A super-exuberant carnival sailing the open seas, Jam Cruise 21 continued to blaze onward for a phenomenal third and fourth day, blessed with perfect weather, a plethora of positive vibrations, plus port stops in Cozumel, Mexico and Belize City, Belize, respectively. These destinations provided exhausted cruisers a much-needed opportunity to rest and recharge, as well as frolic and explore a tropical paradise before returning to the assorted musical gluttony onboard the massive MSC Divina. With so much wall-to-wall and stage-to-stage action on the boat, we’re looking at some of the highlights of days three and four on Jam Cruise 21.
After being away from Jam Cruise since 2016, one thing struck me almost immediately upon returning: the essential/effective reprieve this experience bestows, a safe and silly space (temporarily) free from day-to-day stresses and the madness of our lives. There is a collective unity and tangible togetherness that organically manifests aboard this boat, a mothership connection that facilitates a rabid music fan’s blissful detachment from the distressing reality of our surroundings in the default world. For five fabulous days spent very far from home, that fan can freely leap feet first into the deep end of scintillating sonic alchemy, inspired improvisation, and jubilant dance sessions ’til the sun comes up.
Day three faves for this writer begin with a riotous throwdown in the Pantheon Theater by Karl Densonâs Tiny Universe with special guest (and former KDTU percussionist) Mike Dillon sitting in for the full performance. The Diesel’s second set was punctuated by a steamy, smoked-out Rick James throwback section that included Skerik and The Horn Section on 1978 deep cut âStone City Band, Hi!â, and Mary Jane Girls‘ timeless âAll Night Longâ.
Immediately thereafter, I popped over to the Black & White Lounge for a dose of Memphis-based soul-blues act Southern Avenue. The band was joined by longtime collaborator Luther Dickenson (guitarist/vocalist, North Mississippi All-Stars), who sizzled over a pair of Southern Ave originals âWhat Did I Doâ and 2017’s âDonât Give Upâ. This connection displayed a deep-rooted chemistry with the dynamite Jackson sisters Tierinii (lead vocals), TK (drums), and Ava (harmony vocals), and a kinship with Southern Avenue guitarist Ori Naftaly.
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All boat long, The Sweet Lillies featuring Joe Marcinek and Sean McLean could be found holding down The Spot, a low-volume collab area situated outside the Jam Room on the deck, like a late-night fireside sing-along jamâalbeit sans campfire. If one timed it just right on night three, you could stumble upon emcee-at-large Chali 2na rapping through a megaphone for the first time in his life, or reaching back for an animated interpolation of Salt N Pepaâs defiant 1993 classic âNone of Your Businessâ.
Early evening, the all-star jam-funk contingent Summer Zen offered its debut Jam Cruise performance on the pool deck. A collective led by NOLAâs iconic bassist/vocalist/scene godfather George Porter Jr., the OG was flanked by guitarist Steve Kimock and his son JM Kimock on drums, keyboardist Robert Walter, and guitarist/vocalist Dan Liebowitz (ALO). Special guests included Big Chief Donald Harrison on alto sax, plus Shira Elias and Sammi Garett from Cool Cool Cool. In addition to a perfectly peculiar pairing of the Grateful Deadâs sprightly âScarlet Begoniasâ > âFiyo on the Bayouâ (The Meters), Summer Zen shined mightily on a heart-filling rendition of Sensational Nightingales gospel-rooted âMy Sisters and Brothersâ, explored in late-period Jerry Garcia Band style. Late in the frame, the involuntary waterworks were in full effect as the eternal troubadour GPJ stepped up to sing a gritty, gripping reading of âEyes of the Worldâ, enhanced exponentially by Robert Walterâs revelatory Fender Rhodes work, uncannily reminiscent of Keith Godchaux as heard on 1975âs One From the Vault (and then never again).
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For its second set on Jam Cruise 21, New England’s best-kept secret Club dâElf once again shocked and awed a sizable crowd with its shapeshifting international dance styles. Captained by bassist/founder Mike Rivard (who also plays a Morrocan instrument called a sintir, employed in similar low-end fashion) the group was nothing short of a revelation yet again. Club d’Elf proceeded to summon sacred spirits that put people in a trance-like state. This mind-bending seance was hosted in the Golden Jazz Bar, augmented by Skerik’s array of saxophone soundscapes and textures, and contributions from Keita Ogawa (percussion, Snarky Puppy).
