Jamie Cullum | |
---|---|
![]() Cullum performing at The Queen's Birthday Party in 2018 | |
Background information | |
Born | Rochford, Essex, England | 20 August 1979
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Instruments |
|
Discography | Jamie Cullum discography |
Years active | 1999–present |
Labels | |
Spouse(s) | |
Website | www |
Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) [1] is an English jazz-pop singer, pianist, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine studio albums, three compilation albums, one live album and twenty-four singles. Since April 2010, he has presented a weekly Tuesday evening jazz show on BBC Radio 2. [2]
Cullum's Jewish father, whose own mother had fled Nazi Germany, was born in Jerusalem. His mother's father was Indian and her mother was born in Burma. Following the Japanese invasion, the family left Burma and moved to Wales, when his mother was aged five. [3]
Cullum was born in Rochford, Essex, [4] but was brought up in Hullavington, Wiltshire. [5] He failed his grade 4 piano exam, and by his own admission can barely read music. [6] At 15, after attending Grittleton House School, [5] he went to Sheldon School in Chippenham. [7] He felt that he "was on a pathway" for a place at the University of Oxford; [8] instead, he read English Literature and Film Studies at the University of Reading, from where he graduated with First-Class Honours. [9]
Cullum produced his first album, Heard It All Before , with only £480. It was released in 1999, with only 500 copies made. [10] The success of the album led to an invitation to appear on Geoff Gascoyne's album Songs of the Summer. [11]
After graduating from Reading University, Cullum released his album Pointless Nostalgic (2002), which stirred interest from broadcasters Michael Parkinson [12] and Melvyn Bragg.
Just after Cullum made his first television appearance, on Parkinson , in April 2003, he signed a £1m contract [13] for three albums with Universal, who beat Sony in a bidding war. Cullum's third studio album, Twentysomething , released in October 2003, went platinum and became the No. 1 selling studio album by a jazz artist in the United Kingdom. Cullum ended 2003 as the UK's biggest selling jazz artist of all time. [13]
Although primarily a jazz musician, Cullum performs in a wide range of styles and is generally regarded as a "crossover" artist, with his musical roots firmly based in jazz. Cullum draws his inspiration from many different musicians and listens to an eclectic mix of music including Miles Davis. [14]
A stomp box made from a small wooden block (not to be confused with an effect pedal for guitars) features in Cullum's concerts. The box is used to amplify a musician's tapping foot. Cullum found this in Melbourne, Australia and uses it to enhance upbeat and fast-paced songs such as "Seven Nation Army", originally by The White Stripes, and "Gold Digger", originally by Kanye West. He also often uses a looping machine; this plays a major part in Cullum's versions of "Seven Nation Army" and "Teardrop" by Massive Attack. Cullum also beatboxes at most gigs.
As well as The White Stripes and Kanye West, Cullum has performed work by Massive Attack, Pharrell, Rihanna, Pussycat Dolls, Radiohead, Gnarls Barkley, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Joy Division, Lady Gaga and many others. He has performed with Deltron 3030, Kylie Minogue, Sugababes, will.i.am, Burt Bacharach and The Heritage Orchestra.
Cullum has played at many large music festivals, including Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (in 2006, 2009 and 2015), Montreux Jazz Festival (2004, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018), Glastonbury (2004, 2009 and 2017), New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (in 2005), Coachella (2005), South by Southwest (2004, 2006), North Sea Jazz Festival, the Hollywood Bowl (performing with the Count Basie Orchestra), the 2006 Playboy Jazz Festival, the 2007 Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival and the 2008 Monterey Jazz Festival. On 30 April 2006 Cullum played his biggest-ever crowd on Queensday in the Netherlands.
In February 2012, Germany picked Roman Lob with "Standing Still", a composition by Cullum alongside Steve Robson and Wayne Hector, as their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. [15]
In October 2014, Cullum appeared in a comedy sketch with Jimmy Carr and Daisy Lowe, which was made for Channel 4's The Feeling Nuts Comedy Night to raise awareness of testicular cancer.
On 30 April 2016, Cullum played at The White House in Washington, D.C., as part of the International Jazz Day Global Concert. [16]
In January 2017, Cullum appeared as a member of the house band in ITV's The Halcyon . [17]
On this album, Cullum created covers of old classics with new arrangements of Bob Dorough's composition "Devil May Care", Thelonious Monk's "Well You Needn't" and Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So".
The song as recorded by Cullum ("It Ain't Necessarily So") is also used in the film The Anatomy of Hate; A Dialogue to Hope by Mike Ramsdell.
