Pursuit

Jamie Cullum, Joe Chemay | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 2, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Verve Forecast
• ASIN: B002T6VO12
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,387 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Like the exploding piano on its cover, Jamie Cullum's long-awaited new Verve album The Pursuit blows away audience and artist preconceptions leaving 14 smoldering tracks that seamlessly run the gamut from swinging standards and yearning singer-songwriter confessionals to 125 BPM house dance tracks and resurrected Broadway ballads.

"It was the right time for me to take myself out of my comfort zone, and to push myself to be bolder," Cullum says of the album "I wanted to build on the things I've already done, but I also wanted to reinvent myself."

The Pursuit - the English singer/songwriter/pianist/multi-instrumentalist's third Verve album, and his first in four years - is an expansive labor of love that embraces the full range of the artist's diverse talents and far-flung musical passions. While it covers more stylistic ground than anything he's done previously, The Pursuit's unifying threads are the same musical fluency, emotional commitment and lyrical wit that helped to make Cullum's prior releases Twentysomething and Catching Tales international crossover smashes selling more than 4 million combined copies worldwide.

"I like that this album journeys from a big-band track at the start to a proggy house/dance track at the end, because it's all me" Cullum notes. "But if the only thing that people notice is that this album is stylistically all over the place, then I will feel I have failed in some way."

The Pursuit features nine Cullum originals and five cover songs that showcase the Grammy® and Golden Globe nominated entertainer's unique voice and iconoclastic interpretive skills. The self-penned gems include the buoyant first single "I'm All Over It," the cheerfully apocalyptic "Wheels," the animated swing of "You and Me Are Gone," Cullum's love song to music "Mixtape" and his love song to love "Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down." Elsewhere on the album, Cullum reinvents 1930s jazz standards (Cole Porter's "Just One Of Those Things" and "Love For Sale"), brings the dance floor into the bedroom (Rihanna's "Don't Stop The Music") and cleans the pancake off the Great White Way (Leslie Bricusse's "If I Ruled the World" and Stephen Sondheim's "Not While I'm Around").

Having spent two years touring in support of Catching Tales, Cullum retreated from the spotlight and spent much of the next two years recharging his creative batteries through a variety of musical and non-musical endeavors. Cullum and his older brother, and frequent collaborator, Ben joined forces for a dance music project "BC vs. JC" that found the brothers creating melodic dance music in clubs across England; Cullum also contributed to albums for artists as varied as Pharrell Williams, the Count Basie Orchestra, Japan's Soil & Pimp Sessions, Norway's Beady Belle and France's Camille; as well as spending time as a Goodwill Ambassador to Ethiopia for Unicef.

Cullum's highest profile "side projects" were via his ever growing courtship with Hollywood; beginning with 2007's animated Disney feature Meet The Robinsons in which Jamie was the singing voice of Frankie The Frog, continuing with his vocal on the Golden Globe-nominated "Best Original Song" from the John Cusack film Grace Is Gone, and culminating in his co-writing and performing with Clint Eastwood the Golden Globe-nominated "Best Original Song" from 2008's Gran Torino.

Inspired by the creative breadth of projects he was a part of since Catching Tales, and having liberated himself from the usual recording constraints of schedule, equipment and instruments when he built his own aptly-named Terrified Studios in London (a nod to his admitted intimidation in the face of technology), Cullum approached The Pursuit with a loose, experimental atmosphere that was only hinted at in his earlier albums. With recordings in hand from his new studio and his home kitchen (where he has dozens of keyboards so he can write & record when finding inspiration from two of his other great passions - cooking and eating), Cullum moved the project to Los Angeles for three months, recording the bulk of the album with veteran producer/musician Greg Wells (whose extensive resume includes work with Katy Perry, One Republic, Mika and Rufus Wainwright) and a stellar assortment of musicians, including members of Beck's band and the horn section that played on Michael Jackson's Thriller.

"It was intentional to work with a new producer and new musicians, and to record in a city that I didn't know that well," Cullum states. "I needed to frighten myself. Being in unfamiliar territory forced me to do things differently, and to operate on a hyper-sensitive, hyper-alert level. Having turned 30, I just felt like I needed to do something different."

