Catching Tales
Audio CD
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£3.47
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Reviewer
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As a previous reviewer has said. i loved twentysomething, so when this was released, i had the special edition for christmas. I was looking forward to it until i played it- what's happened i thought. Even on the second listen, i wasn't fussed, but it was better than the first. I then began to think of other artists who have changed the style of music on each album and looked at it being an individual album, rather than it being his forth (the first album only had 750 cd's printed!). Since then, i have loved how different it is and has showed that Jamie is not a one trick pony, and that he can do other things. He's always said he doesn't want to be labeled and wants to try new and exciting things, which any artist should do.
There are more original songs on here, and it shows how much jamie has developed. He takes a light hearted look at argueing in "nothing i do" but also shows his observation of the world in the touching "oh god," which was written two days after the terrible tsunami. Some of these songs really make you think, while others make you laugh. It's a good balance to have in any album.
If you want an added bonus, get the cd and dvd edition. Here, he talks about making his album and how things have changed. There is also a booklet with the lyrics if you want to sing along.
If you are hoping for another twentysomething, then you will be disapointed. However, if you're looking to see what else jamie can do, then get this and be surprised.
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Jamie Cullum is an impressive performer, not just live but also on disc. He has a fantastic sense of rhythm and his piano playing is exquisite, making these songs a delight for jazz fans. The tone of his singing is slightly nasal to qualify for one of the all-time great voices but the timing of his delivery is first-class - certainly on a par with the greats.
What is particularly impressive is that most of these songs are either wholly or jointly written by Jamie. There are a handful of standards on the album, which he does with great individuality and panache, but his own songs stand up to this standard very well, making this an excellent album.
Overall, not flawless - it'll be interesting to see how his voice matures with age - but more than good eough to qualify as a 5-star album.
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I bought this after finding Cullum's two previous outings proving now to be a little tiresome. As good a pianist as he is, he never seemed quite right playing those standards. Slick, yes, but for real jazzers there simply wasn't enough 'proper jazz' in them to be essential albums.
This album is his best yet - but it would be a bit of a fallacy to call it jazz. The strength here is the songwriting and standout tracks are the well-known and sassy 'Get your Way'; the characterful and swinging 'Nothing I Do'; the soulful 'My Yard' and of course the lovely ballad 'I'm Glad there is You'.
Cullum has found an original voice here so lets hope he can continue in this vein and break-away from jazz-marketed-as-popular-music, which we all know VERY rarely works for anything more than one album. Oh, and the CD is very nicely produced too.
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Simply put: Jamie Cullum is one of the most talented musicians currently making music. Not only does Catching Tales capture his musical talent, it showcases his songwriting ability, which he has not properly flaunted on previous albums. For those listeners (and reviewers) who are so gratuitously caught up in defining the term "jazz," I invite you to think outside the box for an hour or so while Jamie does his thing. (Consider this: is any genre -- be it classical, hip-hop, rock, or jazz -- clearly defined? The lines are always blurry, and this is not a bad thing, unless you believe that music and musicians should never evolve.)
Catching Tales is about life lessons in various forms -- both musically and lyrically. "Get Your Way" bounces with punchy sampling (Joe Williams' "Get Out of My Life Woman") and tells of a stubborn anticipated confrontation; "Nothing I Do" blends a perfect contrast of a cheerful, rhythmic melody with lyrics of a tempestuous relationship; "21st Century Kid" ambles breezily about coming of age in a time of uncertainty, punctuated with easy-feeling chords and harmonies; in "7 Days To Change Your Life" we hear Jamie's well-known keyboard talent beneath tongue-in-cheek info-mercialish lyrics, with a style that is pleasantly reminiscent of Harry Connick, Jr.
And it seems Jamie himself is no stranger to reminiscing. Tales and tunes of nostalgia also take the stage in this recording: "Photograph," "Mindtrick," "Oh God," and "Back to the Ground" all demonstrate Jamie's unique marriage of insightful lyrics and appropriate, flavourful grooves. "Catch the Sun," though not penned by Jamie, is an upbeat and inspiring reminder to live in the moment, and although cliche, the energetic refrain might find you humming along. The smooth, sonorous Rhodes-driven texture of "My Yard" reminds me of India Arie or the Brand New Heavies, and indeed, leaves me thinking that rather than confine jazz to a four-walled room, we should, as Jamie says, "explore all the possibilities" and "take the script and flip it, baby."
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A friend bought me this CD for Christmas, knowing I love jazz. I have since listened to it 4 times, trying to convince myself each time that I'll grow to like the album. Not working so far. This album reinforces my impression (and it is a personal opinion) that Jamie is too diverse in his experimentation of musical styles to appeal to any one genre or audience - once the novelty of seeing his stage antics wears thin. A brilliant pianist yes, but the singing is distinctly average. JC fans will lap this up, but I have heard many more artists that do the job better and with more class.
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