is considered by many to be the world’s top jazz organist, he also plays piano but it’s his association with his Hammond B3 that makes him renowned.  His mother was the major musical influence in his childhood.  He then formed a long-term partnership with George Benson on guitar, however he has now produced over 30 albums under his own name.  In 1967 he met Lou Donaldson and they recorded many albums for Blue Note.  Lonnie has also performed at prominent Jazz Festivals with Grover Washington Jr, Ron Carter, Dizzy Gillespie and of course Lou Donaldson.  He has also played with many greats outside jazz; Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Etta James.  He calls himself “Doctor” and wears a turban to all his shows for “No Particular Reason”.  We have every reason to welcome him back - he is wonderful!

Phil Woods
 This dynamic, world revered saxophonist, flutist in fact nearly all wind instruments, is back again by public demand. Phil is also a composer, arranger, bandleader and jazz genius. He is now writing his own compositions, so you can be some of the first to hear them. Not only is Phil an award winning performer but one of the best entertainers you will see in a long while. He is also a huge fan of our dynamic young Grace Kelly. Watch out for these two!

Paulinho Garcia
Born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Paulinho began his musical career at the age of 9 he was singing in a Sunday children’s show for the city’s principle radio station. Until his arrival in the US in 1979 he performed and produced his own radio commercials, four of which received national awards. After his move to Chicago, he was the recipient of the Best Jazz Entertainer award for the year 2001 by the Chicago Music Awards. Paulinho has toured the world and performed for us before with Greg Fishman, Two For Brazil. We are delighted he is joining us this year, he will be performing tracks from his new CDs Tempo Feliz and Two for Brazil Goes to the Movies. His voice is like silk.


Junior Mance

 This well loved pianist is known for his soulful, bluesy style, but he is also excellent at playing bop standards. He has been playing professionally since he was ten. He has played with the who?s who in jazz but in the early 60s he formed his own trio and has been a leader ever since. Junior has been inducted into The Jazz Hall of Fame, which is indeed well deserved. Junior will feature Jackie Williams on drums. We can't wait to welcome this charming gentleman back to our 9th Annual Jazz Party At Sea.



Stu Katz 

Stu Katz has been a performing jazz pianist and vibraphonist since the mid-50’s. Over his long career, Stu has appeared in numerous public venues, principally Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase in Chicago, with many renowned musicians including Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Art Farmer, Bud Freeman, Dexter Gordon, Roy Haynes, Milt Jackson, "Philly" Joe Jones, James Moody, Rufus Reid, Zoot Sims, Ira Sullivan and Sonny Stitt. In 1990, Stu toured Switzerland and Italy with a quartet led by alto saxophonist and long-time collaborator, Bunky Green.  In 1993, he led his own quintet at the Aspen Jazz Festival.  In addition to having performed at nine Chicago Jazz Festivals, Stu has been featured on five previous AJPAS Jazz Cruises (most recently in 2008).

Dana Hall


DANA HALL We should use his full title, Professor Dana Hall. This wonderful drummer and jazz educator has been dominant on the international music scene since the early 90?s. The artists that Dana has performed, recorded and toured with are extensive. To name but a few: Ray Charles, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Slide Hampton, Joe Williams, Bud Shank, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Mulgrew Miller , Roy Hargrove and our own Phil Woods. He is also a memeber of the Terell Stafford Quintet and Music Director of the Chicago Jazz Ensemble amongst many other institutions. He is absolutely world class and we are very honoured to welcome him to our 9th Annual Jazz Party at sea

Larry Gray 

Bassist Larry Gray demonstrates an impressive versatility and an uncommon musical curiosity.  Throughout the years he has worked, toured, and/or recorded with such jazz legends as Bobby Hutcherson, Clark Terry, McCoy Tyner, Jack DeJohnette, Benny Golson, Kenny Burrell, Joe Williams, James Moody, and Frank Wess, among others.  In addition, Larry was a featured bassist with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, principal bassist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and served as a substitute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is a first-call studio musician, and his playing can be heard on many commercial radio and television jingle and studio projects. A  Professor of Double Bass in Jazz Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, he currently works with pianist Ramsey Lewis while maintaining a busy freelancing schedule. Welcome back Larry.

Donald Harrison
Donald played saxophone with Art Blakey’s Jazz messengers in the 80’s and co-led a group with fellow New Orleanian Terence Blanchard for many years.  He is being called “one of the most important musicians of the new millennium” by CBS.  He is the originator of the Nouveau Swing Style, which is the freshest thing to come out of New Orleans in years.  He produces, writes, sings and plays many different instruments. His playing credits include: Roy Haynes, Jack McDuff, McCoy Tyner, Nat Adderley, Miles Davis and Lena Horne, the list is endless. Through his talent Donald has developed into one of the most significant artists to emerge in the last 20years.

Eric Alexander
Boasting a warm, finely burnished tone and a robust melodic and harmonic imagination, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander has been exploring new musical worlds from the outset. He started out on piano as a six-year-old, took up clarinet at nine, switched to alto sax when he was 12, and converted to tenor when jazz became his obsession during his one year at the University of Indiana, Bloomington (1986-87). At William Paterson College in New Jersey he advanced his studies under the tutelage of Harold Mabern, Joe Lovano, Rufus Reid, and others. "The people I listened to in college are still the cats that are influencing me today," says Alexander. "Monk, Dizzy, Sonny Stitt, Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean, Joe Henderson--the legacy left by Bird and all the bebop pioneers, that language and that feel, that's the bread and butter of everything I do. Eric has appeared in many capacities on record, including leader, sideman, producer as well as composing a number of the tunes he records. By now, Alexander has lost count of how many albums feature his playing; he guesses 60 or 70. While he has garnered critical acclaim from every corner, what has mattered most has been to establish his own voice within the illustrious bop-based jazz tradition.

Bobby Watson Quintet with Terell Stafford, Larry Willis, Curtis Lundy and Eric Kennedy

A saxophonist, composer, producer and educator, Bobby Watson has been a first-call musician for nearly three decased. He is immensely talented and has recorded more than 100 original compositions. He was the musical director the Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, the group, created in 1955 by late drummer, who died in 1990, showcased a rotating cast who eventually became consistent members of a who’s who of modern jazz. After completing his tenure as a Jazz Messenger (1977-1981), the gifted Watson became a much-sought after musician, working along the way with a potpourri of notable musicians, peers, elder statesmen and colleagues including, but not limited to: drummers Max Roach and Louis Hayes, fellow saxophonists George Coleman and Branford Marsalis, celebrated multi-instrumentalist Sam Rivers and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. In addition to working with a variety of instrumentalists, Watson has served in a supporting roll for a number of distinguished and stylistically varied vocalists including: Joe Williams, Dianne Reeves, Lou Rawls, Betty Carter, and Carmen Lundy. Welcome aboard!

Deborah Brown
This sensational Kansas City born singer has literally wowed the world with her magnificent voice. It seems there isn’t a country Deborah has not toured in. She has recorded 11 albums as leader and featured in numerous other recordings as special guest soloist. She has bowled us over at previous Annual Jazz Parties At Sea and is back with that wonderful big voice and great sense of humor. She has sung and recorded with Clark Terry, The Basie Band, Ed Thigpen, Benny Golson etc. etc. She has been known for her late night jam sessions aboard the ship - what a gal, Welcome back Deborah.