Best Lee Mergner Podcasts (2025)

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110: Remembering Ella Fitzgerald & Oscar Peterson w/Cecile McLorin Salvant, Sullivan Fortner & Kelly Peterson 47:58

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1d ago47:58

47:58

This episode, from a Jazz on Film session on the Journey of Jazz cruise, features an engaging discussion about the legacies of Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson with guests Cecile McLorin Salvant, Sullivan Fortner and Kelly Peterson, Oscar’s widow. --- Episode 110 of Jazz Cruises Conversations, is drawn from a "Jazz on Film" session on the Journey…

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109: Ravi Coltrane with Marcus Miller 46:31

8d ago46:31

46:31

Ravi Coltrane with Marcus Miller Marcus Miller interviews Ravi Coltrane about his musical evolution and the dual legacy of his parents, Alice and John Coltrane. This insightful and candid talk, recorded live on the Journey of Jazz cruise, covers the challenges of growing up under the shadow of a jazz icon and finding one's own voice through the mus…

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108: Emmet Cohen with Benny Benack III 53:16

16d ago53:16

53:16

Pianist Emmet Cohen sits down with his longtime friend, trumpeter and singer Benny Benack III, for a conversation recorded during the recent Journey of Jazz cruise. This interview tracks Cohen's journey from a college student to becoming a celebrated artist and future host of The Jazz Cruise. Cohen discusses the inspiration behind his acclaimed "Ma…

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107: Wycliffe Gordon with Sean Jones 54:41

23d ago54:41

54:41

In this episode of Jazz Cruises Conversations, recorded live on the recent Journey of Jazz cruise, trumpeter and educator Sean Jones interviews fellow brassman Wycliffe Gordon about his remarkable life and storied career in music. Jones and Gordon share a similar background, both having Georgia roots and musical beginnings in the church and gospel …

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106: Niki Haris "Lift Thine Eyes" Listening Party 1:05:57

1M ago1:05:57

1:05:57

This episode features a moving and candid listening party session with vocalist Niki Haris, recorded live during the Journey of Jazz cruise. Host Lee Mergner sets the scene as Niki plays and discusses several tracks from her deeply personal and spiritual album, Lift Thine Eyes. Niki reveals the challenging circumstances, including personal loss, he…

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#105: John Clayton & Jeff Hamilton with Marcus Miller 44:37

1M ago44:37

44:37

This interview from the Journey of Jazz cruise was hosted by Marcus Miller, co-host of that sailing, who talked with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, longtime co-leaders of the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Their Grammy Award-winning big band performed during the cruise and the two also played with their old friend Diana Krall. Marcus talked with…

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#104: Sullivan Fortner with Lee Mergner 49:57

1M ago49:57

49:57

This episode captures a coffee talk session from the recent Journey of Jazz Cruise, where host Lee Mergner interviews the great pianist Sullivan Fortner ("Sully"). Since Fortner does not enjoy talking about himself, the interview uses prompts featuring names of influential people in his life. Fortner, an adept mimic and great storyteller, shared pr…

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#103: Dee Dee Bridgewater with Marcus Miller 43:07

2M ago43:07

43:07

This week's episode, recorded during the Journey of Jazz Cruise on the West Coast, features Dee Dee Bridgewater in conversation with co-host Marcus Miller, sharing stories from her remarkable five-decade career. The interview explores her journey from setting big goals at age seven to her life in Paris, discussing how she overcame adversity and dev…

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#102: Alonzo Bodden & Marcus Miller 53:53

2M ago53:53

53:53

This freewheeling conversation between two longtime friends, bassist Marcus Miller and comedian Alonzo Bodden, took place on the Journey of Jazz cruise that sailed from Vancouver to Los Angeles with stops in Victoria, BC and San Francisco. The two decided to interview each other, with Alonzo asking Marcus about music and Marcus asking Alonzo about …

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#101: Dan Wilson with Christian McBride 1:05:26

