This mix has been in the making for more than two years and my new friend from Mixcloud, Mutiny inspired me to finally complete it! Thanks, MSB!
I thought I’d up my game from slow, SeXXXy Jams to something a bit more upbeat, and it sure was fun!
1. Soul Cycle f/Mavis “Swan” Poole-I Can’t Help It/Michael Jackson
2. Incognito f/Jocelyn Brown-Always There/Side Effect (Ronnie Laws & Wayne Henderson
3. Full Flava f/Donna Gardier-Betcha Wouldn’t Hurt Me/Patti Austin
4. Reel People f/Angela Johnson-You Used to Hold Me So Tight/Thelma Houston
5. Maysa-The Bottle/Gil Scott Heron
6. Bah Samba-Portuguese Love/Tina Marie
7. Juliette Leon & Myron Richy Pitch
Modern Soul Re-Dub-Two Hearts Stephanie Mills & Teddy Pendergrass
8. Bob Belden-Kiss/Prince
9. The Murills-Friend of Mine/Eddie Kendricks
10. Beverlei Brown-Gonna Get Over You/France Joli
11. Full Flava f/Hazel Hernandes-Rescue Me/Taste of Honey
12. Soul Cycle f/Melanie Charles-My Cherie Amour/Stevie Wonder
13. Funky Boudoir-Never Knew Love Like This/Alexander O’Neal f/Cherrelle
Welcome to Suga’s House!
It’s been a long time in the making! This is my first long-awaited attempt to mix house music!
It only took me forever; I’m satisfied and proud! Looking forward to the next follow-up!
These are a few of my favorite tracks that really soothe my soul and make my body rock!
DJ Hiro [Unrealeased Chanten Dub & Joe’s Unreleased Rough] – Koet Moun Yo
Blue Six – Sweeter Love
Shaun Escoffery (Dj Spinna & Ticklah Remix) – Days Like This
Elements of Life f/Lisa Fischer and Cindy Mizelle (Roots Mix)- Into My Life
Miguel Migs (Alix Alverez) – Mesmerized
James Biscuit (Kenny Dope Main Mix Final 2) – Vibe
Byron Stingily (Reel Soul Main Vocal Mix) – Walk Away
Frankie Feliciano [Ricanstruction Mix] – The Real Thing
Greetings my fellow music lovers! I hope 2018 is bringing you good health, vibes, and an abundance of prosperity for your life’s longevity!
Here is my round-up of the 11th SuperCruise, and my fourth cruise with Capital Jazz. As usual, I had an exhilarating time! With all of the anticipation of seeing artists I love, I was truly excited for my friends whose first experience it would be for this intoxicating, fun-filled musical water ride!
While the 2017 hurricanes devastated parts of the US and the Caribbean, remnants of them were still at sea for the two days on our way to Bermuda which made for a swaying and rocky ride.
Capital Jazz made up for last year’s fiasco (Capital Jazz SuperCruise X – 2016) so the answer is yes, they did hit the high score for this year’s cruise event. Sidebar: The 2019 cruise has been sold out for a few months already which says they still got it! One lil bump on the water didn’t stop their show.
The Capital Jazz organization listened to their patrons and took heed to their complaints/suggestions. Instead of reserving shows on board like we did in 2016, cruisers were assigned a Theatre Seating Code which determined which day and time they could see shows in the main theatre; there was open seating for the rest of the venues. This definitely helped although some may say they missed something or another which is typical for this sort of themed cruising.
Lines, lines, and more lines! People, they are inevitable! How much of our lives do we spend on them? Whenever there’s open seating for any event, “the early bird gets worm” therefore, the early bird gets a seat and a good one!
We’ll “sea” how things fare on the next cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. Here’s a tour of the ship where the tour guide suggests (6:07) getting to the main theatre at least 20-30 minutes ahead of showtime to secure a good seat. Therefore, SuperCruisers you know whatcha gotta do, be on that line at least an hour ahead of the doors opening like you do anyway! The good thing is, the main theatre on the Independence of the Seas holds 1,300 in comparison to Norwegian’s 700 so.
If you’ve been following me on the past three SuperCruise reviews you know my rundown by now… Mix and Mingle
Saturday, September 23, 2017 (the day before sailing)
Day 1 Sail Off
Sunday, September 24, 2017
New York City
(my hometown)
After traveling three times to other locations to meet the ship for the CJ cruise, leaving out of New York this fourth time was pure bliss. Not having to reserve a hotel room to be in town the day before sail off was a blessing! What a beautiful thing to hop on the subway to the host hotel for the mix and mingle, and then share a car ride with my neighbors to go home was even better!
No planes, no trains, just an automobile that took approximately 20 minutes to get to the pier! The check-in was fast, smooth as butter—no complaints—at all!! The weather was insane at 90 degrees, bright and sunny—folks were ready with bathing suits in carry-on like it was Florida!
Sunday Football on the giant screen, they were ready!
Our early morning rise and daytime partying knocked us out around 6ish. We thought we’d take a quick nap and fell into a deep sleep; we missed The Luther Re-Lives Tribute Show but heard it was excellent!
Mike Phillips
Didn’t wake up till after midnight and missed the first few minutes of Mike Phillips’ show, who is one of my favorite Horn Blowers. HOWEVER, I did catch ALL this…
This the way you party the first night at sea!
Day 2
Monday, September 25, 2017 Fun Day at Sea
We woke up like this!
We were scheduled for a photo shoot in these fabulous shirts but some of us were missing. See day 7 for follow-up shenanigans!
El Gee brought the jump rope and hosted an old-school double dutch soiree–it was ON after that!
I call them the Double Dutch Bunch
Linda, Vanessa, and her daughter Leanna, great friends and fam! And, newbies who had a wonderful time cruisin’ with music!
