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.

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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.

Guest

Jeff Hamilton

Jeff Hamilton is a highly influential drummer and bandleader who rose to prominence with the New Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and Lionel Hampton’s Band. He fulfilled a lifelong goal by joining Woody Herman and the Thundering Herd and solidified his reputation as an authority on the instrument during his tenure with the L.A.4.
Hamilton was a long-time member of the Ray Brown Trio and the Oscar Peterson Quartet. The co-leader of the GRAMMY®-nominated Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, he has appeared on over 300 recordings with artists including Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, and Paul McCartney. He is a four-time winner of the Modern Drummer Readers' Poll, was inducted into The Jazz Cruise Hall of Fame in 2014, and remains active touring with his trio, the CHJO, and the Akiko Tsuruga Organ Trio.

Guest appearance on:

Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra: 40 Years of Big Band "Gravy" & Serving the Music