Later that night in the Black & White, Chicago-based buzz band Sneezy delivered a torrent of ecstatic energy and joyful noise. The sizable contingent unleashed feverish funk that reliably mutated into total chaos of the best kind. The UNâs Shawn Eckles (who would host the Jam Room a couple hours later), appeared late in the Sneezy set to predictably shred with an abundance of attitude, and to add insult the injury pounded a handful of ham sandwiches. Onstage and off, members of Sneezy could be located enjoying themselves all over the boat at any and all hours, I was particularly impressed by their saxophonist Destiny Pivonka, who popped up here-there-nâ-everywhere with her horn ready to rage.
Late night on the pool deck, Lettuce mounted the stage as a band of brothers. From both musical and emotional standpoints, this LETT set brought it all, mining the annals and painting with all of the colors. Hearts were heavy from the stage to the rage for reasons that would become clear laterâbut the boys in the band put it all into the music, and a righteous transmission took place between every soul that communed together. A volcanic juggernaut front to back, LETT on the pool deck dealt the goods: âHawkâs Clawâ was laced lysergically and flexed type II adventuring; later a preposterous Go-Go orgy went on for over 20 minutes, stomping âChecker Wreckerâ with Chali 2na sliding through with his baritone boom.
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A seamless segue turned into a childhood time machine as the squad crunkafied the Inspector Gadget theme song, flipped authentic Go-Go style. The District love continued with Lettuceâs seminal âMakinâ My Way Back Homeâ, then the Chuck Brown arrangement of Sly Stoneâs âFamily Affairâ, which saw percussionist Tycoon joined by Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power) and Cliff Porter. Soon, Galactic vocalist Angelika âJellyâ Joseph stepped up for backing vocals as the smoke continued into Maze anthem âJoy & Painâ. A coalescing of psychedelic hip-hop chestnuts, âTrillogy” > “Phyllisâ (AKA âTryllisâ) unspooled a colossal journey through the space/time continuum. To shut it down with a proverbial pop of the collar, a dripping âDo It Like You Doâ was reimagined JBâs style, then paired with a steamy take on the good Godfather himself, âPapa Donât Take No Messâ (James Brown).
Editorâs note: Midway through this legendary sesh, Lettuce trumpet-wunderkind Eric “Benny” Bloom dedicated the concert to his mother Carol; after the set concluded, we learned his mom had passed away that same night. On the pool deck stage, we all bore witness to something sacred: a radical display of familyhood. Rest Easy, Carol Bloom.
Day four began with a shorter day at port in Belize City; some cruisers caught up on sleep while others enjoyed a brief slice of this paradise location. After some much-needed and long-overdue shut-eye, the day began with a pair of idiosyncratic unicorns on the pool deck. NOLAâs Grammy-winning, theatrical hip-hop slam poet future-soul synthesis Tank and The Bangas returned to the boat after several years away; the kaleidoscopic collective detonated a mind-boggling display of high-wire performance art. They were chased on that same stage by Portland’s brass band meets psychedelic circus MarchFourth; the steampunk outcast marching band paraded around the cramped stage on stilts, as their sea of horns and jubilant grooves whipped folks into a frenzied dance party that did not relent.
After a brief stop into the Golden Jazz Bar to soak some Skerik and a smattering of friends including Michael League, Nikki Glaspie, Andy Coe, Joe Doria and Stanton Moore, I made my way back to the Black & White Lounge for a torrid throwdown from a searing Seattle export, Polyrhythmics. These Emerald City sorcerers made good on their hype yet again, playing to a solid-sized audience and serving a greasy stew. Their patented blend of minimalist garage-funk, afrobeat, dusty boom-bap is tight, surgical, and expressive. It was music tailor-made for this situation, and predictably, another determined dance party broke out for the duration. Highlights included stutterstep greenthumb special âThe Cutdownâ, the promethazine electro-fonk of âGarden Gnomesâ, their own rework of Tears For Fears‘ âEverybody Wants to Rule the Worldâ, and a sensational sit-in from guitarist Will Bernard. Editor’s Note: extra points to the Polyrhythmics for blessing the Jam Cruise Wedding reception with a stunning reimagination of The Clash‘s 1982 classic âRock the Casbahâ, prompting an ecstatic dance party on night five when nearly everybody was running on fumes.