8M ago1:05:26

1:05:26

This interview with guitarist Dan Wilson by his friend and mentor Christian McBride was taped during The Jazz Cruise for broadcast on the radio show “The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian” on SiriusXM’s Real Jazz channel. This LEARN session covers their joint history, as well as Dan’s early musical development, playing in church. In keeping wit…

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#100: John Pizzarelli with Catherine Russell 49:59

8M ago49:59

49:59

This conversation was recorded during The Jazz Cruise earlier this year, and it featured a conversation between two of our longtime favorite performers – vocalist Catherine Russell and guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli, with Catherine taking on the interviewer role. For the last few years, John and Catherine have been performing together in a …

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#99: James Morrison with Eric Marienthal 48:56

1y ago48:56

48:56

This conversation was recorded during The Jazz Cruise '24 and it features an interview with multi-instrumentalist James Morrison, who talked with the cruise's music director Eric Marienthal about the challenges of playing multiple instruments at a high level. James also discusses his experiences as an airplane pilot, who does in fact fly himself an…

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#98: Mindi Abair with Talaya 54:14

1y ago54:14

54:14

This conversation with saxophonist Mindi Abair, hosted by Talaya of "Watercolors" on SiriusXM, was recorded on the second week of The Smooth Jazz Cruise earlier this year. The two talked about Mindi's storied career and her interests off the bandstand. Send us a text Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or where…

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#97: Randy Brecker on Miles Davis (with Lee Mergner) 39:22

1y ago39:22

39:22

In this conversation recorded during Botti at Sea '24, as part of the Jazz on Film series hosted by Lee Mergner, we showed a bit of Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Stanley Nelson's 2019 documentary about the great trumpeter. To talk about Miles' life and legacy, we asked another great trumpeter, Randy Brecker, who has always been a marvelous story …

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#96: Jazzmeia Horn & Cyrille Aimee with Catherine Russell 50:24

1y ago50:24

50:24

This conversation was recorded on The Jazz Cruise earlier this year and it featured a talk with Jazzmeia Horn and Cyrille Aimee, moderated by fellow vocalist Catherine Russell, who is also one of the hosts of The Jazz Cruise. The two talked about their unique musical roots – Jazzmeia's in gospel and Cyrille's in French gypsy music and how they firs…

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#95: Rick Braun, Richard Elliot & Peter White with Talaya 51:23

1y ago51:23

51:23

This conversation with three of our artists was recorded on the first sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise earlier this year. It features a talk with Rick Braun, Richard Elliot and Peter White, moderated by one of our hosts, Talaya from Sirius XM. The three old friends talked about the first time they met, mostly going back to the 80s, when fusion was…

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#94: Jose James on Bill Withers (with Lee Mergner) 33:36

1+ y ago33:36

33:36

As part of the Jazz on Film series on Botti at Sea '24, host Lee Mergner showed a bit of the documentary "Still Bill" about Bill Withers. Jose James, who paid tribute to Bill with his album "Lean on Me," then talked with Lee about the great singer-songwriter's music, life and legacy. Send us a text Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversati…

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#93: Bria Skonberg & Benny Benack III with James Morrison 49:39

1+ y ago49:39

49:39

This conversation recorded on the Jazz Cruise earlier this year is from one of our LEARN sessions held during the day. James Morrison interviewed fellow trumpeters Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack the third. They talk plenty of brass of course, but also about how they balance playing and singing. And the two talk about how their own style and sound e…

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#92: Marcus Miller & Alonzo Bodden 1:02:56

1+ y ago1:02:56

1:02:56

In this episode, two of our longtime cruise hosts and headliners—Alonzo Bodden and Marcus Miller—talk music, comedy and life in a free-wheeling and entertaining conversation recorded on The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Although Alonzo kicks it off as the interviewer, in reality any session with these two longtime friends is bound to go back and forth, with …

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#91: Samara Joy on Sarah Vaughan (with Lee Mergner) 31:52

