Twentysomething

Jamie Cullum | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 11, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B0001XANUI
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (161 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,093 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #48 in Music > Jazz > Smooth Jazz

Editorial Reviews

JAMIE CULLUM Twentysomething (2004 US 15-track CD with the bonus track Frontin picture sleeve B0002273-02)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Don't Know Much About Jazz, But I Know What I Like., May 24, 2004

By 

K. Fontenot "Prairie Cajun Lives!" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Twentysomething (Audio CD)

I definitely enjoy Jamie Cullum's "Twentysomething." Many people have blasted it for being too unoriginal, too boring, too "pop" sounding, etc., but the fact remains that this music is fun to listen to. I'd much rather listen to Mr. Cullum's music than Norah Jones or Diana Krall. Cullum runs through standards and originals as if both were his own. He takes songs by artists such as Radiohead and the legendary Jimi Hendrix and puts a spin on them that others wouldn't dare dream of doing. He takes a "no fear" approach to music. Perhaps that is why I enjoy this album so much. While other artists have become media darlings by pawning themselves to the public, Cullum seems to be content with doing his own thing. By being himself, he's captured the attention of millions. He's even played for the Queen.

Of the songs contained herein, "Twentysomething" is definitely my favorite. I enjoy "Singin' In The Rain" and "All At Sea." There isn't a bad track on this disc. Many have compared Cullum's sound to Billy Joel, and I can see that comparison, but Cullum is in a league all his own. He's fun to listen to and extremely talented. I highly recommend this one.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the leader of the British modern jazz surge, May 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Twentysomething (Audio CD)

Finally hitting American shops, Jamie Cullum's TWENTYSOMETHING is simply the best release so far in 2004. The original compositions -- penned by Jamie and his brother -- stand up amazingly well next to his unique interpretations of jazz standards and showtune hits. What ultimately catches you most off guard -- and holds you in their grip -- are the subtle covers of Jeff Buckley, Jimi Hendrix, and Radiohead, along with the catchy version of Pharrell's "Frontin'" (a bonus track for Americans that was the B-side of the UK "These Are the Days" single). Cullum's originality and energy are best showcased live; however, these analog recordings (under the classy, masterful production of Stewart Levine) give you an amazing sense of his development as an artist. Compared to "Pointless Nostalgic," Cullum's loosened up from his classical training, proves he's having more fun, and infuses the tracks with more emotion thanks to the scratchy, Van Morrison-esque vocals. When I first got the CD, I thought that it would just be background music for Sunday brunches and dinner parties -- but it's ultimately become the soundtrack for my life over the past three months. And as a side note -- it's always cool when you meet someone and find out that he's a really nice guy in person, and Cullum's appreciation for his fans is truly genuine. Highly, highly recommended for any music lover.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am a Sinatra fan..., July 26, 2004

By 

David E. Waite (Knoxville, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Twentysomething (Audio CD)

I am a Sinatra fan, so that should tell you something about my attitude towards standards. I believe that the so-called American songbook is the toughest material that a singer can cover. Few contemporary singers can do it without being boring (Norah Jones) or making fools out of themselves (Rod Stewart). Anyone trying to cover Cole Porter must be compared to not only Sinatra, but Ella Fitzgerald and Bobby Short. Jamie Cullum not only covers Cole Porter (I Get A Kick Out of You), he (unlike Stewart, but like Sinatra, Fitzgerald and Short) actually "gets" the material and he (unlike Jones, but like Sinatra, Fitzgerald and Short) makes it his own. Not only that, he has an original and fresh approach that makes him, in some ways, more fun to listen to than Steve Tyrell.

And then he does more. He covers Broadway (I Could Have Danced All Night) and Hendrix (Wind Cries Mary) and, as before, "gets" the material and makes it his own.

On top of that, there is his own material (twentysomething; Next Year, Baby) which he obviously gets because it is his own. His own material is so good it deserves to be on a CD with songs by Porter, Hendrix and Lerner and Lowe. What higher compliment can anyone pay?

By covering such varied material and successfully making it fresh and new, Collum demonstrates on this CD the truth of Duke Ellington's wonderful comment, "If it sounds good, it is good." Collum not only knows what Duke was saying, he has the talent and skill to put that truth into practice.

I not only bought this CD, I am going to see this guy in concert as soon as I can. Forty years from now, I want to say, "Yeah, I first saw Collum in 2004..." in the same way that old friends of mine say, "Yeah, I first saw Sinatra in '66..."