The ladies showed out so good, he had to get some!
Meanwhile, back at the Atrium…
DJ Frances Jaye’s set, then Q&A with Eric Roberson hosted by Jodine Dorce
Turned up and then poured his soul out. The audience hung right in there with him as it got emotional for a minute.
Ran into Dave Hollister and had to grab him for this shot
Dave Hollister interview with New York’s own Lenny Green of the Quiet Storm
Midnight Soul with the Hamiltones
Well, the Atrium was lit with cruisers and as the saying goes, you slow, you blow–a good seat or even a standing room only spot was not in the cards for me to capture anything this night!
The Hamiltone’s interview with Jodine Dorce
Day 3
Tuesday, September 26, 2017 Fun Day at Sea
The Mr. Sexy Leg contest was supposed to take place the day before, but the weather was a little “under the weather”. Here it is, in all of its hilarity!
First timers, Ralph and Lavern–longtime childhood friends and neighbors
Margarita Tasting
We made it just in time for the Margarita tasting after the sexy leg contest. This was a day at sea so everyone needed something to do 😉
Name That Tune with Reggie Reg at the Atrium
New York violinist, Damien Escober, a passionate performer burst onto the stage with a fiery and energetic performance that the audience was well in tune with and could have rocked with him all night long!
Didn’t hang here too long; had to catch the Underground Lounge with Eric Roberson featuring Nao, Julie Dexter, Sol Elder, and Jazmin Ghent.
The Underground Lounge Hang
This year was a little different in terms of venue space. Usually, this segment of shows is held in one of the smaller clubs, two artists per show. The Soul Lounge was held in the main theatre, with all four artists on the same night and stage. I missed the intimacy of the smaller venue, nevertheless, the artists’ performances were stellar! It was also Eric Roberson’s birthday and what would the show be without him taking word suggestions from the audience to make up a song on the spot, particularly about his special day.
And this band right here ❤ ❤ ❤
Day 4
Wednesday, September 27, 2017 Bermuda Day 1
On our way to the Crystal Cave with our driver Mr. Earl who was a phenomenal tour guide and remarkably knowledgeable about the island!
The day started out cloudy, the sun eventually came out and lingered around for the duration of the day. As mentioned earlier, remnants of hurricane season was still in the air.
On the way to Crystal Cave
Outside the cave entrance
This was a fascinating experience and I’m happy I went on this excursion although I missed my beach time.
This aquarium and zoo were awful! The water was dirty and cloudy: the seal and turtles were sick and infected, however, I did get a few good shots. Poor things…
On the way to the ferry, I was reminded of home with the BX license plate
Mindy Abair is “Pretty Good for a Girl!” She came ready to kick her heels up and get the party started with Girl Power! Mindy spread her message and slogan to “celebrate women, appreciate excellence in each other, support each other’s endeavors, and motivate each other toward greatness.”
Late night at the Atrium with R.C. & the Gritz. I didn’t stay here too long; had to catch Soul Sessions with Eric Roberson cause you never know who’s going to grace the stage!
The Soul Session Hosted by Eric Roberson
I love this part of the lineup as you can probably tell. Featured performers, as well as those in the background, get to show off their chops, front and center! The Jerry Brook’s band can play any requested song you’d think was the original! This year’s Soul Lounge lineup included Chrisette Michele, Jeff Bradshaw, Nao, Jazmin, Dave Hollister, Vanessa Williams and a lady whose name I didn’t get, sang the stank out of Jill Scott’s The Way.
All About Norma – enjoying her very own photo shoot till some unknown, welcomed visitor came over and interrupted our flow. Can you tell which visitation it was?
Day 5
Thursday, September 28, 2017 Bermuda Day 2
Another cloudy day on tap and while trying to get a little shopping done, the sky opened up and drenched us. It didn’t take long for us to hit a few stores and then on to the ferry to take us back to the ship.
Before the rain
One of the suggested themed nights was Red Cool and Haute, cruisers wore an article of red clothing of which just about everyone indulged!
Caught up with Julie Dexter on the left, that’s Reggie at the top, in the middle is Norma and Laverne at the end.
I’ve been waiting to see Will Downing for a long time and he did not disappoint! I was hoping Carol Riddick would have joined him; she usually sings “Never Felt Like This” with him and then Capital Jazz would have given her a show with the Underground Lounge–my wishful thinking 🙂 However, Ms. Tracy Hamlin was sensual, sultry, and sophisticated; her voice strong, yet smooth and sweet! Tracy gave that song her absolute ALL, leaving me wanting more!
Eric Roberson also has a song called Lyrics of Pleasure, a duet with Will Downing on his Fire EP I was hoping they’d do but again, my wishful thinking got the best of me! 😦
I rushed from Will’s show to catch what was left of Vivian Green‘s show. She debuted her funky, reggae-flavored track “I Don’t Know” and folks were feeling those catchy lyrics. Nineties rapper/producer, and now Vivian’s manager, Kwame joined her on stage and set it ablaze! I heard a few folks were mad at him for taking up a bit of her performance time. It didn’t bother me, he was hyped!
Late Night at the Atrium with Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad
I was pleased to see girl power in full effect this year. Capital Jazz presented women in jazz with Lakecia Benjamin and Chelsea Greene and the Green Project (more on her later) and they performed ebullient sets that had the audiences at the Atrium in awe! Melodie Ray was the lead singer with Lakecia and her band. I was pleasantly surprised to spot her walking by me earlier in the week. I’d seen Melodie perform with a couple of other indie soul artists around New York like RaRe Valverde and Trina Broussard, who both sing with Rahsaan Patterson–all whom I adore as great singers and performers!
