Jam Cruise 21: These Are A Few Of Our Favorite Things (So Far) [B.Getz on L4LM]

February 18, 2025February 22, 2025 B.Getz

originally published on Live For Live Music

After a bit of a production delay getting things started, boat veterans Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe kicked things off with the ceremonial “Sailaway” set as Jam Cruise 21 left the port of Miami on Friday, February 14th. Unveiling a tight, driving set of high-octane dance music, Denson & Company blazed through classics like “How Fine is That?”, and a revamped “Rise & Shine”. Auxiliary vocalist Danielle Barker shined bright early and often, leaving the crowd stunned/screaming on several occasions. KDTU special guests included guitarist Vaylor Trucks and Greyboy All-Stars organist Robert Walter who blessed the afrobeat banger “Elephants Are Big As Hell”. Late in the performance, Lettuce keyboardist/vocalist Nigel Hall joined in on his solo cut “Wake Me”, as well as “You Remind Me”.

Another annual Jam Cruise mainstay, hip-hop funksters Lettuce delivered a thorough throwdown in the Pantheon Theater to shift gears into overdrive. The band tore through their own “Monorail 3000” and James Brown’s iconic “The Big Payback”, and later on the confident krewe dosed cruisers with a trippy combo in “Insta Classic” > “Purple Cabbage”. Late in the set, Big Chief Donald Harrison slid through for some sax on Kool & The Gang’s “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight”, followed by a fiery freestyle from Chali 2na on a titanic “Trapezoid”.

Lettuce, Chali 2na — Freestyle — Jam Cruise 21

[Video: dmonshaw]

Boston’s long-running eclectic ensemble Club d’Elf made a monumental first impression at the tiny Brews-At-Sea Stage across the pool deck. Spearheaded by visionary bandleader Mike Rivard (bass guitar, sintir), Club d’Elf was nothing short of sensational, boasting an all-star lineup that included keyboardist Amy Bellamy, guitarists Will Bernard and lespecial’s Jonny G, percussionist Neal “Fro” Evans from Dopapod, along with d’Elf regulars Mister Rourke (turntables) and Dean Johnston (drums). The swollen squad sparked “mad izm”, taking a sizable crowd of enraptured cruisers on a fantastic voyage deep into meditative Moroccan grooves that left dancers in a blissful trance. Club d’Elf at your service!

Late night in the Jam Room, the magic goes down and anything is possible. For the first installment, the proceedings were hosted by Dumpstaphunk trombonist Alex Wasily, who employed his Very Good Mondays concept to the similarly-conceived Jam Room modus operandi. As per VGM tradition, no cover songs were tolerated, and the musicians assembled were challenged to improvise on the spot, all night long. Players came and went throughout the unrelenting torrent of furious styles. Co-conspirators included Nate Edgar, Nick Cassarino, and Nikki Glaspie of The Nth Power, Eric “Benny” Bloom and Adam Deitch from Lettuce, Robert Walter, members of boat newcomers The Psychodelics, Sneezy, and more.

Jam Cruise 21, Day Two

Day two of Jam Cruise 21 began with Seattle’s sprawling Polyrhythmics for an early afternoon set on the MSC Divina‘s scorching pool deck. The crew was heartily welcomed back by the boat faithful with an attentive, dancing crowd of sizable strength and energy, which the band matched with a streamlined, focused set that kept the feet movin’ in the oppressive midday sun. Highlights included a reconnection with Seattle native saxophonist Skerik, a massive horn section via MarchFourth Marching Band, and a steamy sit-in from the scintillating Shira Elias (Cool Cool Cool).

Shira could also be found lighting up the pool deck with her pals The Nth Power, who uncorked an ecstatic, emotional tour de force just after sunset. The Nth Power mostly stuck to its own catalog, debuting a new original with Shira as well as inviting her out with Courtney J’Mell Smith for a heart-filling segment that began with a reimagined “Only Love”, a detour through some holy ghost gospel, and a militant romp through Bob Marley’s “War > No More Trouble”, before swerving back to “Only Love” to bring it on home.

After a spellbinding set from Kanika Moore in the Atrium, the Pantheon Theater kicked off night two with lespecial, who is making its second appearance on Jam Cruise. The three amigos previewed a diabolical new doom-metal scorcher in “Disassociate”, and primarily dabbled in material from the band’s 2020 masterpiece Ancient Homies. Bassist Luke Bemand addressed the elephant in the room from jumpstreet, joking that if drummer Rory Dolan had been selected for Primus, a major lawsuit was in the works. Midway through, lespecial invited its “Jazz Dad” Mike Dillon to join in on vibraphone and vocals to complete the Fackin’ A quartet, a project originally born right here on the boat two years ago. Late in the performance, the guys welcomed Skerik and Alex Wasily for The Special’s seminal dub-drenched ditty “Ghost Town”, before finishing strong with tectonic original “Tonberry”.

A tough scheduling traffic jam early evening forced me to split up Snarky Puppy’s pool deck performance with half of Mildlife’s steezy service in the Black & White Lounge. The multi-talented Eric “Benny” Bloom once again commandeered the Jazz Lounge a little before midnight. Benny led a bionic band consisting of Beantown bullies Amy and Aaron Bellamy (keys and bass, respectively), guitarist Nick Cassarino (The Nth Power), and drummer Alfred Jordan Jr. (KDTU). The highlight of this session was the erotic “Girl” (The Internet feat. Kaytranada), a Benny-sung bop that melted every last heart in the lounge with ethereal textures and unrepentant eroticism. To close out this smoke show, Lettuce’s Adam Deitch took over Jordan’s kit for a bubonic version of Dynasty’s “Adventures In the Land of Music”, best recognized as the sample from Camp Lo’s “Luchini AKA This is It”.

Eric “Benny” Bloom, Skerik, Alex Wasily, More — “Electric Relaxation” (A Tribe Called Quest) — Jam Cruise 21

[Video: Tiny Rager NYC]

STS9 was back on the boat after over a decade, delighting both dedicated Jam Cruisers and fervent Sector 9 devotees alike. The band’s first performance ran a little late on the pool deck night one, causing the first of many scheduling conflicts; the set was punctuated by a massive sit-in from Karl Denson, who blessed Bob James‘ “Nautilus” with searing saxophone stylings. STS9 then segued into a smooth reading of Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved”, quite an appropriate message on Valentine’s Day. Saturday night’s heater in the Pantheon Theater leveled up considerably, the sextet taking full advantage of the tremendous acoustics to unspool a thrilling joyride that began with a perfectly placed “Tonight the Ocean Swallowed the Moon”, which segued into “Poseidon”. A massive version of “March” followed suit, as well as a strong take on the ever-prescient “Shock Doctrine.” Another standout selection was “Sun, Moon, and Stars”, and the band finished its early-boat two-fer with a euphoric run through “When the Dust Settles”.

Check out a selection of photos and videos from days one and two of Jam Cruise 21. Stay tuned for Live For Live Music‘s coverage from onboard the MSC Divina.

BERTHA — “Bertha” (Grateful Dead) — Jam Cruise 21

[Video: Tiny Rager NYC]

Sammi Garett & Friends — “Sunrise” — Jam Cruise 21

[Video: Tiny Rager NYC]

MarchFourth Marching Band — Jam Cruise 21 — Partial Video

[Video: Tiny Rager NYC]

Pink Talking Fish, Joni Finkle — “Funkytown” (Lipps Inc.) > “The Great Gig In The Sky” (Pink Floyd) — Jam Cruise 21

[Video: dmonshaw]

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