The Jazz Cruise lineups are comprised of nearly 100 of the very top jazz musicians in the world. Over the years, several musicians have become mainstays of the cruise and return nearly every year. Another large group of musicians are frequent, though not perennial participants, and, whenever possible The Jazz Cruise features a musician who is either new on the scene or simply new to the cruise. This combination of musicians creates excitement and enthusiasm, while maintaining a solid base upon which the aura of the cruise is built.
Dianne Reeves
Christian McBride
CO-HOSTDuane Eubanks
The Eubanks BrothersTrumpeter Duane Eubanks is a multi-talented force whose fiery blasts and sweet distinctive sound carry his horn into a musical space that defies categorization. There’s a gritty soul and passion that emphatically captures his Philadelphia roots. Jazz is his bloodline. That bloodline began with his mother, pianist Vera Eubanks. She was Kenny Barron’s first piano teacher. His brothers are celebrated trombonist Robin Eubanks and guitarist Kevin Eubanks, with whom he’ll perform on The Jazz Cruise. Legendary pianist Ray Bryant is their uncle.
He began playing trumpet at 11 but didn’t consider music as a career until college. While studying for a business degree at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, Duane joined the university’s jazz band. He jumpstarted himself into opportunities to play with jazz luminaries Stanley Turrentine, Shirley Scott, Charles Fambrough and Clark Terry. Duane studied jazz in master classes at Temple University with the legendary Dr. Billy Taylor. He was later tapped by the late pianist Mulgrew Miller to join his ensemble, Wingspan. Acclaimed bassist/bandleader Dave Holland invited Duane to play with his big band on a pair of Grammy® award-winning albums. He also recorded and played with Elvin Jones, John Hicks, Curtis Fuller, Louis Hayes, Randy Brecker, Avery Sharpe and Nicholas Payton.
Duane crossed over to play and record with Alicia Keys, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Wu-Tang Clan, and Kirk Franklin. He has played the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center, as well as toured throughout Europe, Japan, and the Middle East. His most recent albums as a bandleader are Things of that Particular Nature and DE3-Live at Maxwell’s, both on Sunnyside.
Kevin Eubanks
The Eubanks BrothersThe guitarist and prolific composer Kevin Eubanks is well known by many as the former Music Director of The Tonight Show band, appearing on the show for 18 years (1992 - 2010). His laid-back style and affability belies the concentration and focus that have made him successful both as a consummate musician and a household name for late-night TV viewers.
Kevin, along with brothers Duane and Robin, was born into a musical household in Philadelphia, PA. His mother, Vera Eubanks, was Kenny Barron’s first piano teacher. Vera’s brother is the legendary pianist Ray Bryant. Kevin began violin lessons at age seven and also studied the trumpet before making his commitment to the guitar, which was solidified with his entrance to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, from which he later received an ‘Honorary Doctorate’ degree.
Kevin would go on to work with jazz greats such as Art Blakey, Slide Hampton, McCoy Tyner, Sam Rivers, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland, Ron Carter and others. In addition to working in other bands, Kevin became the leader of his own groups that have toured all over the world. He has recorded more than 15 albums as a leader, plus several as a co-leader with artists like Orrin Evans and Stanley Jordan.
Kevin has written scores for both TV movies and full-length independent feature films and he’s appeared on various TV shows from Hollywood Squares to Celebrity Family Feud (with his sister and two brothers!). He has taught at the Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp, the Banff School and Rutgers University, as well as hosting master classes at many colleges and universities. In addition to concert touring, Kevin has begun presenting at conferences around the country not only as a musician but also as a motivational speaker to people of all ages. This marks his debut on The Jazz Cruise.
Robin Eubanks
The Eubanks BrothersRobin Eubanks is one of the premier jazz trombonists of his generation. Whether performing with his groups, EB3 or Mental Images, or with the critically acclaimed Dave Holland Quintet and Big Band, Robin is an artist whose impact on audiences has proven powerful and lasting. Robin has recorded more than seven albums as a leader featuring his original music.