Day 6
Friday, September 29 Bermuda Day 3
This was a half day in Bermuda and it didn’t make sense to go out after oversleeping so we just chilled on the ship. It was a beautiful sunny day where I could have had just a little beach time, but oh well. Again that damned early bird…
The Motown Tribute
Since I’ve been traveling with the Captial Jazz cruise they have produced tribute shows, commemorating two artists I’ve always admired; Donald Byrd, and James Brown. In 2016 they skipped it, but 2017 was another story! I should have seen this coming; I was blindsided! Capital Jazz took everybody by surprise with this one. Jonathan Butler, The Hamiltones, Tracy Hamlin, Eric Roberson, DMo Macklin, Mindy Abair and Jazmin Ghent participated in this all-star tribute. It was a blast, but Eric Roberson dropped the bomb when he bombarded the stage as Rick James! I should have expected something like this from Eric; the audience was busting guts they laughed so hard.
This was oh soooo good!!
The Timeless, Lady Gladys Knight
Classic Soul at its best! Still beautiful and lovely as ever, Lady Knight thrilled us and had the audience singing right along with her! I love that Capital Jazz incorporates many genres of music we all know and love–not just jazz…
Jonathan Butler
The Manhattan Room Jonathan performed in was the dinner show. A good seat was definitely in order! I was able to get a few nice shots instead of a little video footage. I tried… I love the life stories artists share with their audience and Jonathan has a helluva story to tell! I enjoyed his performance and his high energy.
Chelsey Green and The Green Project
The other thing I like about Capital Jazz is that I’ve discovered so many artists I hadn’t heard of before. Chelsey and her band were just awesome! Too bad the little video footage I had was ruined so I had to scrap it.
Day 7
Saturday, September 30 Last Day of Fun at Sea
It was a bright sunny day but started out rather cool. I’m spoiled. I expect 80-95 degree weather when I cruise but on this trip, the weather did not cooperate. No tan for me this time around.
Today is also the continuation of day 2 of the bikini t-shirt photo shoot. These shirts were a big hit! Looks, stares, double-takes, laughs, smiles, were all reactions to our painted-on body beautiful shirts!
Lady El Gee brought the rope out again and this time I tested my skill to see if it was still the way my mind remembered how to jump double dutch. Yes! I’m right on point!
Us trying to get tanned up in this piece! Not happenin!
After the T-shirt shoot, the Ice Bar. We needed to wrap up in these coats and gloves; two drinks included with the cover. We had to drink fast cause it was NYC below-zero winter in there!
Daley
Since I’d had Daley’s music from the beginning, it was a delight to see him perform live!
Late Night at the Atrium was a blast on this last night! I think most of the artists were off, partied and played with ERRO at the Open Mic Night.
Got a second chance at getting a few shots of the Hamiltones!
Took advantage of my Selfie moment with every artist I could… Peep my party light glasses 🙂
After Capital Jazz posted the 2017 pictures on their FaceBook page and viewing this highlight video let me know I missed a lot even though I share all of this! Nothing unusual since so much is going on you just can’t see and do everything! You gotta find time for eating and sleep–somewhere in there!
Here’s a fun look back!
Overall, I had a fantastic time hanging out on The SuperCruise with such cool people and all these fabulous artists!!
I thought I’d get a head start on this post, so on October 6, 2016, I began taking notes. By that time, Hurricane Matthew had already reared its ugly eye, destroying any and everything in its path. We were set to sail on Sunday, October 23rd and Matthew had affected the cruise’s route; we were informed a few days before sailing, that Nassau Bahamas would be our detour from Great Stirrup Cay Bahamas, where Jill Scott and Wanda Sykes were to perform on Norwegian’s private island, day 2. It was to be a fun-filled day on the beach where we would have access to the beautiful sea along with laughs, good music, and lunch “on” Norwegian. See Alaina Jenkins’ review.
We arrived at the host hotel the day before sailing so that we could attend the Meet and Greet. I was super excited to be in Miami! I looked forward to seeing my friends, what lie ahead for a week’s worth of music, sun/fun and that whole Capital Jazz Cruise vibe!
Upon hotel registration at the Marriot, the day before sail off, we received a letter with two passes attached to inform us of our 1:00 pm shuttle appointment for the next day; at that point we decided 1 pm wouldn’t work for us. Other than that, things were on to a good start for the meet and greet. Everyone was pumped and ready for Sunday’s sailing to celebrate Capital Jazz’s 10th Anniversary!
Folks mingling and having a good time. My gurl Laura and our friend, Reggie (top right). My heroes, Wes and James (bottom middle) who saved me last year with lending me the battery charger for my camera
Pat Prescott, Jodine Dorce, Michael Colyar, Tony Richards and Donna Richardson, I think.
NY homie, Lenny Green; me; and hubby. V is on the left who photo bombed us!
Day 1, sail off! We took a cab to the port around 11:00 am, and it’s a good thing we did because when we arrived, the Norwegian Getaway had just returned from its previous trip, and those passengers were disembarking as the Capital Jazz cruisers were arriving to board the ship. A long line had already formed to go through security. Once inside, we had to wait in the terminal after registering and be called by groups to enter onto the ship.
Wait, did she photo bomb us?!
In a nutshell, with permission from the following two cruisers, they totally covered the issues in their reviews; they appeared on the Capital Jazz Fest/SuperCruise FaceBook Page upon return from the cruise.
Jock TravelPlug Schofield ‘How The Capital Jazz Fest & SuperCruise F*cked Up and Ruined One of the Best Organized and Entertaining Themed Cruises’
Common Sense Rules 1 & 2 are as follows; 1. Don’t fix it if it’s not broke and 2. Keep it simple stupid. This is my sixth and definitely last year on the Capital Jazz Supercruise. My priors 5 times going have all been an awesome experience with incredible entertainment. They were all on the Carnival cruise line and to attend a performance has been an effortless event. You choose an early or late dinnertime. Each guest performed for two shows and you went to the show based on your dinnertime. It was a pretty simple task to see a show and the only time you needed to arrive early was if you wanted close seats to the stage. Fast-forward this year to the 10th Anniversary of the Supercruise. The promoters of the cruise of changed the cruise line to the Norwegian Getaway. Let’s jump right to the issue.
