[Dixielandjazz] Cruise Crew Musicians

[Gluetje1 at aol.com]

Generally speaking I am very impressed with the caliber of musicianship of  
those employed by the cruise lines.  Speculate that it might be a very good  
way for an unattached, free-to-roam younger individual to get some  chops.  
Would not think it would hold much appeal as a career choice  though.  Some are 
apparently employed to provide a specific  genre, example: strictly classical.  
Others expected to wear many  different hats.  A couple of years ago on a 
generic trans-atlantic cruise,  the ship's program specified a Dixie Jazz group in 
one of the lounges at  cocktail hour.  It was the crew musicians complete 
with fake books--my  recall is clarinet, tenor sax, trumpet, piano, and electric 
bass.  They  were frustrated and working hard to play what they thought would 
sound like  Dixie, but just could not stay away from trying to bop--especially 
the piano  & clarinet.  Then the train would be veering off the track, the  
discomfort of one or more of the group obvious, and they would lurch back--I'm  
talking about tunes of the Bill Bailey type.  But I bet there were  less than 
a dozen of in the audience to hear them and I don't  think the audience would 
have been any greater had they been a premier  Dixie Band.  Like I said it 
was a generic cruise, maybe majority  European & Candadian passener list, very 
diverse passenger age range.
 
The marketing plan of some major cruise lines is almost totally  refocused on 
today's young people and young families.  So the musician who  wants to work 
for the cruise lines needs to consider that in applying.   It's a smart move 
on the part of the cruise lines since it is much less labor  intensive and 
therefore far less expensive to give the young a  cruise experience they will 
value than it is the aged.  We seniors are  often far more demanding, many of us 
need ample extra assistance, etc.  My  point is we are more expensive to 
provide a cruise experience for.
 
I did my first cruise out of NYC on Italian lines in 1965.  An elegant  
experience!  From 1967 until 1991--no cruises.  1991 still resembled  the '60's 
cruises.  Cruises in this decade are in the main (on the bounding  main) a very 
different thing.  Holland American whom the agent uses for  JazzSea making some 
choices that will keep them more in that "old" mold.   Few facts--mostly my 
opinions.
Ginny   



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