Robin was born to a very musical family: His brother, Kevin, was the music director for The Tonight Show and another brother, Duane, plays trumpet. Their mother has been a music educator for more than 30 years; and their uncle is the jazz pianist Ray Bryant. Robin began studying music at the age of eight and continued through college, when he graduated cum laud from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Following his graduation, the young trombonist moved to New York City where he began a career that has since yielded an amazing array of collaborations with such notable artists as Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Eddie Palmieri, Sun Ra, Barbra Streisand, The Rolling Stones and Talking Heads—just to name a few. He's won Grammys for his performances on Michael Brecker's Wide Angles and Dave Holland's What Goes Around.
For the last several years, Robin has divided his rigorous performing schedule with the Mingus Big Band and his own groups with teaching at The Oberlin College Conservatory where he serves as a tenured Professor of Jazz Trombone. He has sailed numerous times on The Jazz Cruise as an All-Star but returns in 2025 to perform with his two brothers.
Charles McPherson
Kurt Elling
Catherine Russell
Houston Person
Houston Person is a legend in jazz. After years as producer and house tenor for HighNote Records and touring with the late Etta Jones, Person is now known as a master of popular songs played in a relaxed, highly accessible style reminiscent of the great Ben Webster.
Houston’s appearances as sideman are legion, and include recordings with Etta Jones, Lena Horne, Lou Rawls, Dakota Staton, Horace Silver, Charles Earland, Joey DeFrancesco, and many others. As a record producer, he has worked with many artists, including Etta Jones, Freddy Cole, Charles Brown, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Dakota Staton, and Ernie Andrews.
The Jazz Cruise knows him best as the most influential person in the history and development of the program. From the start (2001), Houston has been the heart and soul of the cruise, offering his music in a style that makes everyone happy. His grace and leadership have kept The Jazz Cruise on the right track for more than 20 years.
Ann Hampton Callaway
Bill Charlap
John Pizzarelli
Jeff Hamilton
Drummer Jeff Hamilton has been honing his big band skills since the tender age of 8, earning him a presence on the stage with legends like Ella Fitzgerald, the Count Basie Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, Monty Alexander, and Diana Krall. Featured in nearly 200 recordings – including 16 Grammy® Award-winning titles – with the likes of Natalie Cole, Barbra Streisand, Mel Torme and Herb Ellis, Jeff also teaches, arranges, and composes for the drums. Mentored by legends such as Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown, Jeff in turn has been a teacher and inspiration to multiple generations of young musicians.
Jeff is also the co-leader of the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (the Grammy® -nominated big band that provides backup for Diana Krall). The Jeff Hamilton Trio featuring Tamir Hendelman and John Hamar, has been a pillar of The Jazz Cruise for nearly two decades. For years, Jeff has served as the untitled co-producer of The Jazz Cruise aiding our staff with insights and ideas that have made The Jazz Cruise so special.
One needs to arrive at a Jeff Hamilton event early enough to secure a seat as virtually every drummer on the ship will be there to watch and admire.
Arturo Sandoval
Clint Holmes
Randy Brecker
Shelly Berg
Artistic DirectorJohn Clayton
BIG BAND DIRECTOREric Marienthal
Music DirectorWycliffe Gordon
Ken Peplowski
James Morrison
Emmet Cohen
Co-HostBenny Benack III
Niki Haris
Sullivan Fortner
Tamir Hendelman
Ted Rosenthal
Renee Rosnes
Isaiah J. Thompson
Mathis Picard
Lewis Nash
Herlin Riley
Tim Horner
Kenny Washington
Michael Karn
Martin Wind
Peter Washington
Raised in the Bay area, bassist Peter Washington attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he performed with the San Francisco Youth Symphony and the UC Symphony Orchestra. His growing interest in jazz led him to play with John Handy, Bobby Hutcherson, and other Bay Area luminaries. In 1986 he joined Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers and moved to New York City.
Beginning in the 1990s, he toured with the Tommy Flanagan Trio and he has played with the Bill Charlap Trio since the mid ‘90s. He was a founding member of the collective sextet One for All and is a visiting artist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 2008, Washington played with The Blue Note 7, an all-star septet formed in honor of Blue Note Records’ 70th Anniversary. His more than 400 recordings speak to a constant demand for his talents, including performing with longtime colleague Bill Charlap on this cruise.