Attending a show this year reminds me of my days as an undergrad student at Morgan State University. I attended Morgan State University at a time when you couldn’t register for classes online you had to show up early and wait in a long line that wrapped around the building and hoped that the classes you wanted would still be available by the time you got to enroll. At this year’s Capital Jazz Super Cruise in order to register for the main shows this year you have to register through Norwegian’s mobile app, a screen near the elevators on each floor or from the television in your cabin. The video accompanied with this post shows you what most of the attendees experienced. Most of the shows were not available due to the size of these small venues. For shows that did not require registration you had to be there at least an hour before the show started in order to guarantee a sport in the small venues. Last night we waited in line for 90 minutes for the old school hip hop show before leaving when the show was supposed to start at 12:30. We left at 1:00am after getting in line at 11:30. They hadn’t let anyone in at 1:00am by the time we left. Yesterday, we waited an hour to see Kindred in the standby line, the line where if you didn’t get reservations for a show it was suggested you tried the Standby line. The show was held in a dinner theatre with the worst view (posted pic) of the stage for those that didn’t have a table in front of the stage. For those that didn’t make it to shows it caused an overflow and terrible wait times for bars and restaurants on the cruise. In attempt to make amends Capital Jazz has added additional shows for some of the artists. However, in order to attend these added shows one must arrive at the venue at least an hour early and hope that you can get a seat. At this point, I’ve already chalked this cruise up as a loss and the worst vacation EVER. My legs are sore, my feet hurt and I’m tired or arriving at a venue over an hour early just to stand in line with the hopes of seeing an artist that I paid to see. If you know of any other well-organized music-themed cruises, please let me know.
Alaina Jenkins I had heard SO MANY good things about this cruise! I was so incredibly excited to see the phenomenal line-up of artists that they advertised. And it was an impressive line-up! To make a very long and frustrating story short, I did not get to see 80% of the major headliners. This was for a variety of reasons, all stemming from piss-poor planning on the part of CJSC. The venues could not accommodate everyone on the cruise (approx. 3700 people) seeing all the acts throughout the week. If it was going to be logistically impossible to see ALL the major acts, then that should have been advertised as people were booking and paying for this cruise. Essentially, if they had said to me I would be only able to see 4 of the 20 major acts without hassle and frustration, I would not have booked this cruise at $2300! Conventional wisdom has stated that half of this price was for the Balcony room on Norwegian (I’ll get to them later), and the other half went to CJSC. Well, based on my calculations, CJSC owes me about $900 back in missed shows because of their inability to figure out how to get everybody into everything. I should not have to spend my vacation days standing in line after line after line, missing other activities and quality time with friends, for hours at a time just to “possibly” get into a show I could not get a reservation for. That’s right, on the first day of the cruise, once you were on the boat, you had to stand at a touch-screen on various walls and attempt to make your reservations for the shows you wanted. By the time we stood in line (well over an hour), there were only 3 shows (major headliners – Eric Benet / Angie Stone, BWB / Patti Austin, and OJays / Ledisi) left with seats for us to reserve. Out of 20 major headliners! And this is not even including the comedians (another issue). We were able to add a 4th major headliner (the Dance Theatre of Harlem) ONLY because they added a show, told us about it on a flyer left outside our rooms in the middle of the night (which I just happened to see) and we managed to get those reservations before the show “sold out.” Simply put, and pardon my language, but I have to be real here, it was a cluster-fuck, and very demoralizing and disappointing for those of us who really wanted to see and experience the other major acts. I missed out on Incognito, Ken Ford, Jose James, Kindred The Family Soul, Diane Schuur, Smokie Norful, Jazz Funk Soul, Bilal, Nick Colionne, Algebra Blessett, Lee Ritenour, Dwele, Howard Hewett, Regina Belle, Walter Beasley, and Frank McComb. If Eric Benet, Angie Stone, BWB, Patti Austin, the OJays, and Ledisi all came to the DMV area, I would not have paid collectively almost $1200 to see them in base ticket prices, so there is NO WAY CJSC can justify what I paid to see with what I received in actuality. Like I said, they owe me about $900.
Now, let’s talk about the other major headliner concert that, technically, everyone got to see because there was no requirement to reserve a seat; Wanda Sykes opening up for Jill Scott. Wanda was horrible; she was unfunny, admittedly not feeling well, and under the influence of mind-altering medication (Nyquil). Meanwhile, we were situated in the literal “backyard” of the Atlantis Resort in Nassau, in blistering heat, with no tents, not enough chairs for over 3000 guests (they advised us to bring our towels so we could sit on the ground), no First Aid station, and only 15 port-a-potties for over 3000 people! The whole event was a major public health hazard. What was supposed to be a complimentary, Norwegian-catered lunch for us during the concert, ended up being a buy your lunch from Atlantis employees who set up under their own tents and charged $4 for a bottle of water, and far more than that for food. Most of us didn’t see the entirety of Jill Scott’s performance because we had been out in that heat with no cover for over 2 hours and massive lines were forming for the shuttles that would get us back to the ship.