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Texas-born Grammy-winning all-world jazz ensemble Snarky Puppy headlined Jam Cruise this year in the tailwind of its own GroundUp Music Festival, held annually in South Florida every February. The level of musicianship among this group is unparalleled, and both boat performances proved that the Pups continue to evolve in palpable ways and awe-inspiring fashion. A magnificent set in the Pantheon Theater was notable for the Nikki Glaspie factor (sheâs been an on-again, off-again Snarky drummer for the past few years), a sit-in from Big Chief Donald Harrison on sax, a unique collaboration with Chali 2na on âBinkyâ; keyboardist Amy Bellamy along with the ubiquitous Skerik for an invigorating reading of âTake It Thereâ that stood out sheerly by how it collectively wowed the room of slack-jawed cruisers.
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Just before midnight, the Connecticut demon-slayers of lespecial commandeered the smaller Brews-At-Sea stage on the pool deck and detonated a diabolical display of vitality and power. The place was packed, and the natives were restless. Though the Pantheon show early in the week was brutal and heavy, this curated setlist offered many styles and a wide array of flavors in the lespecial quiver. The trio uncorked a few titanic trap thunderclaps that might make Lunice blush; they invited out The Horn Section and Sean McLean (alto sax) to dust off the Luke Bemand-penned, rarely-performed epic âCannibal Holocaustâ. Jazz Dad Mike Dillon emerged again for a Fackinâ A mini-set, a malevolent collaboration that resulted in the hardcore punk meets groove metal of âSpeed Trapâ, the lovingly profane go-go nu-metal “Motherf*ckerâ, then a raging romp through Nine Inch Nails 1989 debut single âHead Like a Holeâ featuring green-haired siren Reilly Comisar fronting lead vocals. Just when one thought the situation could not conceivably ratchet up any higher, enter the Tuna Fish Man, emerging out of nowhere to lace up lespecial with his melodious low-end love like only Chali 2na can, effectively putting an electrifying exclamation point on the boysâ triumphant sophomore cotillion.
Editorâs note: look for an exclusive interview with lespecialâs Rory Dolan about the Primus audition experience in the coming days, chased by a conversation with the full band a few weeks after that.
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Immediately thereafter, late night on the pool deck stage, the white-hot lads from Australia’s Mildlife stepped up and showed out with maybe the biggest surprise of the boat for this guy. Iâd seen them twice before, including once earlier this week, but to be crystal clear, this 90-minute nocturnal transmission was a whole new ballgame. Iâm not familiar with the catalog enough to reference song titles or segues, but let it be known this was a blissed-out, nonstop dance party front to back. Despite the fact it was two in the morning on night four of Jam Cruise, your humble narrator did not stop getting busy for the entire excursion and trust I was not alone, the collective dance energy was palpable and intoxicating throughout. With keys, bass, guitar/flute, and drums, this band is extremely adept at captaining a fantastic voyage that threads the needle between eras, genres, and geographies. During this absolutely stunning tour-de-force, I flashed on subtle yet respectful nods toward Jamiroquai, Massive Attack, Jungle, and even some Floydian touches that winked toward David Gilmour. That said, these dudes most definitely understood the Jam Cruise moonlight assignment and aced the exam to boot. Make no mistake, yours truly is Mildlife-pilled, official.
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Thoroughly exhausted in the aftermath of this excellence, somehow the evening continued even further. First, we enjoyed the beginnings of a sublime private solo concert with Brock Butler tucked away on a windy 13th floor balcony. Then, a brief but bombastic stop through the Jam Room where TK from Southern Avenue was leading a troupe that included Tony Hall (Dumpstaphunk), Jelly and Stanton Moore (Galactic), Cam Wescott (bass, The Psycodelics), vocalist Reilly Comisar, Jeff Lloyd (The Heavy Pets), among others. From there, we scooted up to the Disco for a long, tantric session of reliable Deep House grooves from the infallible Mark Farina. The man best known for his downtempo Mushroom Jazz series decades ago has evolved into a world-class curator and selector of the finest in four-on-the-floor. The dude made good on his sterling reputation by keeping would-be-fatigued revelers getting after it with gusto, putting it down like a master-at-work ’til the sun started peeking up for Jam Cruise Day five.
words: B.Getz