1+ y ago31:52

31:52

This conversation was recorded on the inaugural sailing of Botti at Sea in 2024 and it featured an interview with the great vocalist Samara Joy, as part of the Jazz on Film series Lee Mergner hosted that week. Samara talked in depth about Sarah's incredible legacy and about her own evolution as a jazz singer in this candid conversation. Send us a t…

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#90: Kenny Barron with Shelly Berg 47:30

1+ y ago47:30

47:30

This conversation was recorded during the most recent sailing of The Jazz Cruise and it featured an interview of NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron by our artistic director Shelly Berg. Kenny talked with Shelly about his early formative years growing up in Philadelphia, as well as about lessons learned from playing with jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespi…

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#89: Jeffrey Osborne with Marcus Miller 51:42

1+ y ago51:42

51:42

This conversation with vocalist Jeffrey Osborne was recorded during a recent sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Jeffrey talked with Marcus Miller about his rigorous health regimen and about his early years as a vocalist and his time with LTD, which started as a back up band for Sam and Dave. Did you know that Jeffrey actually started out as a drumm…

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#88: Chucho Valdes & Paquito D'Rivera with James Morrison 49:47

1+ y ago49:47

49:47

This conversation was recorded during the most recent sailing of The Jazz Cruise and it featured an interview with two longtime friends and colleagues—Paquito D'Rivera and Chucho Valdes. Going back to their native land of Cuba, Paquito played in Irakere, a band founded in 1973 by Chucho who led that band for more than four decades. The two recently…

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#87: Gregory Porter on Nat King Cole (with Lee Mergner) 33:14

1+ y ago33:14

33:14

This conversation was recorded on the inaugural sailing of Botti at Sea and it featured an interview with the great vocalist Gregory Porter by Lee Mergner, as part of the Jazz on Film series he hosted that week. This episode is about the legendary Nat King Cole. Most people know about Gregory's professional affinity for Nat and his music, but may n…

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#86: Mindi Abair with Talaya 46:33

1+ y ago46:33

46:33

In this conversation recorded on The Smooth Jazz Cruise 24.1, saxophonist Mindi Abair talks with cruise host Talaya from SiriusXM. . Mindi talked about collaborating with other artists on The Smooth Jazz Cruise. And about breaking into the music business when she first moved to LA where she was discovered by Bobby Lyle. She also reflects on partner…

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#85: Keb' Mo' with Alonzo Bodden 50:03

1+ y ago50:03

50:03

In this one-on-one conversation from Botti at Sea earlier this year, Alonzo Bodden, our longtime comedian in residence, sat down with Keb' Mo' to talk about his storied career in music. And that career has truly been storied, starting with the fact that Keb' released his first album way back when, billed by his given name of Kevin Moore. Of course,…

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#84: Renee Rosnes with Catherine Russell 48:41

1+ y ago48:41

48:41

In this conversation from The Jazz Cruise '24, Catherine Russell interviewed pianist Renee Rosnes about her upbringing in Canada as a student of classical music who was introduced to jazz by an important mentor. Renee also reflected on working with jazz legends like Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson and James Moody. She also talked about her own music a…

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#83: Sheila E with Don Was 1:02:16

2y ago1:02:16

1:02:16

In this interview from Blue Note at Sea '23, noted record producer Don Was spoke with the great percussionist and bandleader Sheila E. Sheila talked with Don about her unique musical relationship with her father Pete Escovedo and her brothers. She shared stories of working with legendary artists such as Ringo Starr, Marvin Gaye, George Duke, Herbie…

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#82: Wynton Marsalis with Christian McBride 1:03:02

2y ago1:03:02

1:03:02

This episode features a very special interview with jazz icon Wynton Marsalis by his old friend Christian McBride from The Jazz Cruise earlier this year. The two have a long history going back to 1984 when Christian was a 14-year-old bassist in Philadelphia and Wynton took him under his wing. He even assured Christian's mother that we would watch o…

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#81: Brian Culbertson with Talaya 44:34

