Jamie as Guest Director of Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2010 Options

[michelle254]

Jazzwise Magazine Review

Jamie Cullum in the evening put on what could really only be called a show, with a level of crowd engagement and interaction no one else matched all weekend. Not that this was always a good thing, as the piano jumping, shirt stripping and Simon Cowell jokes irritated as much as they entertained at times. Sometimes it was if there was a Duracell bunny on stage and no one knew how to switch it off.

But the show caught fire, with a talented band that included up-for-it drummer Brad Webb and talented sax player Tom Richards and trumpeter Rory Simmons. Cullum excelled on the Cole Porter material and the material from debut Universal album Twentysomething. He was touchingly joined by brother Ben on 'These Are The Days' and pulled off a lovely finish with 'Gran Torino'. The crowd went suitably potty when the band decamped to the middle of the hall to belt out 'Cry Me A River' just before the end and Cullum, it must be said, put in one hundred per cent.

Judging by the large numbers swilling around the venues over the weekend and optimistic talk by chief executive Donna Rennie about healthy box office figures Cheltenham this year, after last year's travails, seems to have turned a corner. If it takes a bit of populism to pull in the crowds fair enough but hopefully the organisers won't forget to keep the left field jazz and maverick choices to the fore as well in the future.

- Stephen Graham

Source

[michelle254]

LondonJazz review




Jamie Cullum
(Cheltenham Town Hall, part of Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Sunday May 2nd 2010)
To judge by the audience's mood-shift from torpor to exhilaration at Sunday night's Cheltenham Jazz Festival concert, Jamie Cullum's elemental energy has the capacity to be a transforming force.

There was a distinct lack of reaction to the five minute bell, most seats in the hall stayed empty. A few souls then did drift into the hall in response to the one minute announcement. Those that did seemed uncertain, and several around me were having trouble finding the right seats.

But roughly 100 minutes later, every single person in a packed Cheltenham Town Hall appeared to have located not just their mojo, but had also found an inner pogo-stick which they probably never knew they possessed. The Town Hall's floorboards, built to withstand the daring dance steps of society balls in 1903, have probably never received a pounding quite like this.

From the first, level-checking tremolando of "Just one of those things," Cullum was on fire, whipping up the band, in charge, running the show. The second number,"Get Your Way" involved a leap off the top end of the Steinway. But this tune also showed quite how versatile and adaptable Cullum's current band is. It changes from a piano-bass-drums-plus-two-horns jazz unit into a singer-lead-guitar-bass guitar-synth-drums rock band. And then back again at will.

Jamie Cullum's four band members, whom he dubs the "bearded choirboys," because they are all products of an English choral education, typify the completely adaptable modern British musician. Brad Webb 's drum skills were honed by the discipline of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, but he has come a long way since then. Rory Simmonds can roar out melodies on both trumpet and lead guitar. Tom Richards switches from tenor sax to keyboards or percussion. And Chris Hill was constantly switching back and forth from his bass guitar to a borrowed double bass.

This gig was something of a homecoming, and a family affair. He grew up nearby in the village of Hullavington in Wiltshire, about half an hour by car to the south of Cheltenham. His mother was in Sunday night's audience, and brother Ben Cullum joined the band for "These Are the Days."

The return to Cheltenham also seemed a reminder of how life keeps moves on. For most of the past few months Cullum has been on tour, most recently in Australia, the return delayed by volcanic ash. Revisiting an old haunt in the West Country, it was as if his feet had, for once, touched the ground.

It must have indeed been an intriguing dilemma for the newly thirty-something Cullum whether he should still be including "Twenty Something" in the programme. Or possibly to change the lyrics. First he did ditch it from the programme. But now it's back, with its ironic opening quote from Chopin's funeral march.

Time does indeed march on. In the months since Cullum turned thirty last August, things have been happening fast. He's now the presenter of a very popular radio show in a prime slot on Radio 2. This weekend he had the new role as Guest Director of the Cheltenham Jazz Festival. He will have a Prom on August 26th. And he's got married.

The Sunday night choice at Cheltenham was this gig, or the free improv, or John Scofield. I got some very curious looks from hard-core jazz folk for choosing this one. But I have no regrets. I see Cullum's energy and drive as a completely positive force in British jazz. Look at the sheer range and diversity of material which he includes on the Radio 2 show which he presents. The core audience for jazz is often very old or very young. Cullum may or may not be capturing some of the middle ground, but, with his drive and performance energy, he is certainly expanding it.

He is also giving it a bounce and a shake - as the Cheltenham Town Hall floor could feel on Sunday night.

Source

[michelle254]

Jamie Cullum at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2010



Its May I have just finished filming at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2010, what a brilliant event, I love music but have never been much of a Jazzer, I think my mind has been changed I have been "turned on" as they say, to Jazz.
Director/Producer Mike Wiseman was making a short doc about the festival, a behind the scenes for Sky Arts. We were filming performances, interviews, and general atmosphere in High Definition.
I used a light weight kit, Camera HDW750, 2x lenses, tripod, and wireless monitor, I lit all the interviews with my new LED Pag toplight which worked a treat for speedy set ups, all packed in my ruck sack.
For Jamie Cullums interview I had a bit more time, as it was the main interview used my Kino Bar fly and a couple of Dedo lights.
Soundman, Geoff Price, took a feed from the sound desks using a radio mic for good performance sound.

Jamie Cullum was the headline act and blew the roof off Cheltenham Town Hall on the Sunday night, what a performer, I was on stage filming the performance, while Mike filmed from the balcony on my Canon 5d Mk11.
We then filmed an interview with a hungover Jamie, on the Bank Holiday Monday morning, he had been jamming in the Hotel until the early hours of the morning.
He gave a great interview, and what a nice chap he is, go buy his album!

I think its a rare thing but I have to say that I enjoyed nearly all the acts we filmed, highlighs being Jamie Cullum, Fringe Magnetic, Empirical, the incredible drummer from Polar Bear, Seb Roachford, and Beatboxer Shlomo who is something else, YouTube him or just go and see him you won't be disappointed.

Source

[michelle254]

We then filmed an interview with a hungover Jamie, on the Bank Holiday Monday morning, he had been jamming in the Hotel until the early hours of the morning.

Damn, I know which hotel that was too and wish I had gone in there now as I was in their a few nights before. Cracking place with some fab jamming from some great musicians

[michelle254]

More great photos

[michelle254]

Play It Once More featuring Jamie and Elisabeth Nygaard

This was brilliant!!!

[michelle254]

Cry Me A River - from the Cheltenham Jazz Festival - posted on youtube

[michelle254]

Here are some of my photos from the festival

[michelle254]

Just found this Sky Arts show, Jamie at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival