New York, NY (Top40 Charts / Cunard Line) Cunard is excited to announce that jazz icon
Dee Dee Bridgewater will be co-headlining
Queen Mary 2's third Blue Note jazz-themed Transatlantic Crossing from New York to Southampton on October 25, 2016.
Bridgewater is a Triple Grammy Award Winner, a TONY Winner, a UN
Goodwill Ambassador, producer, record label head, and much more. Widely celebrated for her depth of artistry across mediums, Bridgewater will perform three intimate, powerhouse shows in The Royal Court Theatre as well as a Q&A session on board
Queen Mary 2's 7-night crossing.
Bridgewater joins booming baritone
Gregory Porter on the Transatlantic Crossing. Fellow jazz musician
Gregory Porter is also a Grammy® Winner and was awarded "International Jazz Artist of the Year" in 2015 by Jazz FM. (Porter's upcoming participation was announced in November, 2015.)
"I am thrilled to join Cunard and Blue Note for such a unique musical experience on board
Queen Mary 2," said Bridgewater. "To me, jazz symbolizes liberty and freedom of expression, and I look forward to sharing this jazz experience with guests on board and with my dear friend, Mr. Gregory Porter."
Bridgewater's career spans more than four decades, and began with her phenomenal debut in New York City in 1970 as the lead vocalist for the band led by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, one of the premier jazz orchestras of the day. Bridgewater marked an early career in concerts and recordings with musical giants including
Dizzy Gillespie, before beginning a career on Broadway, where she won a Tony Award for her role as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wiz. Her time on Broadway led to work in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and beyond. In London's West End, she garnered the coveted "Laurence Olivier" Award nomination as Best Actress for her tour de force portrayal of jazz legend Billie Holiday in Stephen Stahl's Lady Day.
"On behalf of Cunard, we are delighted to welcome
Dee Dee Bridgewater on board
Queen Mary 2," said Richard Meadows, president, Cunard North America. "Dee Dee is a phenomenal entertainer who captivates audiences worldwide, and we are thrilled for our guests to have a front-row seat to this intimate jazz experience with both her and
Gregory Porter on this very special Transatlantic Crossing."
For more information about
Queen Mary 2 or to book a voyage, contact your Travel Consultant, visit www.cunard.com.
About Blue Note Entertainment Group
Blue Note Entertainment Group, founded in 1981 by
Danny Bensusan, is a multi-faceted entertainment company that owns and operates New York's Blue Note Jazz Club, B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, Highline Ballroom, Subrosa, and Lucille's Grill; The
Howard Theatre (Washington D.C.); and Blue Note Jazz Clubs Worldwide (Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan; Milan, Italy; Waikiki, Hawaii and Beijing, China). The company also programs the Regattabar Jazz Club (Cambridge, MA). Blue Note Entertainment Group presents shows outside of its club network. The annual Blue Note Jazz Festival was established in 2011 and has since grown to become the largest jazz festival in New York City each June. Subsidiaries of Blue Note Entertainment Group include the GRAMMY®-nominated record label Half Note Records, whose catalogue includes over fifty titles recorded live at New York's Blue Note Jazz Club, as well as Blue Note Travel, Management Group and Media Group. The organization has presented many of the music industry's greatest artists over the past 35 years, including jazz legends such as
Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Ray Charles, Oscar Peterson,
Sarah Vaughn, Chris Botti, and many more.
