Category: Music Cruise News

Cayamo 2023 soars with diverse sounds

February 26, 2023 in Festivals, Music Cruise News

By Paul T. Mueller –

Like any established music festival, Cayamo – the festival-at-sea that just wrapped up its 15^th edition – faces the challenge of attracting new attendees while keeping returning guests interested. Sixthman, the Norwegian Cruise Line subsidiary that produces Cayamo, was up to the task this year, putting together a lineup that combined well-known veterans of the festival and less-familiar newcomers. As a bonus, the 2023 group was much more diverse than most previous years, featuring a considerable number of performers of color, a relatively large number of female artists, and a good balance of younger and older musicians. The result was, by consensus, a highly successful event, with scores of shows spanning a range of genres including folk, country, blues, bluegrass, rock, soul and others.

Absent from the lineup were some “big names” from previous years, such as Brandi Carlile, Lyle Lovett, Buddy Miller, John Hiatt, Emmylou Harris, and of course John Prine. But the cast of performers also included some familiar names, including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Neko Case, Andrew Bird, Paul Thorn, David Bromberg and Trampled by Turtles, among others. The full lineup can be seen here.

As always, the festival, held February 10-17 aboard the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship, featured a full schedule with many conflicts. Here are some highlights from notable shows.

The first-day sailaway show by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
In their debut appearance on Cayamo, the veteran bluegrass/country outfit performed a fine pool deck set that was short on originals (“Fishing in the Dark,” “Ripplin’ Waters”) but long on popular covers, including Dylan’s “You Ain’t Going Nowhere,” John Prine’s “Grandpa Was a Carpenter,” Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles,” and Rodney Crowell’s “An American Dream” (with lyrics modified to reference Cayamo). The set closed with a lively sing-along on “Jambalaya.” Front and center for much of the show was guitarist and singer Jaime Hanna, son of NGDB co-founder Jeff Hanna.

History lessons and music from Jake Blount
Blount, who said he’s planning graduate studies in musicology and ethnomusicology, began with a haunting rendition of “Stolen Souls from Africa,” a mournful lament of slavery sung a capella over a recorded synthesizer track. The rest of his set consisted mostly of traditional tunes accompanied by fiddle and banjo, with explanations that were as educational as they were entertaining. For example, he pointed out that Black culture in the Americas originated on slave ships, where captives from various African countries and cultures intermingled and developed common ground in the form of music. Blount was aboard as part of the Black Opry Revue, a touring project of Nashville’s Black Opry, a collective of Black artists involved with American roots music.

A fine set by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Caitlin Canty
Backed by bassist Miss Tess and pedal-steel and mandolin player Thomas Bryan Eaton, Canty performed several songs (“Heart of My Country,” “Come By the Highway Home,” “Wild Heart”) from her forthcoming album Quiet Flame. Canty charmed the audience with a bright and engaging stage presence to back up her thoughtful lyrics. Extra credit for overcoming distracting dinner-time noise from nearby bars and restaurants.

A raucous Rolling Stones tribute show
Wild and crazy folksinger Steve Poltz played emcee at this pool deck show, backed by a “house band” that included guitarists Larry Campbell and Anthony Da Costa and keyboardist John Fullbright. Poltz kicked things off with an excellent take on “Far Away Eyes.” A wide range of performers followed: Jazz-flavored bluegrass quartet Twisted Pine with “Dead Flowers,” Fullbright with a powerful take on “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Honky Tonk Women,” teenage vocal trio The Burney Sisters with lovely renditions of “Ruby Tuesday” and “Wild Horses,” Da Costa with a wildly energetic “No Expectations,” and so on. The show’s emotional peak came mid-set with “Gimme Shelter,” featuring all-star drummer Brady Blade on lead vocals, strutting and gyrating with, yes, moves like Jagger. Meanwhile, Campbell and Da Costa traded Stones-worthy riffs, and Teresa Williams, Campbell’s wife and musical partner, gave an all-out effort on the song’s ominous choruses that would have made original singer Merry Clayton proud. Another highlight, near show’s end, was an all-hands-on-deck singalong of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

A soul music tribute, billed as “Motown vs. Stax”
The show, on the pool deck stage following the Stones tribute, was performed by mostly younger artists for a mostly older crowd, harking back to the days when popular music was a bigger tent. Nashville-based singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian, emcee for the event, led off with an excellent take on Smokey Robinson’s “Cruisin’,” followed by Adia Victoria with “Heard It Through the Grapevine.” The rest of the show was pretty much a hit parade of ’60 and ‘70s soul and R&B: Black Opry Revue performer Julie Williams with “Where Did Our Love Go?,” the Rainbow Girls quartet with “Please Mr. Postman,” Raye Zaragoza with “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” and “Captain” Shawn Mullins with “That’s How Strong My Love Is,” among others. Singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt, in the last performance before a sudden downpour ended the show, did a fine version of “I’ll Take You There,” featuring a crowd-roaming performance by trombonist Ray Mason.

“Dirt Does Dylan,” a set of Bob Dylan songs performed by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and guests
The band started this Stardust Theater show with a sweet rendition of “Forever Young” before moving on to such classics as “Girl From the North Country,” “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” (with Jeff Tweedy and his children), “Meet Me in the Morning” (with Amy Helm and longtime Dylan sideman Larry Campbell), “Tomorrow Is a Long Time” (with David Bromberg) and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (with emerging superstar Allison Russell). The show concluded with an emotional “The Times They Are A-Changin’ ” that had much of the audience singing along, some through nostalgic tears.

The Sunday Soul Session, led by The Fairfield Four
Held on a warm and sunny pool deck stage, the show started with several a capella songs by the Nashville gospel quartet, the third iteration of the group since its founding in 1921. Other performances included “I Saw the Light,” featuring guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, singer-songwriter Amy Helm and Jeff Hanna; “Love You Anyway,” by Devon Gilfillian and his band, and “Gloryland,” performed a capella by Helm, who noted that she had also sung it with her father, the late Levon Helm of The Band.

Mary Gauthier & Friends
This Stardust Theater show was something of a career retrospective, ranging from Gauthier’s early “Drag Queens in Limousines” to “The War After the War,” from her Songwriting with Soldiers project, to the title track of her newest album, Dark Enough to See the Stars. Gauthier fully commanded the stage with stories – sometimes funny, sometimes painfully honest – about her musical journey, interspersed with her powerful songs. She got musical backing from singer-songwriter Jaimee Harris and drummer Neilson Hubbard, who also produced Dark Enough.

And so many more: Jeff Tweedy, Patty Griffin, Shovels & Rope, Paul Thorn, Wilder Woods, the Jerry Douglas Band, Joshua Radin and on and on.

