Galactic, photo by Joshua Timmermans

Jam Cruise 22 continued its musical voyage through the Caribbean on Sunday with a second day of stellar performances. On the sailing festival’s first full day at sea, passengers were treated to an extended musical program, beginning at noon and running through to 5 in the morning. With the sheer volume of outstanding talent onboard, every hour brings tough choices with no wrong answers.

Sunday’s sets began with Kendall Street Company, a band that may best exemplify the intricate genre fusions that undergird and endlessly revitalize the jam scene. The Virginia-based quintet thrives at the intersection of folk, prog, and psychedelia, and they continuously tweaked the balance of those elements through their set, navigating from sparse and tender selections and funny and funky anthems, one of which featured a sit-in from vocalist Kamika Moore.

By the serene and sun-soaked Garden Pool, singer-songwriter Anna Moss enchanted with soulful folk rock, complemented by lofty harmonies from Sari Jordan and Emma Rose on a peaceful treatment of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” On the Pool Deck main stage and the other end of the festival’s musical spectrum, Mihali unleashed his spacy and shredding brand of reggae-rock on core cuts like last year’s “James Dean.”

The mid-afternoon block of performances rolled in with the return of Greyboy Allstars cofounder and celebrated multi-instrumentalist Karl Denson, whose tried and true Tiny Universe ensemble has taken part in Jam Cruise since its inception. Denson, energetic and warm as ever, toggled rapidly between vocals, flute and saxophone to lead his backing septet through a barrage of infectious funk and fusion in the Pantheon Theater. While Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz wrapped up an “& Friends” set by the Garden Pool, featuring Eggy’s Alex Bailey, Everyone Orchestra’s Matt Butler, the Galbraith Sisters and Moss, The Wood Brothers followed up their awe-inspiring performance on Friday night with a Pool Stage set, featuring sit-ins from Jake Simpson on “One More Day” and Moore on “Up Above My Head.”

In the early evening, Peter Levin, Chalk Dinosaur and Rose’s bluegrass ensemble, who hosted Oliver Wood for an enchanting duet, seized intimate audiences away from Super Bowl LX, and torch-bearing electric blues firebrand Christone “Kingfish” Ingraham held soul-stirring services on the Pool Deck that culminated in a ripping rendition of his 2021 staple “Long Distance Woman.” After the halftime show, fans flooded out from the Pantheon watch party to catch the bombastic “country funk” outfit Diggin’ Dirt in the Black & White Lounge, who paid tribute to the Godfather of Soul with a frenetic uptempo take on James Brown’s “Cold Sweat.”

The funk continued back on the Pool Deck with the arrival of New Orleans’ three-decade power house, Galactic. Helmed by vocalist Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, the sextet tore through a cascade of staggering solos and surprise guest spots, including sit-ins from Cimafunk, Joe Ashlar, Chali 2na, The Horn Section and Datrian Jackson, who joined Jelly on a duet of Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can.” In the Pantheon, Dumpstaphunk unleashed sharp staccato horn blasts, rubbery basslines, and electrifying keyboard mastery from Ivan Neville on “Where Do We Go From Here,” then tapped Lettuce’s Nigel Hall to add lead vocals to a tribute to the late bassist Nick Daniels III.

As Taper’s Choice settled into their set on the Pool Deck, bassist and vocalist Alex Bleeker announced, “I thought we’d have to fight the wind, but I feel like we’re utilizing the wind.” In the throes of ocean breezes lashing across the stage and sending attendees’ hats flying, the indie-jam supergroup summoned the power of the elements like Prince at Super Bowl XLI to cultivate spacious and cinematic atmospheres that reflected the grandeur of the scene. Bleeker dropped down heavy chords to add gravity and tripping, unpredictable runs to strip it away, while Dave Harrington exercised meditative restraint outside of fiery peaks, Zach Tenorio’s maniac stabs at the keys bridged Beethoven and Al Kooper and Chris Tomson commanded elaborate rhythmic shifts with power and inventive precision.

Sunday’s sets continued well into Monday with late-night performances from Here Come the Mummies, Harrington’s Pranksters at Sea jam, and The Disco Biscuits, who shared their first inverted version of “Rivers” since September 2010. Stay tuned for another message in a bottle tomorrow, and get an inside look at last night’s shows in the gallery below.