Photos by Laura Carbone
The thirty-fourth sailing of the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise is set to rock the seas again. Holland America’s premiere cruise ship the MS Nieuw Statendam sets sail from Ft. Lauderdale to ports in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, filled with seafaring blues lovers and Elmore photographer Laura Carbone. The festival grounds is the Caribbean, and the sun never sets on live performances.
With five stages and over 100 shows by nearly 40 artists during the seven-day cruise. This year boasts old favorites like Taj Mahal, Tab Benoit and Tommy Castro, two of this year’s Blues Grammy Nominees, Sugaray Rayford and Jontavious Willis, rock blues icons, Kenny Wayne Shepard and Anna Popovic, young hip artists Vanessa Collier , Nick Schnebelen and the California Honeydrops, big bands with Victor Wainwright and the Train, Zydeco with Terrance Simien, acoustic blues with John Hammond, Hadden Sayers and Guy Davis, traditional favorites with Larry McCray, Ruthie Foster, Nick Moss, Albert Cummings and Thornetta Davis, among many others. special guests Anne Harris, John Nemeth, Dave Gross and Shari Puorto and last year’s International Blues Challenge Winner Ms. High C & the Fresh Start.
Between a pro midnight jam on the pool deck and a post 2AM Soul Lounge Jam with Chuck Barber, it is not uncommon to be toasting the sunrise with an encore playing in the Crow’s Nest. No tuxedoes here, cruisers bring their blue wig or Mardi Gras beads for the theme nights or a mermaid tail for the Sea Creatures’ parade. Classes feature Gumbo-making with Terrance Simien or a guitar master class with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and lectures by respected music historians Bob Porter, Art Tipaldi and Dick Shurman. Blues rockers bring guitars and shred strings with the pros at the Pro-Am Jams. See if Laura Carbone’s photo will make you look like a pro.
There is no VIP class on this boat, everyone is equal, and everyone has a backstage pass. Get up to the front of any stage, hang out with the artists at the bars, dine with them at midnight at the Lido buffet and attend the meet and greet autograph signing sessions. A silent auction of signed instruments, vintage posters and collectable music swag on the last day offers memento madness. The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise (Motto: “Our Ship Kicks Ass!”) sets sail twice a year.
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