Other fun moments:

Yasmin Williams Photo by Paul T. Mueller

Matraca Berg’s surprise vocal appearance on “Strawberry Wine” during the “Party On, Garth” tribute to ‘90s music hosted by Kelsey Waldon. Berg, who wrote the Deana Carter hit with Gary Harrison, wasn’t given her own set in the festival, but made occasional guest appearances at other artists’ shows.
The Burney Sisters’ sweetly harmonic take on Brandi Carlile’s “Right on Time” in the Soundcheck Showcase, which featured the three winners of the Soundcheck competition for new artists.
Fellow Soundcheck winners Twisted Pine with their jazzy rendition of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” (Raye Zaragoza was the third Soundcheck artist.)
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams’ excellent Spinnaker Lounge set, closing with a fine version of “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning” with guests Tommy Emmanuel and David Bromberg.
Acoustic guitar virtuoso Yasmin Williams, making a big impression on her first Cayamo with shimmering New Age-ish tunes featuring a mix of strumming, picking and what she called flat-tapping, augmented by shoe-tap percussion and the occasional use of a small keyboard instrument called a kalimba. Williams’ mastery of her instrument was matched by her enthusiastic stage presence.
Amy Helm’s refusal to let a broken wrist slow her down. She suffered the injury early in the cruise during a run-in with a wind-blown deck chair, but carried on, cast and all, earning big ovations later in the week.

Outlaw Country West cruise: A wide net of rocking, raucous music

November 13, 2022 in Music Cruise News

By Paul T. Mueller –

Despite its name, the inaugural Outlaw Country West music cruise wasn’t just about country music. Producers Sixthman and Renegade Circus cast a wider net, including a couple of Southern California punk bands as well as several purveyors of West Coast country and rock. The floating festival departed Los Angeles on November 3 aboard the Norwegian Jewel, making stops at the Mexican ports of Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada before returning to Los Angeles on November 8.

X and Social Distortion, longtime mainstays of the Southern California punk scene, brought rock ‘n’ roll energy and attitude to the festival, an offshoot of the well-established and mostly Miami-based Outlaw Country Cruise. Artists offering a purer country sound included Jim Lauderdale, Wade Sapp, James Intveld, Deke Dickerson and Elizabeth Cook. Also featured were East LA roots music icons Los Lobos, cowpunk pioneer Dave Alvin, bluesy folksinger Lucinda Williams, rockabilly guitar-slinger Rosie Flores and Texas iconoclast Terry Allen, among many others.

Lucinda Williams (Photo by Paul T. Mueller)

Some highlights from the packed schedule of nearly 60 shows and numerous other activities:

Los Lobos got things off to a rocking start with a first-day sailaway show on the pool deck that featured hits such as “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Will the Wolf Survive?” and “Kiko and the Lavender Moon.” The band also threw in some excellent covers, including a joyous rendition of “Not Fade Away” and the Grateful Dead’s “Bertha” to close the show.

Terry Allen brought his offbeat West Texas style to the Jewel’s Stardust Theater the first evening. Allen has long been a favorite in his home state, and his sets, supported by the brilliant Panhandle Mystery Band, won him a slew of new fans. High points included some Allen originals possibly better known from being covered by others – “Amarillo Highway” (Robert Earl Keen), “New Delhi Freight Train” (Little Feat) and “Gimme a Ride to Heaven” (The Flatlanders).

Also impressive were less-familiar songs such as “Death of the Last Stripper,” “All These Blues Go Walking By” (featuring powerful vocals by Shannon McNally), and “City of the Vampires,” which Allen said was based on suggestions from his 9-year-old grandson. Later in the cruise, veteran singer-songwriter and activist Steve Earle interviewed Allen for his SiriusXM radio show, giving Allen a venue for fascinating and often funny stories about growing up in Lubbock and working with artists such as Guy Clark and David Byrne.

Lucinda Williams, continuing her strong comeback from the stroke she suffered about two years ago, played a powerful first-night set in the Stardust with her excellent band, Buick 6. She drew from her extensive catalog with older songs such as “Right in Time,” “Lake Charles” and “Those Three Days,” and newer tracks such as “Big Black Train” and Memphis Minnie’s “You Can’t Rule Me,” which she dedicated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Williams hasn’t yet regained her ability to play guitar onstage, but her voice sounded better than it has in a while, despite some occasional glitches (“Dammit! Son of a biscuit baker!” she said at one point while reaching for her throat spray). One couldn’t help but be moved by the care and support shown by her band members – guitarist Stuart Mathis, bassist David Sutton and drummer Butch Norton.

Exene Cervenka and John Doe of X (Photo by Paul T. Mueller)

Dave Alvin and his band, The Guilty Ones, packed the Stardust for a Friday show featuring Alvin’s sometimes dark songs about the California experience. Alvin, in remarkable form after some recent health issues, led his excellent outfit through “The King of California,” “Ashgrove” and “Dry River,” among others. Jimmie Dale Gilmore, who’s been touring and recording with Alvin in recent years, was scheduled for the cruise, but he came down with Covid-19 and was unable to participate. His son Colin Gilmore, a fine singer-songwriter in his own right, filled in for him, joining Alvin for “Billy the Kid and Geronimo” and his father’s “Dallas.” Also making guest appearances were two members of Los Lobos, guitarist/singer David Hidalgo and saxophonist/keyboardist Steve Berlin.

A wide range of artists converged on the Stardust for a Sunday evening tribute to California native Merle Haggard. The setlist included Jim Lauderdale with “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive,” Shannon McNally with “Mama Tried,” John Doe of X with “Silver Wings,” Terry Allen with “Okie from Muscogee,” Rosie Flores with “My Own Kind of Hat,” Dave Alvin with “Kern River,” and Norm Hamlet, longtime steel guitarist with Haggard’s band, The Strangers, with “Today I Started Loving You Again.” Everyone returned to the stage for the big finale, “Sing Me Back Home.”

Southern California punk rockers Social Distortion brought their high-energy, high-volume songs of anger and pain to a Monday pool deck show as the Jewel departed Ensenada, Mexico. Founder and lead singer Mike Ness rather sheepishly owned up to enjoying the clearly non-punk experience of cruise ship life before launching into powerful renditions of “I Wasn’t Born to Follow,” “Sick Boys” and “Ball and Chain,” among others. Longtime Social D guitarist Jonny Two Bags was absent, reportedly because of an injury, but Josh Jove (Eagles of Death Metal) filled in capably.

A Monday evening guitar pull in the Stardust drew a large crowd for a song swap featuring Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams (with Stuart Mathis handling the guitar work), Charlie Sexton (filling in for Jimmie Dale Gilmore), and Dave Alvin. The show featured some excellent performances — Sexton honoring Gilmore with a rendition of the latter’s “Treat Me Like a Saturday Night,” Alvin’s moving take on Tom Russell’s “Blue Wing,” Williams’ wistful “Passionate Kisses.” Other high points included Alvin’s funny story about once having had to follow the legendary Barrett Strong in a songwriter round, and Sexton’s amazement at being chided for talking too much by none other than the notoriously loquacious Steve Earle.

All of this hardly scratches the surface, of course. The festival’s big lineup and short duration made it pretty much impossible to see every artist, let alone every show. But by all accounts, there were fine performances by Steve Earle, Elizabeth Cook, Chuck Prophet & the Mission Express, Big Sandy & His Flyrite Boys, Deke Dickerson & the Whippersnappers, Rosie Flores, Lillie Mae, Jim Lauderdale, the Slim Jim Phantom Trio, the Beat Farmers, the Long Ryders, Charlie Overbey, Jo Harvey Allen, Mojo Nixon & the Toad Liquors, Andrew Leahey & the Homestead, Jade Jackson, James Intveld, Norm Hamlet & Mario Carboni, Wade Sapp and Roger Alan Wade & Honky Tonk CIA. There was also a previously unannounced appearance by guitarist Wayne Kramer of the Detroit-based band MC5, who sat in with Lucinda Williams, Rosie Flores and the Long Ryders, among others.