CJSC should be as mortified as we are horrified that their brand has taken this hit. Until they correct the narrative of this hot mess of a cruise (IF they can), I can only assume that they are profit-driven and not people-driven, and they simply don’t care that this cruise was a complete waste of my hard-earned money. CJSC owes each of us a sincere apology that clearly acknowledges their miss-steps and the significant impact they had on their guests/clients/customers, and they owe each of us a refund based on a realistic analysis of how many headliner acts any one cruiser could have reasonably been expected to see given the timing of the various events (several major headliners overlapped each other each night) and the limited capacity of the venues. Try as I might, I didn’t even get to see one major headliner each night! I saw 3, and I was on that ship 7 days!
Speaking of that ship, the Getaway on Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL). The food was disgusting! I’ve had better meals, more carefully prepared and presented, in my cafeteria at work! The majority of the food clearly came from frozen and was just re-heated, or were sloppily thrown together one-dish meals designed to feed an army (or should I say a plantation?) Toast came 10 minutes after our omelettes, and generally our salads came out after the main entrees. The open, dine whenever and wherever you choose model didn’t fit my expectations of luxury dining on the high seas. The places where we had a decent meal (sushi and Japanese teppenyaki) required us to pay additional charges. It was worth it, because the food was edible and properly presented, but after paying over $2000, I should not have to spend an additional $20-30 a night just to have a good meal. The foodie in me just had to die this week, because Norwegian screwed the pooch all over the place when it came to food and customer service. I would hate to think that because it was a boat full of black folks that their service was not up to snuff, but hearing from others that NCL is not normally “that bad” gives me pause. And apparently NCL could not WAIT to get our black asses off their boat, because they took our bags, categorized by only 3 colors, and tossed them into the Customs Holding Area with no rhyme or reason, and then called “all colors” to disembark at practically the same time. Imagine thousands of people with several thousands of pieces of luggage, with nothing but a color code to attempt to find your luggage in a sea of people and porters. A high-holy mess! And we were told several times that NCL doesn’t normally handle their disembarkation this poorly.
This is already too long, but needless to say, Royal Caribbean has earned a loyalist for LIFE after this experience on NCL!
So, while it was nice to get away with great travel buddies (we know how to make our own fun), and the artists were incredibly gracious and for the most part approachable for photos and quick chats, I do feel that I was cheated out of the vacation I was anticipating. And for that, CJSC must answer and respond tangibly. #FixItCapitalJazz
This was my third cruise with the Capital Jazz organization and the question is, “Was the third time a Charm?” The above reviews are certainly detailed and convey that the celebration a major milestone anniversary calls for was not the momentous event it should have been. Of the shows I attended, hardly any of the performers acknowledged or congratulated Capital Jazz on celebrating their 10th anniversary! With all the drama of having to reserve shows, long lines, etc., maybe this mention was remiss? I’m not sure.
Once we boarded, we saw that lines had formed in front of the kiosk wall where we had to reserve our desired shows. I stood on the line for two hours. Individuals, as well as groups of friends/family, were standing at the screen for at least a half hour or more per group in order to reserve every single show they wanted to see. The process was ridiculous, to say the least.
This kiosk process was the devil!!
This football party/viewing would have either been on the pool deck or in a designated venue, and DJ Frances Jaye would have been here playing music, welcoming the cruisers were it on a Carnival Cruise Line. While they’re watching football (not appearing too happy about it), the other half of us were at the kiosk reserving shows…
Cruisers were pissed and threatened to get their money back from the 2017 cruise. Not me, I’d already paid a substantial amount of money and not sure by requesting a refund at this time would work since the regulation is when a refund request is not made by the 30 day deadline, the deposit is lost or only a portion of the deposit can be refunded, which I believe is pretty standard.
Clearly, Norwegian is not designed for a music-themed cruise. Comparing Norwegian to Carnival, the “ghetto ship” as I have heard it referred to, is well equipped to comfortably accommodate a music event as such.
The main theater on Carnival holds about 1500 where Norwegian’s theater only holds around 700—losing over half of the seats; by the way, were really uncomfortable with a wooden bar going across the back of the seat, causing a real pain in the ass–literally! On Carnival, there is a wide space between each row and a small table aside each seat for drinks, etc. Additionally, there’s enough space on the pool deck to accommodate a band and it could get crowded depending on the artist. The pool deck’s layout on The Norweigan Getaway could not properly accommodate a large crowd during the day where it would have otherwise taken place were it on Carnival.
Audrey Batts Watson, Capital Jazz’s former Fun Director wasn’t part of the organization this year and personally, I sorely missed her presence. There was a vast disconnect between the Capital Jazz staff and cruisers because folks were so upset. The staff wasn’t as friendly as they have been in the past because they took the brunt of the cruisers’ frustration. However, I along with the entire list of CJ cruisers (I am guessing) received an email from her stating she was with another company and it seems like Audrey will be organizing a music-themed cruise or more, sometime next year. There was a survey link included in the email that asked questions about what folks would like to see based on their prior cruising experience.
I want to believe that the Capital Jazz Organization, had good intent by upgrading to approximately 1500 cabins above what Carnival could accommodate for the 10th anniversary, but the compromise they made in order to do that failed. I am not sure of how the CJO spent 18 months planning for the 10th anniversary and did not foresee a problem with the layout of the ship’s venues and having to make reservations. The Getaway, yes, is a bigger ship but unable to entertain CJ cruisers as a cohesive unit. In addition to that, there were more venues to accommodate more artists (over 50 acts) but spaced out, and some acts were not even advertised. I thought this was too many artists given the fact that a host of good acts was simultaneously scheduled. Likewise, not advertised was Ingrid B. out of Miami with her group of Erotic Spoken Word Artists. I was excited about this because I discovered Ingrid B. on Myspace, and you know how long ago that was!. I had the chance to meet her and I really wanted to see the poets and managed to see two performances. As I said there were so many conflicting performances, my energy was high and I couldn’t sit there for longer than I did. The Soul Sessions was going on at the same time and that is one of my favorite events!