2y ago44:34

44:34

This episode features an interview with keyboardist/trombonist/bandleader Brian Culbertson by Talaya from The Smooth Jazz Cruise in 2023. Brian talks about recording his first album in his apartment when he was in college at DePaul in Chicago. He also explained how he came to develop his streaming show The Hang and how he recorded numerous albums d…

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#80: David Sanborn with Marcus Miller 1:06:10

2y ago1:06:10

1:06:10

In this conversation recorded during Blue Note at Sea '23, saxophonist David Sanborn talks with his old friend and colleague Marcus Miller about his storied life and career in music. Send us a text Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundr…

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#79: Christian McBride with Don Was 50:12

2y ago50:12

50:12

In this conversation from Blue Note at Sea '23, host Don Was interviews Christian McBride about his practice regimen for the bass, his early years growing up in Philadelphia, his love of James Brown and how he handles his many roles as a musician, composer, bandleader, radio host and educator. Send us a text Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises …

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#78: Candy Dulfer with Talaya 53:43

2+ y ago53:43

53:43

This episode recorded on The Smooth Jazz Cruise features an interview with saxophonist Candy Dulfer by one of our hosts Talaya. Candy talked about her very musical upbringing in the Netherlands with her father Hans, a noted jazz saxophonist, as well as her own unique journey, crossing paths and collaborating with Dave Stewart, Prince and Van Morris…

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#77: Marcus Miller & Alonzo Bodden 1:12:30

2+ y ago1:12:30

1:12:30

This episode features a true 1:1 conversation between two old friends, comedian Alonzo Bodden and bassist/bandleader/composer Marcus Miller. Recorded on Blue Note at Sea '23, the two talked about music and comedy and everything in between. Send us a text Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get y…

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#76: Samara Joy with Shelly Berg 47:32

2+ y ago47:32

47:32

In this conversation recorded during The Jazz Cruise '23, Shelly Berg interviewed vocal jazz sensation Samara Joy for his "Generation Next" show on SiriusXM's Real Jazz channel. Send us a text Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred in…

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#75: Michael McDonald with Marcus Miller 47:25

2+ y ago47:25

47:25

This week's episode of the Jazz Cruises Conversations podcast features a very special interview by Marcus Miller with Michael McDonald, recorded on The Smooth Jazz Cruise earlier this year. Marcus talked with Michael about his long and storied career, which started out in St. Louis, playing and singing in local cover bands. The rest is history, whi…

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#74: Chris Botti with Christian McBride 59:51

2+ y ago59:51

59:51

In this one-on-one conversation from Blue Note at Sea earlier this year, Christian McBride interviewed Chris Botti for an episode of his Sirius XM radio show "The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian." Chris talked about the rewards and challenges of his long-running residency at the Blue Note in New York City. The two also talked about Chris' beg…

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#73: Renee Rosnes and Billy Childs with LeRoy Downs 55:50

2+ y ago55:50

55:50

In this episode of the newly renamed Jazz Cruises Conversations podcast, pianists Renee Rosnes and Billy Childs talked with host LeRoy Downs about their common history and inspirations. Send us a text Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hu…

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#72: Cecile McLorin Salvant with David Sanborn 50:45

2+ y ago50:45

50:45

This conversation from Blue Note at Sea '23 featured the acclaimed singer and songwriter Cecile McLorin Salvant, who was interviewed by David SanbornThe two talked about Cecile's passion and gift for the visual arts, and they dug very deep on her recent album Ghost Song, which he clearly listened to a lot. And they got into Cecile's multi-genre pro…

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#71: Sullivan Fortner with Emmet Cohen 1:08:25

4+ y ago1:08:25

1:08:25

Sullivan Fortner sits down with fellow pianist Emmet Cohen to talk about coming from New Orleans to New York City and his emergence on the jazz scene. Sullivan and Emmet talk about the various piano competitions they entered together. Sullivan also discusses his musical relationship with vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant. And he shows Emmet some of h…

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#70: Monty Alexander with John Clayton 1:07:57