15th Cayamo Cruise opens booking to the public

August 11, 2022 in Music Cruise News

Americana One – We’ve spent a lot of time on music-based cruises over the past decade, but the Cayamo cruise remains one of the most consistent and adventurous. They’ve just opened reservations to the general public with a line-up that includes Jeff Tweedy, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Neko Case, Shovels & Rope Andrew Bird and Trampled By Turtles,

*Grace Potter performs on the Cayamo cruise in 2022. (photo by Paul T. Mueller)*

This year’s cruise runs from Feb. 10-17 and includes stops at St. Maarten and Tortola, BVI.

Here’s the full current list of performers.

Cayamo 2022’s exuberant rebound

April 4, 2022 in Americana Music, Music Cruise News, Reviews

By Paul T. Mueller –

After a year lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cayamo cruise returned in mid-March, rewarding passengers and artists alike with nearly a week’s worth of floating music festival. The chartered cruise, produced by Norwegian Cruise Lines subsidiary Sixthman and held aboard the NCL Pearl, featured more than 40 bands and solo artists and around 2,000 passengers. Cayamo is a happy event in any case, but seemed even more exuberant this year after the unwanted hiatus. It was also an especially poignant year for the festival – the 14^th since 2008’s maiden voyage – because of the loss of a number of prominent musicians in the past two years, most notably Cayamo veteran John Prine.

In retrospect, the week is something of a blur of stages, songs and singers. As always, seeing one great show meant missing another scheduled at the same time. Your correspondent was not able to attend every set. But certain moments stand out; here are some impressions from particularly memorable performances.

The Mavericks, Pool Deck, Friday: Cayamoans have been clamoring for The Mavericks for years, and this year they got their wish, with the high-energy band kicking off the March 18 departure from Miami (ports of call were St. Thomas and St. Kitts). The pool deck set was a showcase for frontman Raul Malo’s otherworldly vocals, backed by a very capable three-piece horn section, a tight rhythm section and other instrumentation including guitar and accordion.

Grace Potter and Friends, Stardust Theater, Saturday: The songwriter-in-the-round format has become a Cayamo favorite over the years, and for good reason. It’s highly entertaining to get to see not only artists performing their own songs, but also the reactions of those artists to each other’s performances. Cayamo first-timer Grace Potter’s show featured Malo, the iconic Emmylou Harris, and Taylor Goldsmith, frontman of Los Angeles-based band Dawes. Goldsmith made a big impression with “The Game,” which he described as “my attempt to write a Guy Clark song,” and “House Parties,” an ode to the quiet joys of family vacations. Harris’ selections included a couple of songs from her landmark Red Dirt Girl album – “My Antonia” and “The Pearl (Hallelujah).”

Madison Cunningham, Spinnaker Lounge, Saturday: Singer-songwriter and guitarist Madison Cunningham first played Cayamo in 2020, and this year’s festival was a showcase for her impressive artistic growth since then. Leading an accomplished small band, she played and sang with confidence and joy, with a sound that one observer later described on social media as “Joni Mitchell meets King Crimson.” As is common practice among Cayamo musicians, Cunningham also made several guest appearances during other artists’ sets.

Madison Cunningham (photo by Paul T. Mueller)

Quitters Coffee Acoustic Mornings, The Atrium, Sunday: The 9 a.m. show, curated by Canadian singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards, was an enjoyable start to the day for those fans and artists able to answer the early-morning call. Edwards, who famously left the music business several years ago to start a coffee shop named Quitters in an Ottawa suburb, recently quit that business, selling the shop in March. Her guests for the show, the second of the weekend, were Robbie Fulks, Steve Poltz, Aoife O’Donovan and John Paul White. Highlights included Fulks’ rendition of Cowboy Copas’ Sunday-appropriate “We’ll Walk Along Together” and O’Donovan’s lovely take on Joni Mitchell’s “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio.”

Kathleen Edwards (photo by Paul T. Mueller)

Six Questions with Maple Byrne, The Atrium, Sunday: Sixthman staffer Trae Vedder conducted a wide-ranging interview with Maple Byrne, longtime guitar tech to Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller and other Nashville notables. Topics included Byrne’s memories of a late ‘70s tour featuring Steve Martin and Steve Goodman, laundry tips for tour T-shirts (wash them inside out), Byrne’s top 10 Cayamo moments (he’s a longtime veteran of the festival), and his extensive collections of records and musical instruments. It was a fascinating peek behind the curtain with someone who’s played a crucial, if not always very visible, role in the success of Cayamo.

Aoife O’Donovan, Spinnaker Lounge, Sunday: Boston-based singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan brought along an excellent band, but for this show – a full performance of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 acoustic album Nebraska – she was mostly on her own. Notwithstanding the incongruity between her lovely voice and guitar and Springsteen’s often dark tales, O’Donovan delivered a nuanced performance, adding her own twists to the songs while staying true to the album’s roots. She got assists from fiddler and former Crooked Still bandmate Brittany Haas on “Highway Patrolman” and brilliant young mandolinist and singer Sierra Hull on the closing “Reason to Believe.” Audience reactions, aside from pin-drop silence, included not a few tears and too many smiles to count.

Aoife Donovan (photo by Paul T. Mueller)

Tré Burt, Spinnaker Lounge, Monday: Sacramento, Calif.-based singer-songwriter Tré Burt started off with a nice rendition of John Prine’s “The Late John Garfield Blues” and proceeded through a set of mostly original material, accompanied at times by a young female singer named Levi. Burt’s voice, delivery and lyrics were, to some observers, reminiscent of the early Bob Dylan. A Dylanesque outrage at injustice was certainly evident in “Under the Devil’s Knee,” a pointed commentary on the killing of George Floyd in which Burt called not for sympathy but for action. Burt, who records for the Prine-founded Oh Boy Records label, closed with a sweet tribute to Prine titled “Dixie Red.”

Paul Thorn’s Campfire Sessions, Stardust Theater, Wednesday: This songwriter round, on a stage decorated with fake foliage, a fake campfire and even a fake owl, featured Cayamo veterans Paul Thorn and Richard Thompson along with newcomer Jerron Paxton. Paxton, a California-based artist with Louisiana roots, features an old-timey sound that recalls blues recordings from the early decades of the 20^th century. That sound is supported by his astounding command of a variety of instruments, ranging from guitar and banjo to piano and bones. Paxton also dropped one of the best onstage lines of the festival, stopping a song to admonish the audience about clapping along. “The last thing I need is a bunch of white people helping me with my rhythm,” he said with a big grin, earning laughter and applause. Thorn contributed his trademark mix of humor and poignancy, while Thompson applied his virtuosic acoustic guitar playing and expressive voice to “She Moved Through the Fair” and several other songs.

The Mavericks and Friends, Stardust Theater, Thursday: Raul Malo and his merry band opened their cruise-ending set with an impressive rendition of “Us and Them” from Pink Floyd’s landmark The Dark Side of the Moon album. The hit parade went on from there: “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down” by “stowaway” Jim Lauderdale; a sultry take on “Friday’s Child” by Kristi Rose, accompanied by husband Fats Kaplin (“I think I need a cigarette,” Malo said at song’s end, “and I don’t even smoke.”); Kathleen Edwards performing the Linda Ronstadt hit “When Will I Be Loved?” with high energy and unbridled joy; “Moon River,” with Malo crooning to the accompaniment of Australian guitar whiz Tommy Emmanuel; JD McPherson’s energetic take on Little Richard’s “Lucille,” and Nicole Atkins’ brilliant rendition of The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” complete with professional-grade dance moves and backup vocals (and dancing) by vocal trio Rainbow Girls. The Mavericks and all their guests closed out the set with an extended workout on one of the band’s big hits, “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down.”