I didn’t see any of the six comedians—usually, three including Michael Colyear would perform in one night on Carnival’s main stage and that way, there was more of an opportunity to see all of their performances. A full band performed at the atrium every night which was a nice touch but again conflicted with other shows.
I am curious to see how the CJO is going to physically fix it this year. They offered each 2016 cruiser $300 off of 2017 and 2018 depending on which year they cruise to make amends, and also have cruisers make show reservations before the trip so that CJO can see just how many shows they will have to schedule. This was an exceptional gesture! Whether it came from Norwegian or Capital Jazz, I don’t care! I’m happy to say, that $600 discount off my balance came in handy!
Change is sometimes hard for folks, but I hope Capital Jazz Organization will consider everyone’s feedback and get back to the SuperCruise vibe the CJ cruisers have become accustomed to experiencing.
There’s my two cents! After reservation culture shock, I still had a great time!! And as you will see on the CJ highlights video at the end of this post, I wasn’t the only one!! On with the show…
Day 1
Sunday, Oct 23, 2016 Depart Miami, Florida
As many of you know, Incognito is tops of my favorite bands and there was no way I was going to miss them no matter how many times I’ve seen them perform! What was a sweet surprise and funny at the same time was that Chris Ballin joined Incognito on this tour and as Bluey set up introducing him, folks thought it was Maysa. If anyone knows Incognito’s Beneath the Surface, they would know that Bluey would not use this album to introduce her. As a matter of fact, Maysa needs no introduction. She simply walks onto the stage and there you have her!! So it was funny when Chris walks out onto the stage and to the audience’s surprise, it was not her. The people sitting close to us were truly disappointed! HA HA!!
Bluey, the band, Chris Ballin, Deborah Bond, and Vanessa Haynes
I hadn’t seen Jose James since the first time some years ago at BAM/MetroTech , Brooklyn. I’m overjoyed I saw his show! Jose sang and rapped a song by Gil Scott-Heron, I don’t know what the title was but he did a fantastic job on it and I’m mad at myself for not recording it. He blew the audience and me away with his tribute to Bill Withers. This one I got—check him out!!
Two bad musicians right here! Bassman, Stanley and guitarist, WaWa played for Jose James; caught them after the show.
It was a really big surprise to meet James Bing on the ship, assisting with cd sales from Mood’s Music out of Atlanta! And Brooklyn’s own DJ Spinna was delightful! I’m sure he gained plenty of new followers after his sets!
Day 2
Monday, Oct 24, 2016 Nassau, Bahamas
Shots of the early risers from the ship at breakfast
On the way over to the show
Jill Scott
A two for one; a show outside in the sun, getting my tan on (which by the way, burnt the mess out of my forehead!)
Angie Stone and Eric Benet
Angie Stone
Eric Benet
Our man, Troy “Sol” Edler on background vocals!
Check Spur of the Moment’s Wayne Bruce on guitar and Tim Steele on drums
Outfit of the Night! Couldn’t stay in these shoes, uh uh, too high but loved they way they made my muscle-esk legs stand out!
Four80East
Donnie so soulful-filling, how good it makes him and any other artist feel when the audience simply applauds for them!
Steve Smith, Lysette, and Donnie
Me and Donnie after he sweated himself out for the people…
Ok, so maybe not Donnie for the first 12 minutes or so, but I promise, you will love what comes before him!
Day 3
Tuesday, Oct 25, 2016 Fun Day At Sea!
All of this in one night!! I’m a trooper if I do say so myself! Four of the five below were going on around the same time!
Bilal
Cunninglinguist Erotic Poetry hosted by Ingrid B
The Soul Sessions hosted by Eric Roberson
I missed the Legends of Hip Hop Concert but was able to swing by the Kid Capri after party
Day 4
Wednesday, Oct 26, 2016 San Juan, Puerto Rico
The hubster and me upon arrival in Puerto Rico for a little shopping and authentic, salty Puerto Rican cuisine
Later on that evening we returned to the ship for a grand performance by these four superstars!
Patti Austin
BWB Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum, and Rick Braun
Nicole HenryandHill St Soul
Nicole Henry
Hil St. Soul
Black and White night photo shoot
Laura and Reggie
Day 5
Thursday, Oct 27, 2016 St. Kitts
What a day, what a day–and so much fun!!
I can get really complacent when it comes to venturing out to explore. Well, thank goodness for Laura and Linda for talking me into playing with the dolphins!
Afterward, we shopped a bit and hung around the bar until it was time to board.
Caught up with Jodine and Ingrid B. later on that evening
Karaoke
Dwele
Marcus Johnson
Soul Understated
Day 6 Friday, Oct 28, 2016 Fun Day At Sea!
Today, the last of my memory cards ran out (I had 5 cards: three 32 GB and two 16GB) and I needed a computer to transfer files from the storage card to my flash drive. ERRO came to the rescue and saved the day! Last year it was the battery and charger drama, this year the storage cards. Another lesson learned…
Sometime during the day…
D Maurice
D Maurice is finally standing in the front and the light is shining on him! I was so happy for DMo!
This band is the pure TRUTH!! Dre King, Samir Moulay, Chris Bynum, Antone “Chooky” Caldwell, Oweleo Lysette, and Steve Smith
Moonchild
Ledisi
The Mighty O’Jays
Day 7
Saturday, Oct 29, 2016 Fun Day At Sea!
Quite a bit was going this last full day on the ship, and for me, a bit of downtime since it rained–last day of sun spoiler!
Here’s the rundown:
I was determined to learn how to use the interval shooting feature on my camera! This feature allows you to be in the shot if you so choose…
So I chose to be in it!
Howard Hewitt
A performance of a band I do not recall at The Sugarcane Mojito Bar where Howard Hewett couldn’t help but get in on the action!
