Jamie Cullum

Jamie Cullum's 'Frontin' ' Gets Neptunes To Produce His Next LP

24 Feb 2005 09:03:00 EST

British jazz artist's remake of song attracts producers' attention.
By Corey Moss

Jamie Cullum (file)
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD — If imitation is the highest form of flattery, reinterpretation is a close second.

Pharrell Williams was certainly flattered by Jamie Cullum's rendering of "Frontin'," a bonus track on the British jazz singer and pianist's breakthrough album, Twentysomething.

"He heard it and wanted to meet with me," Cullum revealed recently. That meeting led to the Neptunes agreeing to work on Cullum's next album.

The odd pairing is scheduled for March, but in the meantime Cullum has been collaborating with another unlikely producer, Dan the Automator of Gorillaz and Handsome Boy Modeling School fame.

"We sampled some old jazz records and wrote music that I'm playing over it, which no one's ever done, at least not for a while," Cullum said. "He's so knowledgeable about music and just great with samples."

Cullum has written 16 tracks so far and expects the new album to expand even beyond the borders of traditional jazz.

"I'm very influenced by Ray Charles, just the way he brought so much together," Cullum said. "I'm trying to write songs that come as much from a jazz place as they do the kind of poppy stuff I love. There are times where it's sounding as much like Miles Davis as Coldplay or Beyoncé or something like that. It's a real mixture of flavors, and I haven't quite tamed it yet. It's a bit of a mess right now."

Along with "Frontin'," Twentysomething features reinterpretations of Radiohead's "High and Dry" (see "Jazz Singer Jamie Cullum Reinterprets Radiohead"), Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary" and Jeff Buckley's "Lover, You Should've Come Over," and Cullum's follow-up should feature more of the same.

"I don't know what's going to make the album, but I've just done 'Highway to Hell' from AC/DC, which is sounding really good," Cullum said. "I did Kings of Leon's 'Molly's Chambers' a bit like 'Fever.' And I've done 'Human Behaviour' from Björk a bit like ['50s jazz singers] the Modern Jazz Quartet."

Cullum plans to work through the spring on the as-yet-untitled release, although he's not "into time tables or that kind of stuff." He will be taking one break to perform April 29 at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and April 30 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

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Jamie Cullum

Chili Peppers, Backstreet Salute Beach Boys' Brian Wilson

12 Feb 2005 04:48:00 EST

Legendary songwriter honored as MusiCares Person of the Year.
By Corey Moss

Anthony Kiedis at the MusiCares tribute to Brian Wilson
Photo: Lester Cohen/WireImage.com

HOLLYWOOD — It was all good vibrations at Friday's MusiCares Person of the Year dinner, where the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Backstreet Boys and ?uestlove of the Roots honored Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson with kind words and musical tributes.

"He's a modern day Stravinsky,"
?uestlove said outside the Palladium before joining Wilson's band and John Legend for "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times." "The way he constructs his music, he's a madman. ... He was doing stuff [40 years ago] that modern people do now, looping his work and stuff. There's a track on Smile with a whole bunch of tubas having a conversation with trumpets. It's great."

(Click for photos from the concert.)

The Chili Peppers opened the concert portion of the event with a rendition of "I Get Around" featuring Anthony Kiedis half-singing/half-rapping the verses and guitarist John Frusciante and bassist Flea harmonizing the chorus.

"God only knows how much we love Brian Wilson," Kiedis told the crowd, referencing one of the Beach Boys' many popular tunes, "God Only Knows," which Wilson performed later with India.Arie.

"I knew someone else much more important would be doing 'God Only Knows,' so my next choice was 'Sail on Sailor,' " British crooner Jamie





	Photos: Chili Peppers, Backstreet Salute Brian Wilson

Other performers included veterans Richie Sambora; Earth, Wind & Fire; Darlene Love; Jeff Beck; Michael McDonald; Billy Preston; and Neil Young, who dedicated his moving version of "In My Room" to Brian as well as his late brothers, Dennis and Carl.

The only band to perform its own song was the Barenaked Ladies, who treated the full house to an acoustic version of "Brian Wilson."

"We're a band that focuses on harmonies, and [the Beach Boys] were the harmony rock and roll band," singer Steven Page explained of his band's longtime admiration for Wilson.

The Barenaked Ladies were one of the many acts who returned to the stage at night's end to perform with Wilson. After quickly thanking MusiCares (reading from a prompter) and singing "Heroes and Villains," "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" with his band, Wilson welcomed the other performers for "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Love and Mercy."

"I'm leaving you with a littler prayer," Wilson said before the final tune. And his apostles fittingly followed along.

Brian Wilson Presents Smile is nominated in two categories at Sunday's Grammy Awards.

As this year's Grammys approach, you can get all the latest news on the show, the scene and the nominees in our Grammy news archive. On the big night, February 8, be sure to tune in to MTV at 7 p.m. for our "All up in the Grammys" preshow. Plus check out videos of the nominees and more right here on mtv.com.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

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Jazz Singer Jamie Cullum Reinterprets Radiohead

13 Oct 2004 09:35:00 EDT

His version of 'High and Dry' will be next single off Twentysomething.
By Corey Moss

Jamie Cullum at the Ray Charles Tribute concert
Photo: MTV News

LOS ANGELES — Jamie Cullum, whose "All at Sea" has broken the British jazz singer and pianist into the mainstream, is about to break a little further.

For the follow-up and second single from Twentysomething, the self-taught musician is releasing his version of Radiohead's 1995 single "High and Dry."

"As well as writing songs, jazz musicians are always trying to take material and do new things with it," Cullum said. "The notion of a standard is something that is 50 years old to most people. I only discovered [what are considered] old songs about three years ago. An old song to me is 'High and Dry,' which is a song I grew up with. I was 14. If you could play it on the guitar, you could kiss all the girls."

Cullum plans to shoot a video for "High and Dry" later this month. "We've got a very strong idea, very mysterious, very different, so I wouldn't want to give it away," he said.

The singer will work with a director on the clip, although he hopes to direct his own videos soon and eventually get into movies.

"I studied film for three years — I got a film degree — so I'd be much more interested in getting behind the camera than in front of it," Cullum said. "It'd be weird stuff that no one would want to watch."

One thing millions of people surely will watch is "Genius: A Night for Ray Charles," a concert tribute to the late singer that'll be broadcast October 22 on CBS. Taped Friday in Los Angeles, the concert featured Cullum singing Charles' "Hallelujah, I Love Her So." "This is the pinnacle of my career," he said of the show, which also included Stevie Wonder and Usher (see "Jamie Foxx, Usher, Mary J., Stevie Pay Tribute At Ray Charles Memorial Concert").

Cullum, who has a new song on the "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" soundtrack, is in the middle of a North American headlining trek.

Jamie Cullum tour dates, according to Verve Records: