Live Gig Review: Cullum To The Core - 21.05.13

A free gig?

In one of my favourite locations in London?

I'm right there.

And entertaining the commuters of St Pancras railway station on
an overcast Tuesday morning was the jazz pixie himself, Jamie Cullum.

This was a 30 minute set, made up predominantly of tunes

from his latest album "Momentum" as released on Monday,
starting off in style with "The Same Things" followed by the
single "Everything You Didn't Do".

Other tunes performed were the sublime cover of
"Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,

and the "I-Told-You-So" tale, "When I Get Famous" putting
to great use, the players of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Although it was one of St Pancras's public piano's
Cullum was playing on, it didn't mean that he wouldn't be
standing up on said instrument,  

And in case you're wondering, yes that is an apple core on towards
the right of the piano lid, not in any way a homage to Phil Collins'paint pot,
but Jamie's japery on the piano stool resulted in the core being knocked over, and he was kind enough to pass it onto your's truly, who had to hold on to it
for the rest of the set.

Sorry to any fans, but this won't be going on eBay.

It now resides on one of South Eastern's Railway's High Speed bins.

If anything, I'd see it as revenge for including Jamie in my poor attempt
of poetic verse, "We Rep Essex", which also namechecks Jamie's radio
producer Karen P.



Anyway, it was worth it, as the finale was a fantastic rendition of an
old favourite, "Get Your Way" which really put the NYJO to
great use.

I was even singing along to the brass riff, that has opened Jamie's
BBC Radio 2 show many times, which I don't do often.
That activity's normally reserved for an Incognito gig.

As a whole I loved it.

There was a great buzz about the place, and the National Youth

Jazz Orchestra made it that extra special, allowing me to travel back
to Canterbury "Smilin' Through".