Of course there was much, much more: An all-star tribute to musicians no longer with us; an “All the Best” show featuring friends of John Prine; another Prine tribute dubbed “Souvenirs: Songs of John Prine”; a nautical-themed sailaway show by Punch Brothers, featuring frequent shouts of “Ahoy!” by frontman and ace mandolinist Chris Thile; a Stowaway Reveal Show with “stowaways” Jim Lauderdale and Steve Poltz, featuring an album’s worth of songs written especially for Cayamo; the popular Sunday morning pool deck show, this year called Sunday Soul Session; Brady Blade’s Drum and Music Extravaganza, featuring the seemingly omnipresent drummer; an onstage conversation between Emmylou Harris and Fiona Prine, John’s widow; Cayamo debuts that included Austin blues legend Ruthie Foster, UK folk-rock duo Ida Mae, and others, and too many other shows and events to mention.

Next year’s Cayamo is scheduled for Feb. 10-17, 2023, sailing from Miami with stops at Tortola and St. Maarten.

Show 49 Dar Williams

May 31, 2020 in Music Cruise News, Podcast

By Ken Paulson

I try never to walk into a record store without buying something, but I was stumped one day in the mid-’90s. I felt like I had already bought everything I wanted in the pop, rock, country and R&B bins.

So I walked over to the often-neglected folk section and came across an album called Mortal City by a young artist named Dar Williams. It was one of those “I think I’ve heard good things about her” moments and I took it to the register.

Good decision. Mortal City was an incredible album, book-ended by the exuberant opener “As Cool As I Am” and the captivating title cut about a new relationship forming during the worst of storms. Stunning.

That album came early in Dar’s career, but its ambition, honesty and compelling melodies can be found throughout her body of work.

We were pleased to visit with her earlier this year. Here’s our wide-ranging conversation with Dar Williams:

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Conversations on Cayamo: The Mastersons

April 5, 2020 in Americana Music, Music Cruise News, New releases

The Mastersons were remarkably prescient in recording and releasing their new album No Time For Love Songs.

We spoke with Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore on board the Cayamo music cruise, just about three weeks before a cruise ship was the last place in the world where you would want to spend time.

The timely album is about our polarized world and the willingness of so many to turn their backs on values in the interest of partisanship. And now the COVID-19 pandemic puts an explanation point on their message.

Here’s our conversation with Chris and Eleanor:

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Conversations on Cayamo: The Quebe Sisters

March 21, 2020 in Music Cruise News, Podcast

By Ken Paulson

We met the Quebe Sisters on Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruise a few years ago and were immediately impressed with their joy and talent. Both were even more apparent on this year’s Cayamo music cruise.

The sisters’ triple-fiddling and tight harmonies create Western swing for a new generation. Their newest album – accurately named The Quebe Sisters – is their best yet, packed with traditional music with a progressive perspective.

Here’s our conversation with Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe.

Conversations on Cayamo: Emily Scott Robinson

March 17, 2020 in Music Cruise News, Podcast

By Ken Paulson

Emily Scott Robinson didn’t have an enviable first appearance on Cayamo this year. As one of the winners of the music cruise’s Soundcheck competition for new and emerging artists, she was on stage in the Atrium just as hundreds of passengers were boarding. It’s tough to connect with a room full of talking, giddy people.

She went on to connect with people all over the ship throughout the week. From solo sets to concept shows to a Gospel gathering, she was there in great voice and good spirits.

We were pleased to talk with her for this Cayamo edition of the Americana One podcast about her outstanding Traveling Mercies album and her own mobile lifestyle.

Here’s our conversation with Emily Scott Robinson.

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Conversations on Cayamo: Al Jardine of the Beach Boys

March 10, 2020 in Music Cruise News, Podcast

By Ken Paulson

The Cayamo music cruise from Sixthman, long a haven for Americana artists and audiences, shook things up this year with the headlining Brian Wilson Band. On two remarkable nights, the stage featured two founding Beach Boys – Wilson and Al Jardine – and an amazing band revisiting one of pop music’s most entertaining, important and influential catalogs.

Jardine is now touring the U.S. in a more intimate show, telling stories and performing Beach Boys classics. That’s his lead vocal on “Help Me Rhonda” and “Sloop John B.”

We had the chance to talk with Al on the 2020 edition of Cayamo about his rich career, love of “wingman” Brian and his upcoming show at the City Winery in Nashville on March 31.

Here’s our conversation:

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Preview: Cayamo 2020

January 26, 2020 in Festivals, Music Cruise News

By Paul T. Mueller

It tends to happen with any music festival that’s been around for a few years – some fans want a new lineup every year, others want to stick to the tried and true. Cayamo, the festival-at-sea that’s about to embark on its 13^th voyage, is no exception. There’s always a vigorous debate between those who love the old favorites and those ready for new blood.

Brian Wilson and Al Jardine at last week’s 30A Songwriters Songwriters Fest (Ken Paulson)

This year’s Cayamo, sailing Feb. 3 from Miami, strikes a pretty good balance. Sixthman, which produces Cayamo and several other music cruises, landed some big names for first-timers, including Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, and soul legend Mavis Staples. Others making their maiden voyage include harmony-driven quintet Lake Street Dive, soul man Anderson East, rockers Deer Tick, folkie trio The Wailin’ Jennys, Western swing trio The Quebe Sisters, and singer-songwriters Amythyst Kiah (a member of Our Native Daughters), Madison Cunningham, Ashley Monroe, Logan Ledger, Ike Reilly and Grayson Capps.

Artists representing the old guard include Shawn Mullins, who’s sailed on all 12 previous Cayamos; Buddy Miller, a veteran who’s missed the boat only once; six-timer Jim Lauderdale, and three-timer Rodney Crowell. Other returnees include Hayes Carll and his wife, Allison Moorer, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Dar Williams, The Mastersons, Molly Tuttle, Over the Rhine, Steve Poltz, Raul Malo, Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, and Watkins Family Hour, with former Nickel Creekers Sean and Sara Watkins.

The winners of this year’s Soundcheck competition, in which fans and passengers vote on artists to be added to the lineup, are string-based quartet Della Mae, singer-songwriter Emily Scott Robinson and genre-mixing band Them Coulee Boys. The full Cayamo 2020 lineup can be found here.

In addition to regular sets by each artist, this year’s Cayamo schedule includes such “special” shows as “Cayamo Is for Lovers,” featuring four husband-and-wife acts; a question-and-answer session with Brian Wilson and fellow Beach Boys founder Al Jardine; “Buddy Miller’s Musical Chairs,” featuring the Americana icon and, presumably, a stellar group of guests; “The Art of Memoir,” with Rodney Crowell (Chinaberry Sidewalks) and Allison Moorer (Blood), and “Sunset in Laurel Canyon: A Celebration of the ’60s and ’70s.” Also to be expected are numerous guest appearances by artists at other artists’ shows.