Recorded at London's Mayfair Studios and released in 2003, Twentysomething contains a mix of jazz standards, contemporary covers, and ballads. Due to the acoustic nature of the music, producer Stewart Levine chose to record and mix Twentysomething entirely on analogue tape.
The album includes jazz standards "What a Diff'rence a Day Made", "Singin' in the Rain", and Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick out of You", modern takes on My Fair Lady 's "I Could Have Danced All Night", Jeff Buckley's "Lover, You Should Have Come Over", and Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary", as well as new tracks written by Cullum and his brother Ben, including the first single from the album All at Sea and the title track "Twentysomething".
Catching Tales has been released on double vinyl, as was the first single, "Get Your Way". A limited edition version of the "Get Your Way" single was released on red vinyl.
Cullum toured in support of Catching Tales from the end of October 2005 to December 2006.
In June 2009, Cullum announced the title of his fourth studio album, The Pursuit . The album, which was released on 10 November 2009, was produced by Greg Wells, [18] and the first single was "I'm All Over It", [19] written with Deacon Blue frontman, Ricky Ross.
The Pursuit was recorded in a variety of places: Cullum's kitchen, a studio in L.A. and Terrified Studios (his own in Shepherd's Bush, London). Various musicians were used in the recording process. Songs recorded in L.A. mostly used session musicians and saw Wells and Cullum play various instruments including drums and bass. "Don't Stop The Music", the second single from the album (released as a download only in January 2010) [20] was recorded with Chris Hill and Brad Webb. The track "Gran Torino", written in collaboration with Clint Eastwood, was used as the title track of Eastwood's 2008 movie of the same name [21] and was nominated for the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. [22]
From 2003 to 2008, Cullum played consistently with Geoff Gascoyne on bass, and Sebastiaan de Krom on drums. From 2003 until 2004 the trio was joined by Ben Castle on saxophone, John Hoare on trumpet, Barnaby Dickinson on trombone and Malcolm MacFarlane on guitar. Sam Wedgwood (guitarist, bassist and trumpeter) later joined Cullum on tour, for a little over a year. At the end of 2005 Cullum was joined by Tom Richards (saxophonist, occasional guitarist and percussion). Soon after that Sam Wedgwood left to pursue his own solo musical career. At the beginning of 2006 Rory Simmons (trumpeter and guitarist) joined the band as a replacement, bringing the total number of band members (including Cullum himself) to five.
In late 2009, Cullum replaced Geoff Gascoyne (bass) and Sebastiaan de Krom (drums) with Chris Hill (bass) and Brad Webb (drums).
Jamie Cullum's album Momentum was released on 20 May 2013. In conjunction with the album, he performed six intimate gigs across Europe; the first was in London. [23]
In an interview with NBHAP, Cullum said that "Momentum" is about the crossover period from being a young man while having one foot in the adult world, and about the balance of childish fantasies with grand and epic responsibilities. [24]
Interlude is an album consisting of jazz covers, released on 6 October 2014. Recorded with producer Benedic Lamdin of big band Nostalgia 77, and recorded in one take, the album was influenced by Cullum's BBC Radio 2 weekly jazz show. The duets on the album include two acts for which Cullum's radio show acted as a springboard for mainstream success: Laura Mvula featured on the track "Good Morning Heartache", and Gregory Porter on the lead single "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood".
Available in standard and deluxe versions, the latter including a DVD of Cullum's full performance at Jazz à Vienne, and an exclusive photo booklet containing tour and studio pictures. [25]
To celebrate the launch of his first pure jazz album, Cullum played at several jazz clubs, including Blue Note Jazz Club in New York, and London's Ronnie Scott's.
In October 2014 Cullum was part of the 2014 BBC charity single for Children in Need, "God Only Knows". He appeared in the song video, in a hot air balloon, wearing a salmon-coloured Alexander McQueen suit. [26] [27]
In February 2017 Cullum announced he was working on his next studio album Taller , following the release of its first single "Work of Art" on 17 February. [28]
In July 2020 Cullum released the single "Don't Give Up on Me" on the Island Records label. [29] [30]
The British Jazz Awards recognized Cullum's growing success by awarding him the "Rising Star" award, at the 2003 ceremony in July. [13] At the 2004 BRIT Awards, Cullum was nominated in the "British Breakthrough Act" category. He performed live in the ceremony at Earl's Court, a duet with Katie Melua of The Cure's "The Lovecats". In the 2005 BRIT Awards, Cullum was nominated for two awards: "Best Male Artist" and "Best Live Act". In 2005 Cullum was nominated for a Grammy while taking BBC Radio 2 "Artist of the Year" honors at the BBC Jazz Awards (as voted by listeners of Radio 2).
