HALcats

Jodie and the HALcats on the back deck, doing 5PM "Sailaway" set in Paraty, Brazil

Every Holland America ship has a 7-piece orchestra called the “HALcats”, the “HAL” part being the regularly-used acronym for Holland America Line.

The instrumentation is the same from one HAL ship to another -- a pianist, an electric keyboardist, a drummer, a percussionist, a bassist, a sax player, and a guitarist. In “the old days” there was always trumpet and trombone, to complete a the horn section, but those instruments were traded off for the extra keyboard and the percussionist, for a more modern sound. The sax man was retained, forever flexible for rock and jazz, and doubling on flute.

What all seven musicians have in common is that they’re good sight readers.
With the various contract lengths, -- usually 3 to 4 months -- any major port could mean the departure of as many as 4 guys, with their replacements on the stage that very night, immediately fitting in with the band via the written charts. In the 4 months I’ve been here, there’s been 5 different lineups, with personnel changes at least once a month.

Sometimes the HALcats are an “orchestra”, sometimes they’re a “band”. When they’re an orchestra, they’re in the Showroom providing backup for guest entertainers. If, say for instance, a particular guest entertainer is doing an 8PM and 10PM show one night, he and the HALcats will rehearse the show once that afternoon, with the entertainer providing charts for every instrument.

When the HALcats are a “band“, they’re deployed to various parts of the ship, playing dance or ambiance music for a variety of special situations. Tropical-sounding music for poolside in balmy weather, Pop-rocks hits for a sailaway on the back deck, Big Band music for a tuxedo dance event. They also break down into smaller units, quintet down to duo, for jazz performances.

Quite a few are from the USA, but they could be from anywhere in the world. Recently a French-Canadian guitarist got off the ship, replaced that evening by a Chilean guitarist. On the same day, a Ukrainian sax guy left, replaced that evening by an American.

Sometimes they know each other from previous contracts, but just as frequently they’re just meeting for the first time. If two or more know each other from previous HAL work, it’s a reunion of guys involved in a special niche of the music business, and they’re comrades.

Although the pianist is frequently the bandleader, anybody can work his way up to the title by demonstrating leadership. A drummer named Gabe, who was a sideman when I met him on the Amsterdam last year, was bandleader when I met him on the Veendam this year. He finished his Veendam contract a few weeks ago, and the bandleader job was given to a newly arrived pianist.

Being “Bandleader” entitles a person to his own cabin, and the remaining six musicians bunk up, two to a cabin. This would certainly motivate me to become a bandleader as quickly as possible.

There is also a job here for a female singer, who serves as frontperson for the HALcats on those dance and ambiance music assignments. The billing will be “Mary and the HALcats” or “Tootsie and the HALcats” or whatever. In my opinion Holland America has been fumbling around, making some awful decisions in their search for singers that are “youthful” enough to rock out, but ladylike enough not to alienate the older folks. On my previous contracts on other ships I saw HALcats singers -- overwrought Whitney Houston wannabes -- that the passengers hated.

But it’s a sweet job for the qualified girl. She gets her own cabin, and is not involved in the HALcats’ work with the guest entertainers, therefore she gets many days off. Recently a lady named Jodie got on the ship, and she’s the best HALcats singer I’ve seen so far.

Generally the HALcats are pretty young -- the current group runs from young 20s to mid-40s. I’ve met two older ones who seemed to be “lifers”, well into their 40s, experienced bandleaders, who been sailing 10 months a year, for many years. With that kind of consistent service comes some kind of health and retirement plan.

By contrast, most of the younger guys are just trying to save some money with some consistent work, in a day and age where there isn’t much consistent work to be had on land. Save some bucks, see the world a bit, accumulate experience, keep the skills sharp, make a plan. If you can live with the drawbacks of claustrophobia and separation from “back home”, it’s a decent deal, short-term or long-term.

I’ve never heard of a HALcats feud. They play together, go ashore together, dine together, drink together in the crew bar, basically (as Steely Dan once put it) “sharing the things they know and love, with those of their kind”. And in most cases, having the time of their lives.

Pianist-bandleader Anthony (San Diego) and singer Jodie (Australia)

Armando from Chile on guitar

Jennings from Wisconsin on bass


Graham from England on drums

Chris from Denver on percussion

"K V" from Detroit on keyboards

Eric from Georgia on sax and flute

On all HAL ships, HALcats repertoire is standardized with an official HALcats book of rock and pop hits. The singer is expected to fit right in, knowing the lead vocal to the tunes in the book, in the designated key.

"Nothin' you can say can tear me away from My Guy...."