Hamilton’s Leslie Odom, Jr. Joins The Line-Up Of Grammy And Tony Award Winning Artists Performing On Blue Note At Sea ’18
Leslie Odom, Jr., best known for his role as Aaron Burr in the Broadway smash hit Hamilton, for which he took home both a Tony (for Best Actor in a Musical) and a Grammy (for Best Musical Theater Album), is set to bring his jazz chops to the forefront when he performs with his band on Blue Note at Sea ’18. The New York Times has described Odom’s style as “tender jazz vocals with flashes of adult-contemporary R&B.”
“Securing Leslie Odom, Jr. for the cruise is very exciting for us,” says Entertainment Cruise Productions President Michael Lazaroff. “He is an amazing talent and his fame from Hamilton makes him one of the most sought after performers in the genre.”
The Blue Note at Sea ’18 lineup collectively features winners of 48 Grammys and 2 Tony Awards. The cruise also features 4 NEA Jazz Masters (the highest award in jazz), all of whom are sailing on the cruise for the first time. These four illustrious performers are among the most celebrated jazz artists of our time: 22-time Grammy winner and NEA Jazz Master Chick Corea, NEA Jazz Master Charles Lloyd, triple Grammy and Tony Award-winner Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Dr. Lonnie Smith.
Blue Note at Sea will sail on Celebrity Summit from January 27 – February 3, 2018, departing from Ft. Lauderdale, with ports of call in San Juan, St. Thomas, Coco Cay (Bahamas) and Labadee (Haiti.)
Legendary saxophonist (and Blue Note recording artist) Charles Lloyd will join the cruise in St. Thomas with his band The Marvels – Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz, Reuben Rogers and Eric Harland. Smith, a Hammond B-3 guru, has been featured on over seventy albums, and has recorded and performed with a virtual “Who’s Who” of the greatest jazz, blues and R&B giants in the industry, including George Benson and Norah Jones. Both Smith and Bridgewater, who won a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for The Wiz, joined the ranks of NEA Jazz Masters at the April 3 induction ceremony.
Blue Note at Sea ’18 will again be hosted by multi-Grammy winning bassist Marcus Miller. Other Grammy-winning artists who will be returning are Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway and David Sanborn. In addition to performing with his own group, multi-Grammy winner Glasper will also be appearing with the Blue Note All Stars, an incredible sextet of young visionaries who first formed in 2014 to celebrate Blue Note’s 75th Anniversary. The band features Glasper along with his label-mates Ambrose Akinmusire, Lionel Loueke, Marcus Strickland, Derrick Hodge and Kendrick Scott.
2017 marked the initial sailing of Blue Note at Sea, a nautical musical collaboration between Blue Note Records, Blue Note Jazz Clubs and Entertainment Cruise Productions. Don Was, president of Blue Note Records and a three time Grammy winning producer, has called this three-way production team “the dream team of jazz at sea.” With his expertise and direction, the production and programming savvy offered by Steven Bensusan and his team at Blue Note Jazz Clubs and the 17 years of jazz cruises produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions, Was’ description seems apt. Both Don Was and Bensusan will also participate on the cruise. Was will emcee several events and will interview many of the performers and Bensusan will host the Blue Note Jazz Club at Sea, a gorgeous late night venue that offers cabaret style seating in the tradition of his many Blue Note Jazz Clubs.
From stunning main shows to their signature Night Music events to Late, Late Night shows and jam sessions, Blue Note at Sea defines what is new and hip in the world of jazz while also retaining and respecting those aspects of the genre that have made jazz one of the true enduring musical styles around the world. For more information about the cruise program, go to www.bluenoteatsea.com.