Ports of call for Cayamo 2020 include St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Antigua, a former British colony in the eastern Caribbean.

Cayamo 2019: An All-Star music cruise

February 23, 2019 in Festivals, Music Cruise News

By Paul T. Mueller

Early spring in Florida (and Arizona) means baseball – spring training, to be specific. It’s also the appointed time for another tradition – the Cayamo music cruise, which just wrapped up its 12^th sailing, returning to Tampa on the Norwegian Pearl on Feb. 17 after a week in warm Caribbean waters. Dozens of artists, mostly singer-songwriters, took part in 130-plus shows, many playing multiple sets and sitting in with other performers. Let’s take a closer look through the lens of America’s national pastime.

Veterans

Even when you’ve been around for a while and proved your bona fides, you still have to show up and bring your “A” game. This year’s cruise featured excellent performances by many veterans of previous Cayamo rosters:

Buddy Miller – a fixture on all but one Cayamo, Americana superstar Miller and his fine band ripped through familiar tunes including “Does My Ring Burn Your Finger?,” “Wide River to Cross” and “Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go.” Fellow Americana icon Emmylou Harris joined him for duets on “Burning the Midnight Oil” and “Love Hurts.” There was also a fine rendition of “Ellis County,” which Miller’s wife Julie wrote for and about her grandparents in Texas.
Second-timer Mary Gauthier, accompanied by vocalist Jaimee Harris and violinist/keyboardist Michele Gazich, thrilled a morning audience with several songs from her recent Rifles and Rosary Beads album, consisting of songs co-written with combat veterans and their families, as well as older favorites such as “Another Train” and the classic “Mercy Now.”
Jason Isbell returned with his band, the 400 Unit, for some powerful sets drawn from his last few albums. He also hosted an excellent “Jason Isbell and Friends” songwriter round featuring his wife, Amanda Shires, Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith, singer-songwriter Josh Ritter and ace guitarist and singer Molly Tuttle.
Los Angeles-based rockers Dawes brought the Big Rock Show Experience to the ship’s largest venues, the Stardust Theater and the pool deck. Their Stardust set was highlighted by several singalong anthems including “When My Time Comes” and “All Your Favorite Bands.” The latter show featured a surprise appearance by Lenny Goldsmith, father of Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith and his brother, drummer Griffin Goldsmith, singing R&B that recalled his days as the lead singer of ‘70s band Tower of Power.

Other veterans of note: Harris and Shires played well-received sets with their own bands, as did iconic folk-rock duo Indigo Girls, multi-instrumentalist and multi-genre songwriter Randall Bramblett, and soul powerhouse Bonnie Bishop. Roots guitarist and singer-songwriter Keb’ Mo’ and the wild and crazy Steve Poltz played mostly solo.

Rookies

Festivals on cruise ships aren’t exactly the norm for most musicians, so some first-timers bring with them a bit of uncertainty about the experience. Most quickly adapt, heartened by enthusiastic audiences and the support of fellow performers. Standout newcomers this year included;

Raul Malo, who thrilled a full house in the Stardust Theater with powerful, emotional renditions of a wide variety of songs from various genres, including a couple recorded by his band, the Mavericks. Extra points for closing with what he called his favorite song ever, “Stardust.”
Virginia-based singer-songwriter Dori Freeman, accompanied by husband Nicholas Falk on drums and banjo, who charmed fans with bluegrass-tinged originals and classic country and gospel songs.
Nashville-based singer-songwriter and keyboardist Phil Madeira, who’s also a member of Emmylou Harris’ band, the Red Dirt Boys. Backed by fellow members of that outfit – Will Kimbrough on guitar, Bryan Owings on drums and Chris Donohue on bass – Madeira played a terrific set in the Atrium that drew heavily on his recent album Providence, a musical memoir of his Rhode Island upbringing. A lot of music, especially pop, is aimed at the young, but this was grown-up music for grown-up people.
Australian guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel wowed the crowds with his mastery of the acoustic guitar, playing with speed, precision and soul in a variety of styles, and also using the instrument as a platform for percussion. In addition to playing several sets of his own, Emmanuel seemed to be everywhere on the boat, popping up as a guest at any number of other artists’ shows and mixing freely with fans.
Maggie Rose, a Nashville-based singer with a powerful, soulful voice well suited to her own material and well-chosen covers. She said she usually plays with an eight-member band, but on the Pearl she was backed by her husband and manager, Austin Marshall, and guitarist Tom Maxwell, also a singer-songwriter.

Other rookies with strong showings: Georgia singer-songwriter Eliot Bronson; English singer-songwriter and activist Billy Bragg; female vocal trio Red Molly, augmented by a bassist and a drummer; all-male vocal quartet Darlingside, and Australian singer-songwriter Kasey Chambers, accompanied by her father Bill Chambers and her three children.

All-Star Games
The week featured several large collaborative shows:

The Shawn Mullins Variety Show, hosted by the Georgia singer-songwriter who’s been part of every Cayamo, featured pirate costumes and appearances by Nashville singer-songwriter Chuck Cannon, the funny and endearing Paul Thorn, Bonnie Bishop, Amy Ray of Indigo Girls, the spiritual soul of Liz Vice, and the sweet but powerful harmonies of Red Molly.
A pool-deck tribute to Woodstock that kicked off with a Hendrixian take on the National Anthem by steel guitar ace Jerry Douglas and continued with a lovely take on “Helplessly Hoping” by Red Molly, a microphone-swinging performance of “Pinball Wizard” by Billy Bragg, and a nice take on “The Weight” by Maine-based The Ghost of Paul Revere, among many other highlights. The show closed with an all-hands singalong on “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
A “Cayamo After Hours” late-night show hosted by Amanda Shires and drummer Jerry Pentecost, featuring novel interpretations of classic songs written or performed by women. Among the entries: Maggie Rose with Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” Tommy Emmanuel with Carly Simon’s “It’s Too Late,” Paul Thorn with Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” Shires with Sheryl Crow’s “If It Makes You Happy,” and Bishop’s mesmerizing take on Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”
A second after-hours show, dubbed “Sadler’s Garage” by its host, 400 Unit guitarist Sadler Vaden, who led off with a couple of rocking originals before covering The Band’s “Ophelia” and Joe Walsh’s “Life of Illusion.” Jason Isbell joined in on Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak,” which led into a full-length cover of the Allman Brothers’ “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” featuring keyboardist Peter Levin. The show closed with joyous singalongs on Tom Petty’s “Even the Losers” and “American Girl.”
The final-day gospel show, enthusiastically led by Michael and Tanya Trotter, making a return appearance as The War and Treaty. Contributing artists included Tommy Emmanuel (“Amazing Grace”), Dori Freeman (“Heavenly Sunlight”), Phil Madeira (“Give God the Blues”), Carlene Carter (“Will the Circle Be Unbroken”) and Buddy Miller (“Shelter Me”), among others.

Utility Players

Cayamo is well-known for collaborations between artists who might not otherwise share stages. Several players seemed to pop up with great regularity for guest appearances at others’ shows: guitarists Tommy Emmanuel and Will Kimbrough, keyboardists Phil Madeira and Niji Adeleye, and fiddlers Eamon McLoughlin and Amanda Shires, to name a few.

