All the right notes: First-timer sings praises of Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise
By Larry Katz
Thursday, May 18, 2006

ABOARD THE WESTERDAM - What happens when 1,800 blues fans, 120 musicians included, take over a cruise ship?

The answer surely involved lots of music and the consumption of alcoholic beverages, but beyond that I didn't have any idea what to expect when I traveled to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., for a seven-day Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise of the Caribbean.

The truth is I had never cruised before. And the prospect of being trapped on a ship and sharing meals and activities with hundreds of strangers with no place for refuge except what in my mind would be a teensy cabin was not something I was looking forward to.

But in recent years more and more music fans - and I am certainly one - have been discovering music cruises geared to their particular tastes. Beyond blues, there are cruises for jazz, country, bluegrass and folk fans.

The lineup of talent for the Blues Cruise was impressive enough to make me book. And was impressive enough as well to fill every last cabin with music lovers from all across the United States and as far away as Austria and Australia.

Bobby "Blue" Bland, Taj Mahal, Millie Jackson, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, Hubert Sumlin, John Hammond, Buckwheat Zydeco and Corey Harris topped the long list of players set to perform. How bad could it be?

And the chance to visit Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and Belize had appeal, too.

As soon as the Holland America Line ship left the pier the nightly, all-night musical feast began. The action took place in four main locations: indoors in the Westerdam's large, nightclublike Vista showroom, the more intimate Queens Lounge theater or the clublike Crow's Nest; and on a stage outdoors on the open deck, a space with lots of room for dancing.Showtimes often overlapped, which made it impossible to hear every performance. But who would want to? Instead I found myself happily moving from one venue to another as my mood and the music dictated.

On one typical day, I caught Taj Mahal (reunited with his tuba band) and the always uninhibited Millie Jackson in the late afternoon, discovered 27-year-old Yugoslavian phenom Ana Popovic after dinner and finished up with Cotton, Sumlin and Perkins (playing under the direction of Brookline-born guitarist Bob Margolin as the Chicago Legends), Tab Benoit and Bobby "Blue" Bland before deciding to call it a night.

The harder partying folks kept right on going. Every night featured a 1 a.m. jam session led by one blues star or another. And pianist Mitch Woods didn't even start his daily gig until 2:30 a.m.

Woods had his night owl fans, but the majority of blues cruisers were ages 45-65 and seemed to know from experience that sleep, along with moderate alcohol intake, were essential to maximum enjoyment. I didn't witness any inebriated frat boy-and-girl-type shenanigans, but then I didn't see a single frat boy or girl among my fellow-passengers either.

Moderation, however, was hard to maintain when it came to food. I was so ignorant of cruise life that I was surprised to find that the daily musical feast was no more spectacular than the Westerdam's daily culinary feast. Eating, I quickly learned, qualified as a main shipboard activity and there were no obstacles to stuffing yourself - you didn't even have to dress up for the ship's more elegant dining areas (specifically for the Blues Cruise, informality reigned with T-shirts, sandals and shorts perfectly acceptable at all times and in all areas of the vessel).

What dressing up did occur was entirely wacky. If experienced travelers know to pack light, veteran blues cruisers know to pack like it's Halloween, bringing masks, costumes and props in preparation for Pirates Night and a Mardi Gras celebration. Many also brought beads, feathers and other adornments to decorate the doors of their cabins, an optional but amusing Blue Cruise tradition.My cabin, I should mention, far exceeded my expectations. I had a bright, inviting room with enough space for a king-sized bed and loveseat along with a TV, a private balcony and a bathroom with a shower/tub. Here was my refuge from the ongoing festivities: a peaceful place to read a book, watch the changing blues of the water and enjoy the simple, enduring pleasures of sea travel.

As with nonmusical cruises, ours made four stops at ports where passengers could spend the day taking prepaid excursions or gad about on their own. Time onshore also provided contrast to the near-constant onboard musical activity.

Vetaran travelers may imagine that this blues voyage was simply a standard cruise with extra entertainment. And music fans may envision not much more than a multiday festival on the high seas.

Both would be wrong. Music and cruise equalled more than the sum of their parts thanks to the reigning convivial atmosphere that left no one a stranger. Passengers mingled with musicians at meals and chance encounters, as well as at organized autograph sessions. Musicians mingled onstage for spontaneous jam sessions: One night Ana Popovic and Anthony Gomes engaged in an inspired, entirely friendly guitar dual.

Young bluesman Kenny Neal joined veteran Bobby Bland onstage; Ronnie Baker Brooks was joined not only by his famous father Lonnie Brooks, but by funkateer Jellybean Johnson in a triple guitar frolic.

Even the ship's crew, from captain to cabin boys, seemed infected by the good vibes. When a busboy started tapping his feet and shaking his hips to the piped in music - all blues, all the time, of course - it was one more bit of proof that on this cruise it was all but impossible not to feel like a guest at a very special party.The next Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Oct. 3-7, sails from San Diego to Mexico with 18 artists including Taj Mahal, Ike Turner and Irma Thomas. A limited number of cabins are available from $850 per person. The next Caribbean cruise is Jan. 14-21, 2007, embarking from Fort Lauderdale with 19 acts including Taj Mahal, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Otis Clay and Buckwheat Zydeco. Prices start at $1,300 per person. For information, call 888-BLUESIN or go to www.bluescruise.com.

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