In 2007 Cullum won the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club Award for "Best British Male". He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for his composition Gran Torino for the Clint Eastwood film Gran Torino . At the Jazz FM awards 2013, he was a nominee for UK Jazz Artist of the Year. [31]
Year | Awards | Work | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | British Jazz Awards | n/a | Rising Star | Won |
2004 | Silver Clef Awards | Best Newcomer | Won | |
MOBO Awards | Best Jazz Act | Won | ||
Brit Awards | British Breakthrough Act | Nominated | ||
2005 | British Male Solo Artist | Nominated | ||
British Live Act | Nominated | |||
BBC Jazz Awards | Artist of the Year | Won | ||
Naomi Awards | Worst British Male | Won | ||
Grammy Awards | Twentysomething | Best Jazz Vocal Album | Nominated | |
2006 | ECHO Awards | n/a | Best Jazz Act | Nominated |
Meteor Music Awards | Best International Male | Nominated | ||
2007 | Ronnie Scott's Jazz Awards | Best British Male | Won | |
2008 | St. Louis Film Critics Association | Gran Torino | Best Music | Nominated |
2009 | Golden Globe Awards | "Gran Torino" | Best Original Song | Nominated |
World Soundtrack Awards | Best Original Song | Nominated | ||
2012 | New York Festival Radio Awards | Jamie Cullum's BBC Radio Show | Best Jazz Format | Won |
Parliamentary Jazz Awards | n/a | Jazz Broadcaster of the Year | Won | |
2013 | Jazz FM Awards | UK Jazz Artist of the Year | Won | |
2014 | Radio Academy Awards | Jamie Cullum's BBC Radio Show | Best Music Programme | Won |
Cullum's early music career saw him playing three or four times a week at PizzaExpress's restaurants throughout London, gaining exposure and later his big break with Universal. In 2011 the "Pizza Express Big Audition with Jamie Cullum" competition gave singers, songwriters and musicians a platform and a chance to win a £5,000 prize and a residency at the restaurant chain's Dean Street Jazz Club. 7,500 acts entered the competition and the final, held at the Addison's Rooms in Kensington on 23 November, was judged by Cullum, Michael Parkinson, M People's Heather Small and other music critics. The winning act was Offbeat South, an urban group of 18- to 21-year-olds from Croydon. The other finalists were Andy Lewis, Elle Watson, Palms 13 and The Yesberger Band. [32]
In 2021, alongside Sophie Ellis-Bextor and The Feeling, Cullum re-recorded the classic 1977 Fleetwood Mac song "Don't Stop" as part of the UK's National Thank You Day on 4 July, to celebrate the work of the National Health Service. The single was released on 25 June. [33] [34]
In 2022, Cullum was among the artists who celebrated 60 years of music from James Bond films in a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. [35]
Cullum first met his future wife at a charity concert where she performed a song. [36] He married the English author and former model Sophie Dahl in a private ceremony in Hampshire on 9 January 2010. [37] They live in Buckinghamshire, where Sophie's grandfather Roald Dahl lived for the second half of his life. [38] Their daughter, Lyra, was born on 2 March 2011 [39] and their second daughter, Margot, was born in 2013. [40]
In 2011, a portrait of Cullum, painted by British artist Joe Simpson, was exhibited around the UK, including a solo exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall. [41]
Cullum was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs [42] on 25 March 2012, where he created programme history by performing three of his chosen songs, live in the studio for the show. [36] His disc choices included The Lamb by John Tavener, and "Concerning the UFO Sighting near Highland Illinois" by Sufjan Stevens. His favourite was "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" by Randy Newman. [42]
Cullum is a fan of Swindon Town Football Club [43]
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo and achieved success beginning in the early 2000s. Her music is mainstream pop and dance with influences of disco, nu-disco, and 1980s electronic music.
Edward Henry Richard Harcourt-Smith is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released ten studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, Here Be Monsters, was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize. Since 2007 he has been writing for other artists, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Paloma Faith, and has performed with Marianne Faithfull and the Libertines. His music is influenced by Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and Jeff Buckley, among others.
Stewart Levine is an American record producer. He has worked with such artists as The Crusaders, Minnie Riperton, Lionel Richie, Simply Red, Hugh Masekela, Dr. John, Randy Crawford, B.B. King, Jonatha Brooke, Huey Lewis and the News, Patti LaBelle, Sly Stone, Boy George, Peter Blakeley, Joe Cocker, Oleta Adams, Killing Joke, Jon Anderson, Boz Scaggs, Womack and Womack, David Sanborn, Brenda Russell, Lamont Dozier, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Aaron Neville, Everyday People, Jamie Cullum and The Marshall Tucker Band.