The Sandlot

Cayamo 2019 featured, for the first time, a showcase for bands made up of amateurs – passengers who sent in audition tapes, were grouped into bands at the beginning of the week, and played a show in the Atrium on the last day. Each band performed one song by a Cayamo artist – selections included Buddy Miller’s “Gasoline and Matches” by Miller Time; Shawn Mullins’ “Beautiful Wreck” by Pipe Dreams (guest vocals by Mullins); the classic “Love Hurts” by The Emmys; Josh Ritter’s “Monster Ballads” by Monsters of Cayamo; Keb’ Mo’ ’s “Old Me Better” by Mo Betta (featuring a guest appearance by Keb’ Mo’ on kazoo), Claire and the 4 Units performing Jason Isbell’s “Something to Love,” and the unofficial winner of the band name contest, Flawes’ version of Dawes’ “All Your Favorite Bands.” You could have found more polished performances elsewhere on the boat; you could not have found more fun and enthusiasm anywhere.

Management

Kudos as always to Sixthman, the Atlanta-based company that produces Cayamo and several other music cruises (and, beginning this year, the land-based All the Best, scheduled for November in the Dominican Republic). Sound at the Pearl’s several venues was almost without exception excellent, and the company did a good job of programming to balance the crowds among the various shows on offer at any given time. Interactions with Norwegian Cruise Lines, which operates the Pearl, were smooth.

Errors

Few and far between. One of the big ones, this year and for the past few Cayamos, was the fact that a fair number of seats in the large Stardust Theater were broken and uncomfortable. No one has provided a satisfactory explanation as to why that issue hasn’t been addressed. The occasional sound glitch was usually fixed in a hurry. A beach excursion in Jamaica didn’t go as smoothly as planned – but Sixthman was quick to offer full refunds of the excursion charge to anyone left disappointed. There were the usual gripes about things like food quality and the balance between “seated” acts and “dancing” acts. Some differences of opinion are a given whenever 2,000-plus music fans gather, but the consensus among fans and artists alike is this is a very well-run festival that’s worth its substantial ticket price.

Previewing 2019 Cayamo Cruise

February 3, 2019 in Americana Music, Festivals, Music Cruise News

By Paul T. Mueller

2019 marks an even dozen for the Cayamo music cruise. The 12^th edition of the festival at sea, produced by Atlanta-based Sixthman aboard the Norwegian Pearl, will head south from Tampa for a week of music – and what many passengers surely hope will be warmer weather than they’ve been enduring lately.

As always, the event will feature a full – not to say intimidating – lineup of musicians and bands. Returning notables this year include Emmylou Harris, Keb’ Mo’, Indigo Girls, Buddy Miller, Paul Thorn, Mary Gauthier, Shawn Mullins, Justin Townes Earle, Amanda Shires, Chuck Cannon, The War and Treaty, Steve Poltz and Bonnie Bishop. Newcomers include Will Kimbrough, Carlene Carter, Raul Malo, Billy Bragg, Josh Ritter, Tommy Emmanuel, Brett Dennen, Molly Tuttle and Phil Madeira.

Keb’ Mo’
Mary Gauthier (All photos Paul T. Mueller)
Jason Isbell

As is typical of Cayamo, the lineup is heavily tilted toward the quieter fare of solo singer-songwriters and duos, but a few larger outfits will also make the trip. Bands on board include Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Dawes, the Jerry Douglas Trio, The Wood Brothers, Kasey Chambers and the Fireside Disciples, Darlingside, Red Molly, Red Dirt Boys and The Ghost of Paul Revere. The complete lineup can be seen here.

Themed shows scheduled this year include the Shawn Mullins Variety Show, Buddy Miller’s Sirius XM radio show featuring The War and Treaty, Billy Bragg’s Woody Guthrie tribute show, and the mysteriously named “Buddy’s Musical Genius Bar,” presumably hosted by Cayamo mainstay Miller. And while the concept of “after hours” is a bit hazy given that scheduled performances and informal jams routinely stretch into the small hours, there is nonetheless a “Cayamo After Hours with Sadler Vaden and Friends” show, featuring the 400 Unit guitarist, scheduled for very early Friday morning.

Given a lineup this large, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to see every performer, but there will be a few other events thrown in to make scheduling even tougher. These include yoga sessions led by Bonnie Bishop, a couple of open jam sessions, a 10 a.m. “Bloodies, Bacon and Bingo” event, a “Conversation About Songwriting” with Will Kimbrough and Phil Madeira, a “Tales & Ales” beer tasting hosted by Paul Thorn, and a drum workshop with Brady Blade.

For many Cayamoans, the music is all that matters and it’s of little interest where the cruise stops along the way. But for the record, this year’s ports of call are Montego Bay, Jamaica, and the Costa Maya on Mexico’s southern Caribbean coast. The Jamaica stop will feature a beach excursion and show by Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance.

Bonus Podcast: Bruce Channel’s Classic “Hey Baby”

August 19, 2018 in Music Cruise News, Podcast

Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the writing of the rock ‘n’ roll classic “Hey Baby” by Bruce Channel (who recorded it) and Margaret Cobb. Earlier this year, we had the chance to visit with Bruce on board Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruise and we heard the full story of the 1962 hit record, Delbert’s role and the song’s connection to the Beatles. It’s an entertaining tale from a true rock ‘n’ roll pioneer.
Please subscribe to the Americana Music News Podcast on iTunes .

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Podcast 14 Marcia Ball continues to “Shine Bright”

May 7, 2018 in Music Cruise News, New releases, Podcast

Marcia Ball, the official 2018 Texas State Musician of the Year, has a just-released album called “Shine Bright,” her 12th. We caught up with her on board Delbert McClinton’s “Sandy Beaches Cruise” earlier this year. She talks about the new album and her colorful career on Episode 11 of the Americana Music News Podcast.

About Americana Music News: We’re in our seventh year covering Americana, roots, country and folk music from our base in Nashville. We’ve just launched a new Americana Music News podcast, available free of charge through all the leading podcast providers, including iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play Music. And please join our 23,000 Twitter followers to continue the conversation.

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Cayamo 2018 review – A week of high points

February 18, 2018 in Americana Music, Music Cruise News, Reviews

By Paul T. Mueller

Lee Ann Womack, Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin

Any weeklong music festival tends to turn into a blur of overlapping shows, and this year’s Cayamo festival-at-sea was no exception. The annual charter cruise, held aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pearl and produced by NCL subsidiary Sixthman, featured 40-plus performers and something like 100 shows over the course of six days and seven nights. The ambitious schedule made it pretty much impossible to see everything, so what follows is a highly subjective list of a dozen notable sets from the week.

Sunday: The evening sailaway show, as the Pearl departed New Orleans for the Gulf of Mexico and points south, was an all-star tribute to the great John Prine, who led off with “All the Best” and then turned the stage over to emcee Jim Lauderdale. Highlight performances included “Angel from Mongomery” by Richard Thompson and Brandi Carlile, “Illegal Smile” by Margo Price, and “Sam Stone” by Brian Wright and Joe Purdy. Prine was spotted high above, watching from outside his customary top-of-the-ship quarters, as Aaron Lee Tasjan and his band performed “Lake Marie.” The 18-song set ended with an all-hands-on-deck rendition of “Paradise.”

