Tag: Sixthman

Snapshots: Scenes from the Sandy Beaches Cruise

Americana Music News – A sampling of scenes from Sixthman/Delbert McClinton’s 2015 Sandy Beaches Cruise:

Delbert McClinton and Gary Nicholson

Delbert McClinton and Gary Nicholson

Delbert McClinton played with pretty much everybody on the Sandy Beaches cruise, but was clearly in his element as Gary Nicholson accompanied him in a stellar guitar pull.

Bruce Channel

Bruce Channel

That guitar pull included Bruce Channel, who performed a number of his country hits, along with a fine rendition of his 1962 hit “Hey! Baby,” accompanied by McClinton on harmonica. McCinton played on  the original record.

McCrary Sisters

McCrary Sisters

The McCrary Sisters previewed  their upcoming album (produced by Buddy Miller) with outstanding performances throughout the ship. Particularly memorable were covers of the Staples Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” and an unexpected medley of “Oh Happy Day/Happy.”

Danny Flowers

Danny Flowers

Danny Flowers’  next album features the McCrary Sisters throughout, and the women could be seen quietly singing along in the audience at one of his songwriter sessions. He began one of the shows with what he described as his worst song (“East Batcave”),  and opened another with “Tulsa Time,” one of his best.

Al Anderson

Al Anderson

Sitting next to Flowers at the first songwriters session was Al Anderson, a highly successful songwriter and founding member of NRBQ.

Jill Sobule

Jill Sobule

Jill Sobule rocked the atrium with an energetic (and very entertaining) set, backed by members of Paul Thorn’s band. She’s a remarkable songwriter, but there was also real joy in her cover of the Mott the Hoople hit “All the Young Dudes.”

The Mavericks

The Mavericks

Along with Lyle Lovett, the Mavericks were the biggest draw on the cruise, previewing songs from their new album Mono in sets at the Stardust Theater and outside on the deck.

Lari White and Delbert McClinton

Lari White and Delbert McClinton

You knew it was  going to be a great set (from a confident performer) when Nashville’s Lari White opened up her Stardust Theatre set with “Amazing Grace.” Lari also did a great show in the Atrium, and teamed with husband Chuck Cannon to lead the renewal of marriage vows on the ship.

Etta Britt

Etta Britt

Etta Britt, another fine Nashville artist, did her own soulful sets throughout the cruise, including a memorable show in the Atrium.

Jimmy Hall

Jimmy Hall

Jimmy Hall, yet another performer from Nashville, closed his show with “Keep On Smilin'” a Top 10 record in 1974, when he was lead singer of Wet Willie.               IMG_8802One of the final shows on the cruise was also one of the best. Teresa James delivered a stirring set in the Stardust Theater, with a guest spot from Marcia Ball and a multi-performer finale that channeled Aretha.

Punch Brothers join bluegrass music cruise

The inaugural Mountain Song at Sea, a bluegrass festival on the ocean, just added the Punch Brothers to a line-up that already includes  the David Grisman Sextet, Del McCoury Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, Tim O’Brien and Bryan Sutton, the Kruger Brothers, Peter Rowan, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, The Travelin’ McCourys, Shannon Whitworth, Della Mae and Town Mountain.
The cruise comes from Sixthman, the same company that runs Cayamo, the Americana music cruise we’ve reported on extensively.
Details about the cruise can be found here.
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Cayamo Road Trip wraps up

Tim Brantley in Nashville

Cayamo is an Americana music festival on a cruise ship, and we’re fans. That’s why we were intrigued with its current road show promotion, traveling by bus to a number of markets to promote Sixthman cruises.
Chuck Cannon was the headliner on the final show of the tour, closing things out in his hometown of Nashville. Cannon has always been a repected songwriter, but his intimate and irreverent performances on Cayamo have made him a cruise favorite.
Opening for him were the Trailer Park Ninjas, who reportedly play covers on some Sixthman cruises, but unveiled a nice selection of original material, and Tim Brantley, whose “Heart of Stone,” a song about finding the right person, was a highlight of the evening.