Why Jamie Cullum?

[flemke]

By that I mean, can anyone wiser than I explain why for the last year or two so much fuss has been made about Jamie Cullum?

I'm not qualified to know how well he plays the piano (although I strongly suspect that he's not the next Horowitz), but it is obvious even to the likes of me that the guy cannot sing. This would not necessarily be a problem except that most if not all of his recordings and radio and tv time feature vocal music - that is, they require singing.

He got a range of maybe one octave, he's frequently off-key, and his timbre crucifies the ear.

Sure, there are plenty of other music "artists" whose commercial and fashion success greatly exceeds their musical talent (Madonna being perhaps the most blatant recent example). At least most of them either do a passable impression of a singer or they are gifted great material and arrangements that mask their vocal limitations.
Cullum on the other hand chooses or has chosen for him classic "singer's songs" which make it painfully obvious how well the person doing the vocal bit can sing. In Cullum's case the answer is, "Quite badly".

Any insights into why he gets so much fawning attention? It seems odd, especially in a country with such a rich history of contributions to popular music.

[Zod]

I agree. He just takes other people's songs and sings them badly with odd pauses and tempo changes. It's not jazz. It's crap.

[deltafox]

Zod said:

I agree. He just takes other people's songs and sings them badly with odd pauses and tempo changes. It's not jazz. It's crap.

Couldnt agree more. The odious little pikey needs putting in the stocks and 25 bushels of rotten fruit and veg lobbed at him.

[humpbackmaniac]

I HATE JAMIE CULLUM!
All that banging of keys and standing up. uuuuggghhhhh JUST SHUT UP!








Phew!

[Petrol_noggin]

well I heard he can hammer the top of a piano like a drum quite well, however, he cant actually play the thing, or sing.

[tollytuff]

i think he's doing well cos that harry connick junior hasnt had a choon out for a while.....

[rico]

My bro and his wife met Jamie at a hotel where he was performing before he became famous. Apparently he was rather confident of making it big but was quite a top guy and they all ended up drinking the night away. My bros got respect for him.

I personally find his songs a bit crap

[condor]

I've never heard of him - I'm so out of touch nowadays

[t1grm]

I’m quite a jazz fan but I’ve not heard much of his stuff, however everyone I talk to says he’s the best thing to hit jazz since sliced bread. Admittedly most of these people wouldn’t know a good song from a bucket of shit if were poured over them. All the jazz musicians I speak to rate him as mediocre to crap.

I think the reason he’s getting so much attention is that he is adding a fresh look and a sense of hip to a genre that is in desperate need of an influx of young artists. Most of the current crop of jazz greats are getting on a bit now. Maybe it’s desperation on the part of the jazz musical elite to grab onto and over-hype the first sign of a new star coming through the ranks in order to get a bit of main stream exposure to the genre. Personally I prefer it being a minority/underground genre like it is now and always has been TBH.

[tollytuff]

i recently bought an album by madeline peroux (?), i was told its jazz, (although i wouldnt know a jazz album if i got hit by it) and its very beautiful. apparently she disappeard in a puff of smoke when she got famous.. or something..

[docevi1]

I don't understand why Jamie Cullum is popular either. His music isn't sang all that great and the songs themselves aren't appealing for the most part (and I like that sort of music).

[Raffles]

tollytuff said:

i recently bought an album by madeline peroux (?), i was told its jazz, (although i wouldnt know a jazz album if i got hit by it) and its very beautiful. apparently she disappeard in a puff of smoke when she got famous.. or something..

Saw her live recently in Glasgow. So I guess she does the odd gig. Do a search for her official website for approaching gigs...

[tollytuff]

what did you think of her raffles? i only bought it cos its got a leonard cohen choon on it...

[_Dave_]

I've also got the Madeline Peyroux album and think its great, have taken to playing it at dinner parties a lot and the general opinion is a thumbs up!

[Frik]

I believe his "talent" is playing live and his performance, rather than any particular musical prowess. He's certainly paid his dues on this front.

I however don't care for his style of jazzical reworking. Or for that matter anything that Parky chooses to champion.

[DanH]

Could be worse, he could be James Blunt.

[selmer]

Jamie Cullum = Theme Park Jazz. Mind you this is coming from a self-confessed jazz snob

[yertis]

His mug adorns the cover of this month's Audi Magazine (the glossy lifestyle mag they produce for favoured customers, instead of useful stuff like spare parts).

For the last few days his has been the first face I've seen in the morning, whilst attend to nature's natural functions.

I'm finding Volvos increasingly attractive.

[neil.b]

yertis said:

His mug adorns the cover of this month's Audi Magazine (the glossy lifestyle mag they produce for favoured customers, instead of useful stuff like spare parts). For the last few days his has been the first face I've seen in the morning, whilst attend to nature's natural functions. I'm finding Volvos increasingly attractive.

My copy went straight in the bin, unopened, for that very fact. And that's where all the others are going unless they'll be printing an apology.

That moronic muppet totally murdered one of my favourite songs - "Lover, You Should've Come Over" by Jeff Buckley.

For his crimes against music, may I suggest hanging. With a piano string.

[maxed]

mine too