Windy, chilly conditions made for a relatively small crowd at Margo Price’s Sunday night pool deck show, but those who toughed it out were rewarded with an energetic set of Price’s traditional country with a rocking edge. Selections included several songs from her most recent album, All American Made, notably “Don’t Say It” and “Cocaine Cowboys.” She and her capable band also did right by a few covers (Guy Clark’s “New Cut Road,” Rodney Crowell’s “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight”) before closing with the geographically appropriate “Proud Mary.”

Monday: John Prine, backed by longtime bandmates Jason Wilber on guitar and Dave Jacques on bass, plus drummer Ken Blevins and multi-instrumentalist Fats Kaplin, played a set of songs requested in advance by fans. Of the 49 songs requested, Prine performed 16, including such favorites as “The Glory of True Love,” “Far From Me” and “Angel from Montgomery.” On his closer, “Paradise,” he got vocal assistance from his wife, Fiona Whelan, as well as Joe Purdy, Amber Rubarth and John Paul White.

Richard Thompson on Cayamo 18

Tuesday: Fans packed the Stardust Theater, the Pearl’s largest venue, for a solo show by the legendary Richard Thompson. Thompson poked fun at himself, noting that he’s capable of playing fast miserable songs as well as depressing fare at slow and medium tempos. But there was no denying the emotional power of a beautiful rendition of Sandy Denny’s “Who Knows Where the Time Goes?,” followed by his own “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” and “Persuasion.” He also performed, at the request of an audience member, the traditional English ballad “Matty Groves,” recorded by his former band Fairport Convention among others.

Wednesday: Chicago-based singer-songwriter Michael McDermott, in his second Cayamo appearance, held back nothing in a well-attended set on the Bar City stage. Accompanied by his wife and musical partner, Heather Horton, on vocals and violin, McDermott delivered an intense performance of songs drawn largely from his troubled past and his years of sobriety since. Songs such as “Eleven Nights of Whiskey,” “Butterfly” and “20 Miles South of Nowhere” recounted the dark days; more upbeat fare included a fine cover of Tom Petty’s “The Waiting.” McDermott’s moving tribute to his late father, “Shadow in the Window,” left many audience members in tears. He closed with a rousing rendition of “A Wall I Must Climb,” a perennial favorite from his 1991 debut album.

Thursday: One of the week’s biggest crowds turned out for a Tom Petty tribute show on the pool deck, as the Pearl departed Harvest Caye off the coast of Belize. Band of Heathens filled in capably for Petty’s Heartbreakers, backing an excellent cast of singers on well-loved Petty songs. The Austin-based rockers led off with “You Wreck Me,” followed by, among others, B.J. Barham doing “Listen to Her Heart,” Steve Poltz with “Wildflowers” and Buddy Miller with “It’ll All Work Out.” A sudden thunderstorm put an end to the show, but Aaron Lee Tasjan and Patty Griffin finished their a capella duet on “Insider” as the crew hastily covered equipment in the rain. The show was completed on Friday; highlights included a powerful reading of “Southern Accents” by John Paul White and an all-star closing rendition of the anthemic “I Won’t Back Down.”

Things can get a bit somber on a cruise populated by Serious Singer-Songwriters, so the Thursday night Spinnaker Lounge set by Traveller – a somewhat ad hoc trio consisting of Cayamo veteran Robert Ellis and newcomers Jonny Fritz and Cory Chisel – provided some welcome comic relief. The three, obviously having a great time, performed funny songs with titles like “15 Passenger Van,” “Christmas Eve at Kroger” and “Get Me Out of the South.” And then there was “Stadium Inn,” an ode to a dubious hotel in Nashville that had the audience howling. Fritz’s dancing and Ellis’ raucous laughter completed the picture. Maybe it’s more than coincidence that Fritz, who seemed to be the ringleader of this outfit, bears a passing resemblance to the late, great Steve Goodman. Along the way there was more serious fare, notably Ellis’ “Elephant” and Chisel’s “Southern Arms”; the closer was Ellis’ powerful “Sing Along.”

Friday: Max Gomez, a singer-songwriter from New Mexico making his second Cayamo appearance, put on a low-key but charming morning show in the Spinnaker, drawing from his first album, Rule the World, and his recent EP, Me and Joe. He was joined for much of the set by what he called Max’s Morning Band – percussionist Michael Jerome and bassist Taras Prodaniuk, of Richard Thompson’s trio, plus accordion ace Radoslav Lorković, who also backed many other performers during the week. Highlights included “Make It Me” and a new song about a young couple who open an antiques store, only to find that it’s not the ideal venture they expected, and several covers, notably John Hartford’s “In Tall Buildings.”

Tanya Trotter and John Paul White on Cayamo 2018.

First-timers The War and Treaty – married couple Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter – brought a powerful blend of folk, soul and rock to the Spinnaker stage. Backed by Buddy Miller’s band, the duo tore through songs including “Mother’s Child,” “Are You Ready to Love Me, Baby?” and “Maryland,” which included a verse of “Proud Mary.” In the middle of a between-songs thank-you to John Paul White – whom the couple had credited with much of their success – White himself showed up, taking a seat on the stage with a big grin. Michael Trotter and much of the audience ended up in tears after “Dear Martha,” a tribute to his late commanding officer in Iraq, where he served two tours in the Army and eventually was assigned to write songs about fallen soldiers and perform them at memorials. The War and Treaty’s potent blend of emotional material and sweet harmonies made them a big hit with fans all week.

Scott Miller returned to Cayamo after a seven-year absence, playing a brilliant set in an unusually quiet Atrium. High points included the funny and moving “Lo Siento, Spanishburg, West Virginia” and the very funny “Mother-in-Law,” both from Miller’s recent Ladies Auxiliary album, as well as older songs such as “People Who Rule” (featuring the week’s outstanding performance on kazoo) and the rocking “Freedom’s A Stranger.” The show was especially impressive considering that Miller had been involved in a serious wreck on the way to New Orleans, rolling his van after skidding on ice not far from his Virginia home.

The McCrarys on Cayamo 2018

Saturday: The end-of-the-cruise gospel show has become a Cayamo mainstay in the past few years. This year’s edition, hosted on the pool deck stage by Drew and Ellie Holcomb, was more explicitly gospel than some in past years. Performers included the Holcombs (“Everywhere I Go I See You”), Devon Gilfillian (“Down by the Riverside”), Paul Thorn (“Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”), the McCrary Sisters (“I’ll Fly Away,” “I Saw the Light,” “Amazing Grace” and “Let It Go”) and Joe Purdy (“He Walks With Me”). At the end, most of the artists joined in on “I Shall Be Released” and a lovely a capella rendition of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.”

The Stardust Theater was the setting for a fine set by Buddy Miller, Lee Ann Womack and Patty Griffin. Numerous highlights included performances of Richard Thompson’s “Time to Ring Some Changes,” Neil Young’s “Out on the Weekend” (with Womack taking the lead vocal), and the Grateful Dead’s “Brokedown Palace.” Womack and Miller teamed for an excellent duet on “After the Fire is Gone,” while Miller and Griffin shared the vocals on “I’ll Be With You Always.” The emotional high point came with Womack’s slow, dramatic take on the classic “Long Black Veil,” a great showcase for her tremendous vocal abilities.

Lagniappe: Cayamo 2018 featured too many excellent performances to recount here, but not least among them were Saturday night’s rocking “Tas-Jam” in the Atrium, featuring Aaron Lee Tasjan and his fine band backing a cast of guests, and the week’s final event, a honky-tonk dance party in the intimate Bliss Lounge, hosted by Robert Ellis.

