cruise. Not just “see you once a year,” friends…real friends. Talk on the phone, share personal moments, meet up throughout the year, REAL friends. George is simply one of my closest of those. This is George Mother Fucking Porter, Jr. I’m talking about. LUCKY ME!!!!
One of the GREATEST live bands out there right now, Orgone…I am MADLY in love, head over heels, crazy about them. If you aren’t in the know, get in immediately! And they absolutely CRUSHED Jam Cruise.
Matt Butler is one of the nicest, most down to earth guys I know. And he’s one of the most unique musicians out there. No one does what he does. Everyone Orchestra is a fabulous idea that he brings to life. I beg you to have a convo with him and make him laugh. You will remember it for the rest of your life.
Man oh man…what is more exciting? How hot he is or how incredible of a musician he is. Troy Andrews is taking the music scene by storm one year at a time. His sets were such a source of pure energy. He’s a true star and we were very lucky to have gotten him back on Jam Cruise.
Shapie came on Jam Cruise and loved it!!!!! He totally owed us after 10 cruises. We grew up together and have followed each other’s careers for a long time. It was a true pleasure to have him see all the hard work we’ve put into our event especially since he is the mastermind of doing cool things.
The best quote of the cruise was when Mike Greenhaus said “there’s a lot of Jamband dorkery in this photo.” Waful, Shapiro, Greenhaus, Lukins, Bernstein…serious group of music lovers focused on the beauty of the jamband scene and BOY do we love it!
Aptly named, “the Spot,” Nathan Moore started his own “jam room” outside on the starboard side of Deck 7. Started around midnight and went till the sun was shining. He sucked Brad Barr into the madness and about 50 other people each night. It’s a true Jam Cruise creation.
I love the artist photo. We definitely ask all the bands to do a bunch of things for us while on board so having them all gather is yet another thing on their plate. But what ends up happening is magic…they all get to hang out and watching them interact with each other makes it so worth the effort we need to put into wrangling them. Here’s the end result. An awesome photo (courtesy of Michael Weintrob)
Anders Osborne and I have been friends since I was in college. I saw him countless times after that, loving every moment of his music. He definitely went through a lot of ups and downs but no matter what, I never gave up on him. He was too special of a musician, too talented to ever turn my back on. Three years ago, he gave up his demons and committed to a healthier life…committed to music. His playing has taken a new turn, a spiritual level that is infusing. The moment he starts playing or singing, everyone can feel it. His lyrics, his vocals, his guitar solos…are something not of this earth. They are fueled by a soul that is free and open. I am so proud to call him one of my closest friends, we are tighter than ever and everyone should be on the look out for Anders Osborne because he’s here to stay and continue making his mark on our scene.
I love when I walk into the theater and see cute things like this on the wall. First of all, you saw my Zebra Night photos earlier in the piece, so it’s fun they used zebra tape. Second….truly, really, we are SOOOO lucky to have Jam Cruise in our lives. Yes it’s my JOB and my LIFE but it’s not just me who feels like this, hence the sign on the wall. Jam Cruise has changed the lives of thousands of music lovers. It’s an experience like no other. Ask anyone who has been on board!!!!! Happy Jam Cruise 10!!!
