Jambands Find An Audience At Sea
F O R T L A U D E R D A L E, Fla., Jan. 23, 2004 -- A floating Woodstock? Mardi Gras atsea? Those aren't the typical descriptions of vacations on a cruiseship, but many passengers on two charter sailings featuring live,improv-heavy music said that's how it was.
"It was the real Love Boat. It was a lovefest," said SteveBate, a long-haired real estate agent from Wellington, Fla., aftergetting off the ship.
The Jam Cruises brought together more than a dozen so-calledjambands and disc jockeys ranging from Les Claypool of Primus tothe New Orleans-flavored Rebirth Brass Band. Most are known fortheir free-form, improvisational jams, which brought out about2,000 passengers who are usually more comfortable in Birkenstocksthan in cramped cabins.
The music helps lure people who normally think of cruises as astuffy luxury for the rich. Jessica Brooks had never been on onebefore and found the personal attention a little unusual.
"We came to dinner the first night. It's a formal dining room.They pull the chair out for you, they put the napkin on your lap,"said Brooks, 24, a graduate student from Fayetteville, Ark., whowent on a Jam Cruise. "We don't typically go to those kind ofrestaurants."
Ship-Swaying Jams
Two four-day cruises were chartered on an Imperial MajestyCruise Line ship. They left in early January, using Fort Lauderdaleas a home port and making stops in the Bahamas and Key West. Eachcruise had more than a dozen bands, with music including jazz,rock, electronic dance, funk and fusion. Concerts were held intheaters or poolside under the sun and DJs spun sets in a club.Many artists played together in impromptu jam sessions thatsometimes lasted until around dawn.
"We had a hell of a jam session.… Like 50 musicians on onestage, just going for it," said Philip Frazier, the Rebirth BrassBand's tuba player. Frazier, 37, said the swaying of the ship evenhelped people get into the groove and dance. The floating music festival concept isn't new. The LegendaryRhythm & Blues Cruise first sailed in 1992 and Taj Mahal, IkeTurner and others have played on board. Carnival Cruise Lines hasoffered a ship to the Rock Boat for the past three years, featuringcollege rock acts such as Sister Hazel and Cowboy Mouth.
One of the appeals of the trips is that passengers get to meettheir favorite musicians.
"Usually, you go see a band, they go backstage and you don'thave any contact with them. But on this trip… you're hanging outwith them. You're eating dinner next to them. You're watching themrun around with their kids or their wives," said Brooks.
Musicians also enjoy getting to be around their fans.
"Taj Mahal is sometimes the first person on the dance floor,"said Roger Naber, managing partner of the Blues Cruise.
Many are also drawn by the possibility of a one-time jam sessionamong eclectic musicians who usually wouldn't play together.Organizers have recorded some of the spontaneous songs to possiblyrelease them.
All-Night Partying
The Jam Cruises attracted mostly people in their 20s and 30s,many coming for all-day and all-night partying. That usually isn'tpossible on the theme sailings that cruise lines have run fordecades, because the ship is shared with regular vacationers whoaren't keen on carousing until 6 a.m.
With the young crowd and music known for an anything-goesattitude, the question of drug use comes up. Even Jam Cruisepromotional material says "anything is possible in internationalwaters" and people on an Internet message board make veiledreferences to drugs on board.
But Imperial Majesty President Arthur M. Pollack said that thepolicies were in place to monitor drug use, which he said is apossibility on any cruise. Organizers are also taking a risk at a time when tourism isstill recovering from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and atough economy for jobs. Andy Levine, who manages Sister Hazel andorganizes the Rock Boat, said it costs about $1 million to chartera cruise ship.
Levine said he broke even the first year and has begun to makemoney. Josh Moore, who helped Jam Cruise creator Mark Brownorganize the trips, said they hoped to at least break even.
The three cruises range from about $500 to $2,900 per person,depending on cabin size, and include meals. But partiers beware:alcoholic drinks and gambling are not included, so bring extramoney to indulge.
The next Blues Cruise leaves Feb. 7 from Tampa and the Rock Boatdeparts Oct. 7 from Miami. No date has been set for next year's JamCruise.
If You Go…
"ROCK BOAT" CRUISE: Oct. 7 to 11, Miami to Grand Cayman.Cabins starting at $499. For details, visit www.therockboat.com. BLUES CRUISE: The Feb. 7 cruise is sold out. For informationabout the 2005 cruise or for more information, contact (888)BLUESIN or visit www.bluescruise.com. JAM CRUISE: Contact (303) 544-0191 or visit www.jamcruise.com.