“Flight of Six” pretty mojitos for around $20 at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar
The Kid Capri
Kid Capri caused a major uproar, and people put a dent in that ship!
Marcus Johnson (bottom left) got his groove on too!
Here’s an overused phrase you will not hear from me, but “At the end of the day” it’s really all about the music and people having a great time. I sure did…
Here’s a quick look back!
Check out more performance videos and interviews by Jodine; hosts, Pat Prescott, Tony Richards and Lenny Green with the artists, provided by either Capital Jazz, the artists and or other cruisers.
By the way, Jodine Dorce has one of the best jobs on the cruise!
Kindred The Family Soul
Eric Roberson
Joey Sommerville
Regina Belle
Walter Beasley
Ken Ford
Brotherhood of Renowned Artists discussion featuring Larry Poncho Brown, Leroy Campbell, & Charles Bibbs
I wanted to make a couple of edits to this mix because I thought my voice could sound a bit more upbeat. Oh well, that wasn’t in the universe’s plan, as my hard drive that had all of my music and playlists on it, along with my master adobe lightroom (editing app for photographers) folder with all of my previews in it, etc. died. I’ll go into further details in another post.
There’s a refreshing newness to the artists’ interpretation of these songs while making them their own, in a style, I am all for! I really enjoy rummaging through my music library and finding little gems like the ones listed below. I have so much more that I will share, so stay tuned! Lastly, there are links to the artists’ website or another site that gives more info on them. You may already be familiar with the couple where there is no link–they were pretty popular in their heyday 🙂
As always, do enjoy and any feedback is greatly appreciated.
1. Dwele – That’s The Way of the World/EWF
2. Calvin Richardson – All This Love/El DeBarge
3. Portrait – How Deep is Your Love/The Bee Gees
4. Diane Reeves – Just My Imagination/The Temptations
5. Ol School f/Xscape & Keith Sweat – Am I Dreaming/Atlantic Starr
6. Silk – Ebony Eyes/ Rick James/Smokey Robinson
7. Juewett Bostick f/Jean Carne – I Can’t Tell You Why/The Eagles
8. Mad Satta f/Joanna Teters – The Makings of You/Curtis Mayfield
9. Martin Luther – Sara Smile/Hall & Oats
10. Marva King – Baby This Love I Have/Minnie Riperton
11. Slakah The Beatchild – Don’t Go/Mary J. Blige
12. Lewis Taylor – Stop, Look & Listen/The Stylistics
13. Zo! f/YahZarah – Perfect Angel/Minnie Riperton
14. Zo! f/Anthony David – Barry White Playing Your Game, Baby
15. The Decoders f/Alex Isley – What’Cha Gonna Do for Me/Chaka Khan
What I am about to say may shock some of you but I was not a big fan of Prince, however, I always respected him as an artist. There, I said it! The songs played on the radio were catchy and I had my favorites like Adore, Kiss, Purple Rain and When Doves Cry. I purchased one of Prince’s album and that was Diamonds and Pearls because I loved Rosie Gaines’nvoice on the title track. I also loved Gett Off and Insatiable. Not until he passed, I had no idea he published 39 albums and wrote popular songs for a host of other artists.
Nevertheless, I was a nervous wreck when I heard on the radio that there was a dead body in his home They hadn’t confirmed who it was, and I was pissed they were playing Prince’s music like he was already gone. Minutes later the news came that is was indeed his body. Tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Like everyone else, I was in total shock. Since his passing, I have immersed myself in videos of his live performances because I never had the experience of seeing him in concert, although I had all intentions the next time he came to town. Viewing his live concert videos is like I’m right there in the audience—it’s the next best thing to being there at this point! Yes, I know, I missed out big time!
On another note, being a member of the Valentine’s Day, Cupid’s Hunt Collaboration has made me feel like a family member and I am ecstatic my Sista Jolene “called my name” to request a SeXXXy Love mix featuring Prince! It’s good to know that my music mixes are reaching people! Thank you, Jolene, for testing me; I surprised myself by rising to the occasion so quickly!
In my search for tracks to include in the mix, I was surprised to find so much of Prince’s music in my library, I didn’t even realize I had. I totally slept on this music other than what the radio played. I can say that within the past three months or so, 1000 x’s and o’s has been in constant rotation on New York’s WBLS, and I instantly fell in love with it! I knew his voice sounded familiar but didn’t know it was him until I Shazammed the song—it all made perfect sense, and I was mad at myself for not figuring it was him.
A couple of the tracks I selected have the blues written all over them while also taking on a nice nasty, sweet and spicy kinda feel along with a bit of good ole soul and gospel! I was pleased to find such beautiful songs I hadn’t heard before. Thanks to my other son, Marques I included The Greatest Romance Ever Sold, The Neptunes Remix which hit me in the right spot and had to add it. I don’t usually select songs for my mixes that are regularly played on radio programs unless they fit into my theme or I really love them. Therefore, I chose a specific selection to showcase SeXXXy Love and It’s Complicated because all of the songs are SeXXXy and some of the lyrics in certain tracks involve complicated situations. It was really good to find these tracks, as I love a good and undercover nasty love song that has a funky and soulful beat to it.
Here’s an emotional read from my other Cupid’s Hunt Podcast Collaboration Sista, Calandra’s reaction to Prince’s death.
Do enjoy and let me know what you think!
