Listen to Jamie Cullum talk about his love for jazz music
Jamie Cullum discussing his influences and career.
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Transcript
NARRATOR: Jamie Cullum is the UK's most successful Jazz musician, and possibly its feistiest. In fact, he literally throws his whole body into his live performances.
JAMIE CULLUM: "I'm used to performing in rock bands and pop bands. So you don't just sit there and play, you know, you perform and you leap about and you sweat. You get the audience involved and you create energy."
NARRATOR: Jamie took a rather roundabout way of breaking into Jazz and is thus often referred to as a crossover artist.
CULLUM: I was such a music fan at school that I was listening to all the pop music of the day anyway. So it wasn't like I wasn't listening to Nirvana and The Housemartins and Ned's Atomic Dustbin and all that kind of stuff. I was an Indie kid, but I was also a music fan. So I listened to everything. So it didn't surprise me that I was listening to jazz as well as listening to the Wedding Present, as well as listening to Nirvana, and as well as listening to dance music. So I wasn't like the kid in the corner who listened to Cole Porter and wore suits to school. You know, thank God. I don't think I'd be alive."
NARRATOR: Jamie Cullum grew up in the music world. Both of his parents played in bands, and he began pounding away at the piano when he was just a little boy. Although he did go on to take piano lessons, Jamie claims to have taught himself to play.
CULLUM: "Well, I never believed in my talent. I believed in loving playing music. That's all I ever wanted to do was play. I never thought I'd be able to play for a living. It was something I enjoyed too much. It was like going out and getting drunk and partying with your friends. I loved doing it, and I did it all the time. But I never thought I could make a career out of it. So I would just play music. I was playing in bands. I was practicing. I was listening to records and writing songs. It was for the fun of it. It was for the love of it. And I did it all the time. I did it through university. I earned money that way. I made friends that way. I loved doing it. But it wasn't until the last couple of years at university that I really thought 'Right, maybe I should make this a career, maybe I can make a living.'"
NARRATOR: The proof is in the pudding and Jamie's success speaks for itself. Be that as it may, Jamie Cullum is still the sweet guy from next door who happens to be a musician.
JAMIE CULLUM: "I'm used to performing in rock bands and pop bands. So you don't just sit there and play, you know, you perform and you leap about and you sweat. You get the audience involved and you create energy."
NARRATOR: Jamie took a rather roundabout way of breaking into Jazz and is thus often referred to as a crossover artist.
CULLUM: I was such a music fan at school that I was listening to all the pop music of the day anyway. So it wasn't like I wasn't listening to Nirvana and The Housemartins and Ned's Atomic Dustbin and all that kind of stuff. I was an Indie kid, but I was also a music fan. So I listened to everything. So it didn't surprise me that I was listening to jazz as well as listening to the Wedding Present, as well as listening to Nirvana, and as well as listening to dance music. So I wasn't like the kid in the corner who listened to Cole Porter and wore suits to school. You know, thank God. I don't think I'd be alive."
NARRATOR: Jamie Cullum grew up in the music world. Both of his parents played in bands, and he began pounding away at the piano when he was just a little boy. Although he did go on to take piano lessons, Jamie claims to have taught himself to play.
CULLUM: "Well, I never believed in my talent. I believed in loving playing music. That's all I ever wanted to do was play. I never thought I'd be able to play for a living. It was something I enjoyed too much. It was like going out and getting drunk and partying with your friends. I loved doing it, and I did it all the time. But I never thought I could make a career out of it. So I would just play music. I was playing in bands. I was practicing. I was listening to records and writing songs. It was for the fun of it. It was for the love of it. And I did it all the time. I did it through university. I earned money that way. I made friends that way. I loved doing it. But it wasn't until the last couple of years at university that I really thought 'Right, maybe I should make this a career, maybe I can make a living.'"
NARRATOR: The proof is in the pudding and Jamie's success speaks for itself. Be that as it may, Jamie Cullum is still the sweet guy from next door who happens to be a musician.