Catching Tales is the fourth album by Jamie Cullum. It was released in late September 2005 in the United Kingdom and a few weeks later in the United States.
Twentysomething is the third studio album by English singer Jamie Cullum. It was released on 20 October 2003 in Europe, and in May 2004 in the United States. The album has sold 2.5 million copies worldwide, and achieved eleven platinum, eleven gold and two silver certifications. It is the fastest-selling jazz album in chart history and its sales led to Cullum ending 2003 as the UK's highest-selling jazz artist in history.
"Frontin'" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams featuring American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by the artists alongside Chad Hugo, who produced it with Williams as the Neptunes. At the time of its release, Williams insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not an artist in his own right. However, he released his own solo studio album, In My Mind, in 2006.
Sam Duckworth is an English musician who performs as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. He is also sometimes referred to as Get Cape, Cape, GCWCF and Slam Dunkworth. According to Duckworth, his original stage name came from Retro Gamer magazine, from an article about superhero games such as Batman containing the heading "Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly", although a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon by Bill Watterson has also been cited. In addition to the Get Cape name, and his given name, Duckworth has released music under the moniker Recreations.
"Don't Stop the Music" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). It was released worldwide on September 7, 2007, as the album's fourth single. The song was written by Tawanna Dabney and its producers StarGate. Michael Jackson also received a songwriting credit for the sampling of the line "Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-koosa" from Jackson's 1983 single "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". Both Rihanna and Jackson were sued by Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango, who asserted that the hook originated in his 1972 song "Soul Makossa". "Don't Stop the Music" is a dance track that features rhythmic devices used primarily in hip hop music.
Paolo Giovanni Nutini is a Scottish singer-songwriter from Paisley. Nutini's debut album, These Streets (2006), peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Its follow-up, Sunny Side Up (2009), debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. Both albums have been certified quintuple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. Five years later, Nutini released his third studio album, Caustic Love, in April 2014, which debuted at number one on the UK Album Charts and was certified platinum by the BPI. In July 2022, he released his fourth album, Last Night in the Bittersweet.
The Pursuit is the fifth studio album by Jamie Cullum. It was released on 9 November 2009 in the United Kingdom, and released in the United States and Canada on 2 March 2010. It was produced by Greg Wells and Martin Terefe, and mixed by Greg Wells, Thomas Juth and Ryan Hewitt. The album's title is taken from the novel The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. The album was recorded at a Los Angeles studio using songs that Cullum originally recorded at his Shepherd's Bush recording studio, Terrified Studios. The song "Mixtape" features Sophie Dahl on backing vocals.
The discography of Jamie Cullum, a British pop and jazz-pop singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, consists of nine studio albums, four compilation albums, one live album, 32 singles, and 15 music videos.
Sarah Joyce, better known by her stage name, Rumer, is a British singer-songwriter. Supported by leading music industry figures including Burt Bacharach, Elton John, Carly Simon, and Jools Holland, Rumer was nominated for two Brit awards on 13 January 2011.
Laura Mvula is a British singer. A native of Birmingham, England, Mvula has gained experience as a young member or leader of a cappella, jazz/neo-soul and gospel groups and choirs. She was classically trained. In 2012, she signed with RCA Records and released an extended play, She, to critical acclaim.
This is a summary of 2010 in music in the United Kingdom.
Momentum is the sixth studio album by English jazz-pop singer Jamie Cullum. It was released on 20 May 2013 by Island Records and is produced by Dan the Automator and Jim Abbiss. The album includes covers of "Love for Sale" and Anthony Newley's "Pure Imagination". The song "You're Not the Only One" was written about Cullum's experience serving as a judge on the television reality series Must Be the Music.
Derek Nash is a British jazz saxophonist, band leader, arranger and recording engineer.
Interlude is the seventh studio album by Jamie Cullum. It was released on 6 October 2014 in the UK and 27 January 2015 in the US through Island Records, a division of Universal Music. The album was produced, engineered and mixed by Benedic Lamdin for Nostalgia 77.
Jacob Collier is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and educator. His music incorporates a combination of jazz and elements from other musical genres, and often features extensive use of reharmonisations and close harmony. He is known for his energetic live performances, in which he often conducts the audience to sing harmony or play percussion parts. Collier demonstrates his harmonic expertise in lectures and master classes, particularly with his detailed analyses of songs like Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" and his own music.
Taller is the eighth studio album by British jazz musician Jamie Cullum, released through Island Records on 7 June 2019.
The Pianoman at Christmas is the ninth studio album by British jazz musician Jamie Cullum, released through Island on 20 November 2020. The album peaked at number eleven on the UK Albums Chart.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)