From: International Herald Tribune NEW YORK - Les Claypool, the bass-guitar player and leader of the oddball psychedelic band Primus, has a taste for the strange. He has, after all, written a song called Pork Soda and has named another of his groups Colonel Claypools Bucket of Bernie Brains. So it comes as little surprise that he got a charge from the surreal vision he witnessed this last January onboard for Jam Cruise 2, a four-night sea outing for fans of improvisational rock bands.
continued Here we are playing at 4 in the morning, were doing this demented, twisted version of Another Brick in the Wall, he said. You know, people are tripping and having a good old time and were cruising past Cuba. ... Music-theme cruises primarily jazz and big band have been popular for at least 20 years, said Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the concert trade publication Pollstar. Not surprisingly, the music on those trips was geared toward a slightly older crowd, since older customers had more money to afford cruises. Today any number of travel agencies promote theme trips like oldies cruises, country cruises, even banjo cruises. But charter music trips like the Jam Cruise differ from the more traditional theme cruises because they trade elements like black-tie dinners and bingo for a music schedule that can run around the clock. ... For many younger cruisers, the highlights are hidden in unannounced or unanticipated music combos. McGinnis recalled one spontaneous jazz jam in an unused bar on a Jam Cruise that featured the bassist Rob Wasserman (who has played with the likes of Lou Reed and Elvis Costello) ... I would imagine it would work with any situation, Claypool said, even for a heavy metal marathon like Ozzfest. Im not sure Id want to be on it, he add. But you could do it. full story: http://www.iht.com/articles/526317.html cited from: Nelson, Chris: Jamming across the oceans, International Herald Tribune Online 24 June 2004 (Accessed 01 July 2004), <http://www.iht.com>
