Hello,
I’m getting ready to go on a cruise with my wonderful, adventurous wife. But, not just any cruise. This is a chartered ship that sails twice a year. This is cruise number 28. It’s called The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. There will be tons of R&B and Blues artists on board and entertaining, not just on the stages but, literally, all over the ship. In the piano bars, the pool areas, the hallways . . . Wherever the musicians/artists feel the muse. This includes the passengers! I will be bringing my Steinberger Bass (it fits in the plane’s overhead), my Lap Steel Guitar and Harmonica’s (Lee Oscar Harps . . .) Lee Oscar will be there with his band, The Low Rider Band (formerly War) and giving a harmonica seminar.
My wife, Sue, and I went on LRBC #25 in October 2015. I brought my 6-String Bass and jammed a bunch of times in the Crows Nest Lounge where they hold an almost continuous (anytime, day or night) jam session for Pros and Amateurs. Holy shit! They mix it up so that everybody gets a chance to play but by the end of the cruise they bring favorites up more and more. I felt lucky to be included in the favorites. I got to play a lot, with some of the awesome paid entertainers on board including Harold Brown, the drummer for The Low Rider Band who was there as a special guest. One of the best drummers I ever played with. Harold was gracious, complemented my playing and invited Sue and I to share dinner with him. He held a very interesting conversation about almost everything, including music. Fun and interesting!
Terrance Simien and his wife and daughter invited me into their family. What nice people! You can’t help but schmooze with the musicians because we’re all stuck on the ship together, eating dinner together and everybody having fun with music.
I’ve made Facebook friends with Harold and a few other of the pro musicians including Randy Oxford, an awesome Trombone player, band leader, recording artist and world traveler from Seattle who runs some of the jam sessions and another very nice and genuine person. He’ll be there and running the awesome jam sessions. This cruise is looking to be even more fun than the last one because I know what is going on. Oh! Taj Majal and The Low Rider Band are the headliners! I’ve always loved Taj Majal for his innovative and humorous blues and Jazz. Terrance Simien will be there. Tab Benoit (Sue calls Tab her next husband . . . Hmmmm . . .), Tommy Castro . . . The list is HUGE! Sue and I are going to have awesome fun . . . Oh! Incidentally, we’re going to the Eastern Caribbean islands, St. Thomas, etc.
Saturday, Jan. 21st the HAL ms Koningsdam departs from Fort Lauderdale . . . Woo hoo!!!!
I’ll update when I can . . .
David T