About Americana News: We’re in our seventh year covering Americana, roots, country and folk music from our base in Nashville. We’ve just launched a new Americana Music News podcast, available free of charge through all the leading podcast providers, including iTunes. And please join our 23,000 Twitter followers to continue the conversation.

Quotable Cayamo

February 18, 2018 in Americana Music, Music Cruise News

By Paul T. Mueller

Some of the most memorable onstage comments on the Cayamo 2018 cruise:

Good God, you are a morose bunch. – John Prine, commenting on some of the songs suggested by passengers for his all-request show

Brian Wright and Aaaron Lee Tasjan

Some people – some people – say my music lacks emotional range. – Richard Thompson, noting that he’s capable of singing miserable songs at any tempo

A lot of catharsis before lunch is not the norm for me. – Hayes Carll, during a Wednesday morning “Unlikely Trio” show with Gregory Alan Isakov and Joe Purdy

I’m kind of out of tune – if this were the Outlaw [Country] Cruise, I’d just go ahead and play. – Joe Pug

This is the greatest trip I’ve ever been on, and I’ve been on a few. – Steve Poltz

Did you guys enjoy Fake Belize? – Jonny Fritz, referring to Harvest Caye, Norwegian’s newly created private island

I didn’t really lose that much – plus, I’m going back tonight to win it back. – Max Gomez, on his Thursday night in the casino

Even the espresso machines are going “Shhh.” – Shawn Fisher of Flagship Romance, introducing one of the duo’s quiet songs next to the Atrium coffee bar

It’s the laziest thing in the world, writing songs about writing songs, but I do it all the time. – Brian Wright

Scott Miller

Don’t give up! Just keep trying – and when you make it, remember me. – Michael Trotter Jr. of The War and Treaty

It’s not as full out here as at night, when all the sinning is taking place. – Paul Thorn, during the Saturday morning gospel show

We can out-earnest anyone on this boat. – Cory Chisel, during his solo show

I could sing you out on a happy high note, but I’m not going to. – Hayes Carll, at the end of a somewhat downbeat solo set

This is so much fun, I can’t even tell you. – Buddy Miller

Maybe I died in that wreck and this is heaven. – Scott Miller, referring to the rollover accident that delayed him on the way to New Orleans

Show #4 Doyle and Debbie and the “Opry on acid”

February 12, 2018 in Americana Music, Music Cruise News, Nashville music

The Doyle and Debbie Show

And now for something completely different: We’ve spent hundreds of nights in clubs over the years, and though the musicianship can be phenomenal, it”s rare for us to say we’re seeing something we’ve never seen before. And then there’s Doyle and Debbie.

Bruce Arntson and Jenny Littleton embody this unusual country duo with a singular back story. It seems that Doyle, a regional country star with enormous personal baggage, is mounting his comeback with his “third Debbie.” Yes, it’s drawn from Shakespeare.

This parody and simultaneous celebration of country music makes for one of the most entertaining evenings you’ll spend in a club or theater. In this edition of Americana Music News, Bruce and Jenny recount the duo’s origins and the sometimes unexpected audience reactions.

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Show #2 Band of Heathens and the inspiration of Ray Charles

February 9, 2018 in Americana Music, Music Cruise News, Podcast

Gordy Quist and his bandmates in the Band of Heathens have spent time in their studio recreating an obscure Ray Charles album from the early ’70s. We’re all for it and pretty much anything else this dynamic band produces.

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Cayamo Music Cruise 2018 preview

February 1, 2018 in Americana Music, Festivals, Music Cruise News

Brandi Carlile

By Paul T. Mueller – Cayamo 2018, a “festival at sea” focused on singer-songwriters, celebrates its 10^th anniversary (and 11^th sailing) beginning Feb. 4. The cruise for the first time will depart from New Orleans, en route to a seven-night western Caribbean voyage with stops at Cozumel and Harvest Caye, off the coast of Belize.

More than 40 performers – some solo, some with bands – will provide the entertainment, which at times will span more than 12 hours a day of continuous shows. Six venues, ranging in size from a few dozen to several hundred, will accommodate the performances. That’s in addition to the usual after-hours jams, consisting mostly of amateur musicians but often featuring drop-in contributions by the professionals.

Paul Thorn

Cayamo’s big names return

Big names in the lineup, in no particular order, include Cayamo veterans Richard Thompson, John Prine, Brandi Carlile, Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Lee Ann Womack, Paul Thorn, Jim Lauderdale, and Shawn Mullins – the only artist to have sailed on every Cayamo. Other veterans, possibly less familiar but no less capable, include Scott Miller, Hayes Carll, John Paul White, John Fullbright, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Brian Wright, Michael McDermott, Drew and Ellie Holcomb and Max Gomez.

The roster also includes a healthy crop of Cayamo newcomers, such as Margo Price, JD McPherson, Charley Crockett, Joe Pug, Lindi Ortega, The War and Treaty, Steve Poltz, Devon Gilfillian and Michael Logen. Other rookies include three acts – solo Caleb Caudle and duos Flagship Romance (Shawn Fisher and Jordyn Jackson) and Heart Society (Teneia Sanders-Eichelberger and Benjamin Eichelberger) who were voted aboard by Cayamo passengers in the annual Soundcheck competition.

Jim Lauderdale

Given the festival’s focus on the singular visions of singer-songwriters, duos and bands are, as always, in the minority. Those that made the cut include the rocking Band of Heathens, throwback crooners The Cactus Blossoms, Nashville soul sirens the McCrary Sisters and pop folkies Humming House. The complete Cayamo 2018 lineup can be found here.

Cayamo’s tributes and special shows

Tribute shows honoring John Prine and Tom Petty are on the schedule, as are several “Unlikely Sets” – songwriter rounds featuring several artists who might not share a stage otherwise. Previous Cayamos have shown that musical magic frequently results from such unexpected combinations.

In addition to shows, the week’s activities will include a “Tales and Ales” craft-beer tasting hosted by Paul Thorn; a screening of the film American Folk, starring Cayamo musicians Joe Purdy and Amber Rubarth, with a Q&A to follow; an “Artisans & Crafts” leatherworking workshop with Jonny Fritz, a member of the trio Traveller; a songwriter workshop with Fritz and his Traveller bandmates, Cory Chisel and Robert Ellis, and guest jams with backline equipment and assistance provided by Sixthman, the company that produces Cayamo and several other music cruises.

COPY CODE SNIPPET

Remembering Lari White

January 23, 2018 in Music Cruise News, Nashville music

By Ken Paulson

Lari White, a dear friend and extraordinarily talented artist, passed this away this morning at age 52 after a sudden and relentless illness.

She was an amazing woman, joyous, caring and creative in all things.

Some would know Lari from her ’90s country hits. Others will recall her memorable appearance with Tom Hanks in “Castaway.” Still others will know her from her R&B excursions or projects as a producer and songwriter. I still remember walking into “Ring of Fire,” the Johnny Cash musical on Broadway and seeing my friend front and center in the cast. She was phenomenal.

Last year, Lari released a pair of EPs titled “Old Friends” and “New Loves.” We had the chance last year to catch up with her on board Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruise. Here’s Lari talking about the music she loved: