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Hey! Have you heard of Jamie Cullum? The new face on the block whose main axe (is that the right word?) is the piano?

My husband, Lloyd, and I went to a Jamie Cullum concert 8/10 at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA. 24 year old Cullum, is new to the States, but reportedly has quite a following in Britain where he has become the “best selling jazz artist of all time.”

This guy is fabulous in concert. High energy, jazz/pop/rock artist. Very eclectic range of music; he’s all over the place, plays from Cole Porter to mainstream pop/rock to Jimi Hendrix. His secret mission (he’s been called “Sinatra in sneakers”) it seems is to bring jazz to a younger audience. His following is all ages-the audience was 50% young/50% middle age and older. Accompanied by a bassist and drummer, Cullum and his acoustic Yamaha grand piano were the stars of the show.

Cullum is a real showman. He has some pretty inventive ways he plays the piano – I’d say more but wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for anyone who might go to see him.

Of Cullum’s CD - I have to compare it to hearing those canned Stevie Ray Vaughan cd’s. Stevie Ray’s studio CDs are great, but don’t approach the feeling of seeing him live. (saw SRV in concert back in the early 70’s).

Likewise, Cullum’s CD is great, but you don't really get an idea of what it’s like seeing this guy live in person on stage. If you get a chance to see Cullum in concert – go! You won’t regret it. Very high energy, fun show. Good jazz improv on the piano.

If you’re interested in hearing what Cullum sounds, like you can click on the link below. The link will take you to amazon.com to Cullum’s new cd called “Twenty Something.” You can scroll down the page to get to sound clips of his cd. Check it out. Cool stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A.../sr=ka-1/ref=pd_ka_1/103-2606078-3573435

Jeanne W

Hi Jeanne W

I saw him on the first date of his UK tour (Preston Guild Hall)...it was the night England beat Croatia in the euro finals.

I think he is absolutely fantastic...he is a very talented piano player...and an undoubtable superstar in the making...his stage presence and personality just shine.

They are in the process of recording one of his concerts onto a DVD...which should be fun.


regards


Lee

Based solely on the clips recommended by Jeanne W from Cullum's "Twenty Something" he sounds to me like a performer like hundreds of others. Perhaps his talent and charisma are more spectacular in live performances.
But then, what do I know?

Enough for me to agree with you, Bruce.

David

He has got great talent, but i agree with bruce.
Freedom

BruceC, JazzyD, Freedom:

Thanks for posting. Your comments are well received. You speak for more than a few others. If you listen only to soundclips from Cullum's cd, it's easy to get the impression Cullum is just one more jazz musician among many. Check out the concert review below from Cullum’s website: jamiecullum.com

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From The Times/Written by Clive Davis,

“There are some reasonable criticisms you can make of the newcomer from the West Country . You can find more original singers and more adventurous pianists and a fair amount of his repetoire could be described as affectionate pastiche. If you know him only from his album “Twenty Something” you may be wondering what all the fuss is about.

But Cullum in the flesh is a rare example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. There is a winning wrecklessness to his live shows. Like one of his deeply untrendy role models, Harry Connick, Jr. he possess the rare ability to make even the biggest venue seem intimate. Few who saw Connick’s London concert debut a decade and a half ago will forget how extraordinary an evening it was. Cullum comes close to matching him…”

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Cullum's performance - live in concert - is what really blew me away. He is an helluva performer. I don't know if anyone is doing jazz, at least on stage, quite the way Cullum is. Cullum's performance is electric, exciting and fun. He’s jumping all over the stage, the piano, he’s having fun and so does the audience.

Another thing that may distinguish Cullum a bit, I don’t consider him strictly jazz. There are elements of pop/rock where he is reaching more towards mainstream, for instance, some of his material he’s written himself including "All At Sea" that is currently getting airplay on the radio. And he mixes in rock/pop songs. Would Harrick Connick, Jr. types play "And The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendricks?

I loaned Cullum's CD to a DJ friend of mine (he' s more into jazz). FWIW, he liked the CD immediately. He commented it's nice to hear fresh interpretations of some of the old jazz standards.

I'm just hoping to share with members that here's someone you may really enjoy seeing in concert. You've really got to go see this guy in concert. His concert was a gas. If you like piano, you'll probably get a "kick" out of what he does on stage and the inventive ways he plays piano. I rate this as one of the most enjoyable, most fun concerts I've ever been to.

Thanks for posting and sharing your thoughts. We may never agree. If you go to one of his concerts you may still feel the same. That’s cool. We are not all the same. I believe it is Kenny whose tagline is "I am me. You are you." or "I am not you" -something to that effect. Truer words were never spoken. We’re here to share thoughts, opnions and banter back and forth. I think that’s great.

Jeanne W

I hate him. He kicks and jumps on pianos. He is as talented as many others.

starmender:

I thought that was part was great, but, yeah, that poor Yammie! I wondered about that, too. Imagine if he was doing that to a Tier 1 piano. Ack!

My husband thinks Cullum isn't hurting the piano.


Jeanne W

He did it to at least one Steinway in Austin last summer...

Other than beating on/disrespecting a very fine instrument, I like his sound, although I consider it pop music infused with jazz and rock.

"I consider it pop music infused with jazz and rock."

So do I

Vocals ruin jazz for me, I prefer trio stuff (Bill Evans' Paris Concert is great)