Cullum's risk-taking approach to the recording sessions paid off, fostering an anything-goes vibe that yielded some of the most inventive arrangements and compelling performances of his career. "It was a very positive atmosphere," says Cullum, who plays piano, guitar, bass and organ on the album. "A lot of the tracks were just me and Greg Wells and an engineer. That continued to give it a homemade feel, and gave us the feeling that we could try anything."

Cullum's willingness to defy convention has served him well during his lifelong pursuit of musical fulfillment. He began playing piano and guitar at the age of eight; in his mid teens, Cullum was in & out of rock bands playing guitar, drums and piano; he was also the drummer in a hip-hop combo, eventually finding his way back to jazz through the samples used in his favorite hip-hop recordings; and Cullum spent the end of his teen years living in Paris, where he honed his skills performing in local jazz clubs before going on to become the biggest-selling British jazz artist of all time. Cullum has won an enviable reputation as a magnetic live performer, playing freewheeling concerts that emphasize spontaneity and improvisation--and which rarely employ a set list.

The restless artistic spirit that animates The Pursuit is encapsulated by the album's title, which was inspired by Nancy Mitford's classic novel The Pursuit of Love. "It's my fiancé's favorite book, and the line in 'Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down' that says 'The pursuit of love consumes us all' is a reference to that," Cullum explains. "The reason I made it the album title was that I've come to realize that life is one long pursuit. Being a musician is not about any obvious goal; it's about appreciating the journey as opposed to the destination.

"The artists I most admire," Cullum concludes, "are people like Miles Davis and Tom Waits, who make all kinds of different records, and change and evolve over the years, but still remain themselves. That's what I aspire to. I'm only about five per cent of the way there, but I've got time."

Product Description

U.S. pressing. 2009 album from the multi-talented British Jazz man, vocalist, pianist and songwriter. This album contains tracks spanning across the Pop, Hip Hop and Jazz genres, including the lead single 'I'm All Over It', an outstanding take on Rihanna's 'Don't Stop The Music' and the spectacular ballad 'Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down' as well as many more. Cullum mixes Jazz with melodic Pop and Rock into a crossover style that calls to mind such artists as Harry Connick, Jr., and Norah Jones. In that vein, Cullum will just as often cover a swinging Jazz standard as a modern Rock song, and his original compositions deftly move from earnest ballads to songs of sardonic wit.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Always surprising, this is Jamie's best album. March 2, 2010

By jazzias

Format:Audio CD

He has a tremendous talent, no one can have doubts about that.

He was catapulted into spotlight after his 2003 debut "Twentysomething" marked him out as the poster child for the new age of Jazz. His second album received a much more muted response - behind the scenes he's been busy toiling away.

According to some critics, he "has released a string of increasingly poppy Jazz-influenced records. The Pursuit is a richer, more rounded creation. It reveals the influences of a man who is as at home making four-to-the-floor club tracks with his brother as knocking out jazz standards" - Rob Potter

In his latest release, "The Pursuit", a new-found confidence is clearly evident and fans will notice a slight veer away from the jazz sound he is famous for as he visits other genres.

The Cole Porter cover version that starts this album ("Just One Of Those Things" - recorded with the Count Basie orchestra at Tony Bennett's studio) may make you think that this jazz talent is in danger of playing it all a bit too predictable, but he soon shakes things up.

Later, the single "If I Ruled The World, a song memorably tackled by Tony Bennett and by the incomparable Regina Belle on her latest album Lazy Afternoon, becomes entirely Cullum's own.

In fact the track sounds sombre and almost funerary, and recalls Portishead, while "Music Is Through" has a house beat and "We Run Things" is just boldly experimental.

Some other tracks to look out for are the beautiful "Love Aint't Gonna Let You Down", and "Mixtape", featuring none other that the dulcet tones of Sophie Dahl as part of the backing vocal.
This album is a must for loyal lovers of Jamie Cullum's music, and for those who want to hear something genuinely surprising and original.

