Tempus
10-20-2006, 01:57 PM
Ronn, his wife Chris and I went out last night to hear Jamie Cullum.
I'm not someone who thinks of himself as jaded but, this past few years, it does take a fairly special performer to musically excite me. Cullum managed this with ease...
He was just great, as was his band.
Whatever his influences/inspirations may have been he's definitely someone who sees few - if any - boundaries between musical styles. He's clearly done a lot of Sinatra/crooner listening; knows his jazz standards; plays Jeff Buckley-type acoustic songs ( and even covered one in his own beautiful arrangement ); is able to steer his superb group through what are clearly unplanned, spontaneous changes to the set, even to the point of obviously re-arranging the songs as they're being played out ( largely using body language and hand gestures, something I've not seen happen since the last Zappa concert I ever attended ); knows how to use the piano as a percussion instrument; has an ear for DJ/turntable and multi-media audio-video effects; can swing like a mother; definitely knows how to work an audience; and often cavorts onstage like a bit of a punk.
At 26 years of age he's someone I really do believe has something worthy to offer - he gives me hope for popular music, actually.
Don't miss him if he comes your way...
http://www.jamiecullum.com/
I'm not someone who thinks of himself as jaded but, this past few years, it does take a fairly special performer to musically excite me. Cullum managed this with ease...
He was just great, as was his band.
Whatever his influences/inspirations may have been he's definitely someone who sees few - if any - boundaries between musical styles. He's clearly done a lot of Sinatra/crooner listening; knows his jazz standards; plays Jeff Buckley-type acoustic songs ( and even covered one in his own beautiful arrangement ); is able to steer his superb group through what are clearly unplanned, spontaneous changes to the set, even to the point of obviously re-arranging the songs as they're being played out ( largely using body language and hand gestures, something I've not seen happen since the last Zappa concert I ever attended ); knows how to use the piano as a percussion instrument; has an ear for DJ/turntable and multi-media audio-video effects; can swing like a mother; definitely knows how to work an audience; and often cavorts onstage like a bit of a punk.
At 26 years of age he's someone I really do believe has something worthy to offer - he gives me hope for popular music, actually.
Don't miss him if he comes your way...
http://www.jamiecullum.com/