I love so many things about cruising: alcoholic beverage packages, afternoon trivia, and having the freedom to do as much or as little as you like. I also love discovering talented musicians on board. The latest to catch my attention is Hunter deBlanc, who I’ve had the pleasure of checking out on my last two cruises on the Pacific Jewel. He hails from New Orleans, but he embraced Aussie tunes and delighted the masses in the Orient Bar with his stellar piano renditions of tracks from John Farnham, The Angels, and Daryl Braithwaite, to name a few. My husband and I were also thrilled with his knowledge of our favourite ’90s tunes. In amongst the covers, if you were lucky, he’d play one of his incredible original songs.
Which brings me to the point of this post. His contract on the Jewel is coming to a close, but he’s had such a blast with Australian audiences he’s already planning a return visit to play pub gigs in Melbourne, Sydney, and Newcastle. I’ll be sure to bring you the dates once they’re announced, but I just wanted to put him on your radar with my favourite of his originals, “California Orleans.”
Enjoy!