Hi, my name is Rex Thomson, and I’m addicted to live music. I’ve followed my passion from coast to coast, seeing bands in every conceivable setting, from buskers in subway stations to stadium shows where the musicians looked like bacteria on a slide from my seat. So, you can trust me when I say that there is no finer way to enjoy a concert than on the many stages of Jam Cruise.
As a videographer, I was fortunate enough to have the privilege of wandering the festival, capturing the amazing music that was being made, and sharing it with all of our readers. Every year, the performances on the boat set the bar for quality and rarity, as almost every show features bands taking risks they don’t usually dare. By stretching out songs, inviting up rare and unusual guests and simply letting the spirit of the musical free for all sweep them away, Jam Cruise is a gathering that is simply unmatched anywhere on the festival scene.
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank some of the unsung heroes who made my work sharing this videos possible. Jam Cruise knows just how special what they’re creating is, and brings in a crew of audio jedis to make sure the performances that rock Cruisers’ worlds get saved for posterity through their Cruise Tunes program. The team managed to record 82 sets, 941 tunes that lasted a grand total of 7525 minutes, roughly 125 hours of music that, thanks to their efforts, will be preserved for the ages.
Jam Cruise kindly allowed provided me with incredible audio matrix mixes that made my filming efforts sound as good as humanly possible. With just a few exceptions, all of my videos have had a lot of their magic sprinkled on to bring them to life. So to my main point man on my requests, Ethan Alpert and his magnificent team mates Dave Koorey aka Phrog, Tery Thompson, Kevin Stokes, Alex Farrar, Robert Cogswell, Charlie Miller, Chris Weimer, Danielle King, Ryan Walters and Jimmy Farrell I have nothing but praise and admiration for the incredible achievement you pulled off. You fine folks captured more amazing performances than ever, and you did it with precision, skill and good will for all. We here at Live For Live Music, as well as music fans around the world, are indebted to you for your aid and generosity.
You can buy all the available music they captured on the boat HERE!
And you can prebook for next years Jam Cruise adventure HERE!
Now let’s get to the music!
ALO – “Shapeshifter“
California’s ALO brought their mix of laid back vibes and aggressive jams to the deck on a lovely sunny day, and the crowd got behind them in a big way! Give a listen below:
Keller Williams w/ More Than A Little – “Freaker By The Speaker>Hey Ho Jorge“
Keller never disappoints, whatever genre he’s playing in, and his funk set on the Pool Deck with his More Than A Little band was one of the best of the weekend. Check out his jammy version of the classic “Freaker” below.
Nigel Hall – “A Song For You“
A stunningly emotive vocalist, Nigel Hall’s piano set was marked by spellbinding tunes that showcased his amazing skills as an entertainer. Enjoy a last taste of his magic below:
Brown Sabbath – “Planet Caravan“
One of my highlights of the cruise, this blast of pure funk metal from the Texas based Brownout blew people’s minds! Enjoy a super long and dark jam below:
Eric “Benny” Bloom in the Jazz Room
Trumpeter “Benny” Bloom of Lettuce took his set as host of the Jazz Room as a challenge to bring in the spirit of the old school lounge acts, mixing humor and scintillating solos and an all star cast to delight the lucky attendees. Enjoy a bit of the fun below:
Zach Deputy – “I Don’t Need No Doctor“
A one man band known for bringing the good vibes and love, Zach Deputy’s Atrium set was packed as always, so I had to get creative with the angle in order to film a song or two.
Holly Bowling – “Fly Famous Mockingbird“
Blasting onto the scene with a innate knack for transposing epic rock jams into near classical piano pieces, Holly Bowling showed a sense of poise and skill that was inspiring and uplifting all at once. Check out her rendition of a much loved Phish tune below.
Paul Hoffman and Anders Beck – “Who Is Frederico?”
Though Paul Hoffman and Anders Beck are more know for their bluegrass leanings, these Greensky Bluegrass jammers certainly seemed to be comfortable playing island influenced jams. Give a listen to some of their Caribbean stylings below:
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe – “Show Biz Kids”
Jam Cruise all star Karl Denson has made a point to make every single voyage better than the last, and this fun cover of the Steely Dan classic shows him in his element, funking the ship up! Check out the fun below.
Eddie Roberts & Robert Walter in the Jam Room
Stepping in at the last moment to cover for George Porter Jr., The New Mastersounds’ Eddie Roberts and Mike Gordon keyboard player Robert Walter kept one of Jam Cruise’s finest traditions, the Jam Room, going strong long into the night. Have a listen below:
Everyone Orchestra – “Keep Those Troubles Away“
Matt Butler‘s musical experiment, the Everyone Orchestra, gathers musicians to create an entirely improvised set of music that is completely of a time and place. ith the stellar assortment of players to choose from, watch the link below to see the magic unfold:
With all this amazing, once in a lifetime music taking place all out on the open seas, surrounded by an army of like minded people, all on a mission to have the most fun possible, Jam Cruise is truly one of the greatest experience a music fan can have. If you’ve been, then you know the truth of my words. If you haven’t, and you consider yourself a fan of live music, then you owe it to yourself to join the party next year and see for yourself what anyone who has taken the trip will eagerly tell you… Jam Cruise is the most fun you’ll ever have…period.
If you enjoyed what you watched above, there’s plenty more where that came from. Here are links to our video coverage up to this point for you to relive the magic for just a little longer. Enjoy!
Watch some of our favorite covers from around the boat HERE.
Watch Members of Lettuce and Dumpstaphunk in the Jam Room
Watch Keller Williams and More Than A Little Funk The Ship up On Jam Cruise
Watch Paul Hoffman and Anders Beck take Jam Cruise by Storm
Watch Lettuce deliver a massive dose of FUNK on the Pool Deck
Watch Anders Osborne, JJ Grey & More Form ‘Southern Soul Assembly’
Watch Latin Funk Band Brownout Perform Black Sabbath’s ‘The Wizard’
Watch Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe Funk Out With Nicki Bluhm
Watch Nigel Hall Sing An Eric Krasno Original
Watch Ron Holloway Join Cabinet For A Powerful ‘Susquehanna Breakdown’
Watch An Impromptu Chuck Berry Jam Session At ‘The Spot’ Ft. Marco Benevento, Nathan Scott Moore & More
Watch Dumpstaphunk, Trombone Shorty, Roosevelt Collier & Nigel Hall deliver a super funky “Meanwhile”
Watch Lettuce’s Benny Bloom host a fun and funny jam in the Jazz Room