The special edition version of The Pursuit includes a bonus DVD with exclusive live and behind-the-scenes footage.
Twentysomething
Catching Tales
Pointless Nostalgic
The Essential Tony Bennett (Rm) (2CD)
Lazy Afternoon

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Super, and how to listen to his song "Wheels" March 14, 2010

By Thomas W. Sulcer

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Jamie Cullum is a young top caliber crossover artist who excels at almost everything -- jazz-piano, singing, arrangements, creativity, melodies, bass lines, so that he's been aptly dubbed "Sinatra in Sneakers" by the press. His singing is exciting, hungry, desperate with a fetching longing and bravado. Perhaps five or six songs in this SUPREMELY EXCELLENT ALBUM will become classics since they're borderline addictive; the other songs are excellent and creative, with fresh choices and unusual instrumentation. Cullum understands rhythm, beat, melody, harmony, and has wonderful ways of working with the bass and drums. If there's an area where Cullum needs improvement, it's lyrics, but generally I think most people don't care about words particularly on the up-tempo numbers. He combines a keen sense of timing and rhythm and melodies so each change is unpredicted but wonderful. Cullum is a joy to listen to. If you play his song "Wheels" while driving in your car, when he sings about the wheels falling off of the world, you'll feel airborne. He sings as well as Sinatra with subtle tones and choices. Supremely recommended!!!

-- Thomas W. Sulcer
Author of "The Second Constitution of the United States"
(free on web; google title + Sulcer)

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome new Cullum March 5, 2010

By barry TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Jamie Cullum is not necessarily mainstream and definitely a huge find if you come across his music. What a talent. If you ever want to find someone who was made to play, write and perform music from their soul it is this guy. TWENTYSOMETHING was the first defining moment for this great artist receiving praise from critics and listeners alike. His next release CATCHING TALES was considered a positive notch on his belt but didn't receive the save level of praise as the latter. As a sidenote for me it definitely was a step up for Mr. Cullum. Now we have THE PURSUIT and as far as I am considered this is his new defining moment.

Every artist has a basic genre they are defined in and for Jamie Cullum is was jazz pop and many reinterpretations of old standards in the Cullum style. And he has had his style since day one. Sometimes you hear him compared to Harry Connick Jr. or Michael Buble and though he sings some standards his style is so far removed from these performers. His growth on this release is astounding. Jamie Cullum is now 30 and to see an artist grow so much at an early age is a pleasure and a rarity. Each song he tackles is not for the masses but his own interptretation done from the heart. He is a singer songwriter and he has a superb gift with the songwriting as well. His piano playing is another gift and is always used to bring emotional depth to his performances.

Some of the standards he tackles here are JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS, which starts off the cvd with a brassy, wonderful interpration that blows in your face as a great huge intro to what is to come. IF I RULED THE WORLD is a standard that many of the greats have interpreted and he makes this so much his own each time I listen I have to stop and listen to it with full attention as his vocals grab me. The important thing about Cullum is that though at first considered a singer who reinterpreted standards he has always been an inventive, risk taking independant style artist and that is a part of each song. Songs that are not standards are all written by Jamie himself and his true versatility shines on those tracks here. We get I'M ALL OVER IT which is the most poppish song he has ever done and it is amazing. WHEELS and MIXTAPE will surely become Cullum essentials and his reinterpretation of Rihanna's DON'T STOP THE MUSIC definitely shows how much he makes a song his own. With his self penned ballad LOVE AIN'T GONNA LET YOU DOWN he shows how even with a love song he remains true as an artist and provides a tour de force performance combing intense vocals with the amazing piano playing.

Jamie does venture further away from the standards here but it all flows flawlessly for whatever genre he tackles you get the true artistry of Jamie Cullum. No song is filler and no song is repetituous. Each track gets the Cullum touch and that is a gift. He has such a gruff voice and how he can work it and reach such emotional heights astounds me. The deluxe edition gives you some great bonus tracks like GRACE IS GONE and the live version of DON'T STOP THE MUSIC. There is also a great dvd with live performances and interviews.

Such praise as I have been giving here is honestly only reserved for a performer who is a true artist and that is Jamie Cullum. He explores, invents and is always true to himself. With a true artist when they venture out sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. Jamie Cullum takes many chances here and it all works. This is his best release so far and I highly recommend it.