Shhh
Call My Name
Manadatory Credit: Photo by Brian Rasic / Rex Features (396812dh) PRINCE VARIOUS
Adore (Live)
FILE – In this Aug. 9, 2011 file photo, U.S. musician Prince performs during his concert at the Sziget Festival on the Shipyard Island, northern Budapest, Hungary. The enigmatic star flew into London on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014, at the start of a still-evolving string of dates in support of forthcoming album “Plectrum Electrum,” recorded with all-female trio 3RDEYEGIRL. (AP Photo/MTI, Balazs Mohai, File) HUNGARY OUT
Insatiable
On The Couch
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 27: Musician Prince performs onstage at the 2006 BET Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on June 27, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
The Dance
How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore
Satisfied
What it Feels Like
Gett Off
Breakfast Can Wait
Incense and Candles
Mr. Goodnight
1000 X’s and O’s
The Greatest Romance Ever Been Sold (The Neptunes Remix)
Come On
Here’s a moving story about Prince from Youtube sensation, Shameless Maya
Hubby and I commemorated our 25th wedding anniversary in November 2015 and just couldn’t figure out how we should celebrate. Until… My sister told me she was going to this classic soul music-filled weekend. I told her it sounded familiar and when I saw the promo video, BAM!! There it was.
The ALL INCLUSIVE Weekend of Parties, Food, Fun, and Entertainment provided by Voice Distributions & The Sessoms Group I’d heard about for years–since ONUTSS days. Yeah, I know. I will soon tell you all about ONUTSS!
This was a wonderful follow-up to the Capital Jazz Super Cruise 2015 as we had just returned from a few weeks earlier. Luckily the organization still had room so we booked the 9th R&B Classic Soul Weekend right away.
We had a lovely time being submerged in music once again! The weekend started on Friday once we arrived in Hershey PA at the Hershey Lodge and checked in, which by the way was the best check-in I’ve ever experienced! When we reached the counter we gave them our names and they, in turn, provided us with an envelope that contained our keys to the room, and to top it off a Hershey chocolate bar. That was it! No credit card hold, registration or anything else. Off to our room, we explore to find a beautiful room with an interior door that led to the outside where there was room for parking and a bench, which was a nice touch but the folks sitting on it 3:00 am had no idea they were interrupting precious sleep right in front of the room’s window .
The Hershey Lodge had an extremely warm and homely feel to it. The staff was friendly and the rooms and building overall were really comfortable. The Hershey Kisses theme was all over the place–from the building’s entrance to the wallpaper in the bathroom!
With such an abundance of people in attendance for this Classic R&B Weekend event, it was amazing that the attendees didn’t take up all of the rooms. There were plenty of families there to enjoy the Hershey Lodge offerings as well.
Friday night entertainment consisted of up and coming artists, comedy, and DJ sets. Seven acts were on tap for Saturday in addition to the banquet and recognition. Since we had a late brunch, we came in at the tail end of the banquet and missed dinner. By the time the last act came on (Tavares) we needed to eat. I looked forward to seeing them but we had to catch the restaurant before midnight closing. Now this part I think the organization could have split the performances between Friday and Saturday. It was really long to sit for seven acts in a row.
And may I say, the band that played for all of the artists, I believe, was outstanding! Wish I could tell you who they were…
One of the hosts, don’t know his name.
Meli’sa Morgan
I enjoyed Mel’sa’s performance, she engages the audience and as you can see, she wanted to be close to them!
That’s Meli’sa’s fiance in the bowtie
Shirley Jones and The Jones Girls
Shirley still sounds good and the assistant vocalists were right on point! Vonetta or Fonetta Baker (I couldn’t understand which one is her name and googled it but no luck) Anissa Hargrove (the only reason I got her is because she has her own project), and Shontell (couldn’t make out her last name). If anyone knows who these ladies are please let us know. Shirley gave them their shine as they were all soul stirring and well deserved. Check out Anissa “Twinky” Hargrove and listen to a few of Anissa’s Snippets on Soundcloud
The Jones Girls (Shirley Jones, original member)
Blue Magic
They blew my mind–and hubby’s too as you will hear, lol. They were in great form although one of them was in a car accident over that weekend and still insisted on performing. I don’t know his name but he is the third one who entered onto the stage with an assistant. They gave us a stellar performance! In my humble opinion, I think the producers should have saved the best for last! But then again, I would have missed all of this GOODNESS!
Billy Paul
Eighty years young and his performance was a pleasure to experience for the first time! The organization had five years worth of scheduling conflicts booking Mr. Paul, so indeed it was a blessing to have finally booked him for this event. Sadly, Billy Paul passed away on April 26, 2016
Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes
They were snoozers and performed most of Teddy Pendergrass’ hits; they should have gone on first.
The Emotions
By the time The Emotions hit the stage, it was just about time to hop over to the restaurant and “throw some groceries down my neck”! (LOL, Quote from the movie, Smokey and the Bandit LOL). The little of their performance I caught, they were ok.
Tavares
Tavares closed the show, and I missed a good portion of their performance. After dinner, I rushed back to the venue and caught the last couple of songs 😦 I missed them perform my song, “Check It Out”!
Cupid’s Hunt 2016 was so much fun, it’s a shame Valentine’s Day comes but once a year. Well I’m extending it with the eleventh installment of SeXXXy Love!
I couldn’t help myself, mixed in one night. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
It is truly an honor to be part of this collaboration of podcasters and DJs since 2011!! I must say that although I am not a professional, my skills have excelled in ways I would have never imagined. I have a long way to go but nevertheless totally enjoying my journey.
This mix must have known it was a special one because it gave me some issues exporting it. I had to try it four times before it was acceptable to publish!
So here it is…Enjoy!!
SeXXXy – Love X
Maxwell – Til the Cops Come Knockin (extended version)
Prince – Insatiable (rare version)
Improm2 – I’ll Do Whatever
Glen Scott – Deep In It
Ty Causey – Love Me that Way
Janita – Angel Eyes
Faith Evans – Make Love
Liv Warfield – Your Show
Jonathan Maron – Natural High
Jade – When Will I See You Again (Intro)
Janita – I Only Want You
The Sight of Sound by Sista Suga 