4+ y ago1:07:57

1:07:57

In this episode from our live conversation series on Facebook and YouTube, the noted pianist Monty Alexander talks with bassist and former bandmate John Clayton about his storied life in music. It's a reunion of sorts because back in the mid-70s, Monty led a trio with John and drummer Jeff Hamilton. The three road warriors performed about 300 days …

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#69: John Clayton with Ken Peplowski 2:06:32

4+ y ago2:06:32

2:06:32

In this Before & After listening session, co-presented on Zoom with JazzTimes, Ken Peplowski plays a dozen tunes for his friend and colleague John Clayton, who shows off his very acute ears. Besides going deep on the cuts, the two talk about a wide range of topics, including the nuance of the beat, the dangers of the metronome, and why fake books h…

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#68: Bria Skonberg with Jennifer Wharton 1:02:55

4+ y ago1:02:55

1:02:55

In a recent conversation streamed online, bass trombonist Jennifer Wharton interviewed trumpeter and singer Bria Skonberg about her life in music. The two discussed everything from choosing the right mutes to balancing the professional demands of playing music with the personal demands of family life. Send us a text Listen to more episodes of Jazz …

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#67: Niki Haris with Ann Hampton Callaway 1:12:39

4+ y ago1:12:39

1:12:39

This singer-on-singer chat was streamed live at part of Jazz Cruise Conversations Live series on social media. Niki Haris talked with fellow vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway about her colorful and unique career from singing and touring with Madonna to performing jazz at festivals and venues all over the world. Niki also talks about growing up as the d…

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#66: Paquito D'Rivera with Ken Peplowski 1:07:38

5y ago1:07:38

1:07:38

Paquito D'Rivera spoke with fellow clarinetist (and saxophonist) Ken Peplowski in this chat that was streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. The two voluble favorites of The Jazz Cruise talk clarinet of course, but they also discuss Paquito growing up in Cuba, his introduction to music and jazz, his affinity for Brazilian music and his long musical …

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#65: Christian McBride with Alonzo Bodden 1:20:00

5y ago1:20:00

1:20:00

Bassist/bandleader/composer/radio host/educator/artistic director Christian McBride talks with comedian Alonzo Bodden about social issues, sports, comedy, jazz and of course, the bass. We also surprise Christian with some special guests who show up about 45 minutes in and who kept the conversation going for another half hour. Send us a text Listen …

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#64: Nicki Parrott with John Clayton 1:04:21

5y ago1:04:21

1:04:21

The multi-faceted bassist AND singer Nicki Parrott talks with fellow bassist John Clayton about growing up in Australia and about how and why she took up the bass. The two share their memories of Ray Brown, a mentor to John and a big influence on Nicki. They also discuss their common appreciation for cooking and Nicki shares a short clip from her w…

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#63: Wycliffe Gordon with Eulis Cathey 1:07:31

5y ago1:07:31

1:07:31

The virtuoso trombonist Wycliffe Gordon talks with Sirius XM radio host Eulis Cathey about his long and storied career, which began in Augusta, Georgia. Wycliffe explains the impact of playing music in the church there in Augusta. He also discusses his introduction to jazz, as well as the far-reaching influence of his mentor, Wynton Marsalis. Send …

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#62: Terell Stafford with Eulis Cathey 1:06:59

5y ago1:06:59

1:06:59

Noted trumpeter and educator Terell Stafford talks with Sirius XM radio host Eulis Cathey about his background as a classical musicians and how he made the transition to become an accomplished and influential jazz musician. Terell talks about some of his mentors and also about what he tries to teach his students in his role as head of the music dep…

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#61: Ann Hampton Callaway with Kurt Elling 1:05:21

5y ago1:05:21

1:05:21

Ann Hampton Callaway talks with fellow singer and songwriter Kurt Elling about growing up in Chicago and she shares insight into her creative process for choosing and writing songs. The two talk about the legacy of Freddy Cole whom they both got to know well during sailings of The Jazz Cruise over the years. Ann even performs a song in memory of th…