Cullum was born in Romford, East London. He was brought up in Hullavington, Wiltshire, and educated at the independent fee-paying Grittleton House School and the sixth form at Sheldon School. He then went on to study English Literature, and minored in Film Studies, at Reading University where he graduated with First Class Honours.
His mother, Yvonne, is a secretary of Anglo-Burmese origin, whose family settled in Wales after Burma's independence; his father, John Cullum, worked in finance. His paternal grandfather was a British Army officer, while his paternal grandmother was a Jewish refugee from Prussia who sang in Berlin nightclubs.
Cullum married British model Sophie Dahl at a country hotel in the New Forest National Park in England on 9 January 2010.
Cullum released his first album, Jamie Cullum Trio—Heard it All, in 1999, of which 500 copies were made. Due to their rarity, original copies have sold for as much as £600 on eBay. The success of Heard It All Before resulted in Cullum being invited to appear on Geoff Gascoyne's album Songs of the Summer.
After graduating from Reading University, Cullum released a best-selling album, Pointless Nostalgic, which stirred interest from Michael Parkinson[2] and Melvyn Bragg.
Just after Cullum made his first television appearance, on Parkinson in April 2003, he signed a £1m contract[3] for three albums with Universal, who beat Sony in a bidding war. Cullum's third album, Twentysomething, released in October 2003, went platinum and became the #1 selling studio album by a jazz artist in the United Kingdom. Cullum ended 2003 as the UK's biggest selling jazz artist of all time.[3]
Although primarily a jazz musician, he performs in a wide range of styles and is generally regarded as a "crossover" artist with his musical roots firmly based in jazz. Cullum draws his inspiration from many different musicians and listens to an eclectic mix of music from Miles Davis[4] to Tom Waits and many more. Cullum has belonged to several bands, ranging from banging drums in a hip hop group to playing guitar in rock bands such as Raw Sausage and The Mystery Machine, in his teenage youth. Cullum names his elder brother, Ben Cullum, as his biggest musical influence, and the two continue to collaborate extensively.
Cullum is well known not only for his abilities on the piano, but also for his unique entertainment style and charisma. One of the many things that features in Jamie's concerts is the "stompbox" (not to be confused with an effect pedal for guitars), made from a small wooden block. The stompbox is used to amplify a musician's tapping foot. Jamie found this in Australia and uses it to enhance upbeat and fast-paced songs such as Seven Nation Army originally by the White Stripes and "Gold Digger", originally by Kanye West. He is also often found using a looping machine. This plays a heavy part in Cullum's versions of Seven Nation Army and Teardrop by Massive Attack. Cullum is also often found beatboxing at most gigs.
As well as the White Stripes and Kanye West, Cullum has performed work by Massive Attack, Rihanna, Pussycat Dolls, Radiohead, Gnarls Barkley, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Joy Division, Lady Gaga and many others. He has also performed with Kylie Minogue, Sugababes, Will.i.am and Burt Bacharach.
Cullum rarely works to a set list and on average his gigs last just over two hours. The gigs are largely improvised, rooted in jazz but not solely consisting of jazz music.
Cullum has played at many large music festivals, including Glastonbury Festival (in 2004 & 2009), Coachella 2005, 2006 South by Southwest, North Sea Jazz Festival, the Hollywood Bowl (performing with the Count Basie Orchestra) and the 2006 Playboy Jazz Festival. On the April 29th 2006 Cullum played his biggest ever crowd on Queensday in The Netherlands.
Discography:
1999 - Heard It All Before
2001 - Pointless Nostalgic
2003 - Twentysomething
2005 - Catching Tales
2009 - The Pursuit
2010 - Devil May Care
2013 - Momentum
2014 - Interlude
2018 - The song society playlist
2019 - Taller
2020 - The pianoman at christmas
2021 - The pianoman at christmas (The complete edition)
It's About Time
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I have been before
If I don't gind my love sometime
I'm walking out that door
Some may come and some may go
But no-one seems to be
The person I've been searching for
Biding my time, trying to find a heart that's lonely
Looking for her, my love my one and only
Maybe I'll dream, tonight about the girl who'll be coming my way
So I'll take this chance and celebrate the day
When I'm making my way through an open door
I've got some love and so much more
And I"m ready to make someone mine
Making my way through an open door
I've got some love and so much more
And I'll find her, 'cause it's about time
You try too hard and it feels just like
You're running on thin air
Why does luck happen by surprise
If you don't really care
The past is gone the flames are out
From fires that have burned
New ideals and different thoughts
From lessons I have learned
Biding my time, trying to find a heart that's lonely
Looking for her, my love my one and only
Maybe I'll dream, tonight about the girl who'll be coming my way
So I'll take this chance and celebrate the day
When I'm making my way through an open door
I've got some love and so much more
And I"m ready to make someone mine
Making my way through an open door
I've got some love and so much more
And I'll find her, 'cause it's about time
Got the feeling this could take a pretty long while
To find that smile
Put my faith in another piece of good advice
Well I tried that twice
Waiting for, a little something more
To inspire, take me higher
And I"m ready to make someone mine
Making my way through an open door
I've got some love and so much more
And I'll find her, 'cause it's about time
It's about time
"It's About Time" by Jamie Cullum is a song that describes a man's longing to find true love. The first verse sees the singer walking to the water's edge, perhaps signaling a need for emotional release or cleansing. He declares his intention to leave if he does not find the love he seeks, indicating that he is not afraid to take risks. The second verse highlights the singer's search for love and the lack of success he has experienced so far. He has met many people, but no one seems to match his ideal partner. He asserts his readiness to find his soulmate, hoping that dreaming about her would bring her closer to him. The chorus indicates the singer's optimism about his chances of success. He is confident about his abilities to find love and sees the open door as a symbol of opportunity.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking down to the water's edge
I'm heading to a familiar place where I have been before.
Where I have been before
I've visited this place previously.
If I don't find my love sometime
I need to discover the one I'm meant for, or else I'll leave soon.
I'm walking out that door
If I don't find my love, I will leave this place.
Some may come and some may go
People may appear and disappear.
But no-one seems to be
None of these individuals is the person I've been seeking.
The person I've been searching for
The one who is meant for me.
The one whose meant for me
The individual with whom I'm destined to be together.
Biding my time, trying to find a heart that's lonely
I'm waiting for the right moment and seeking an unattached person.
Looking for her, my love my one and only
I'm hunting for the woman who will be my only love.
Maybe I'll dream, tonight about the girl who'll be coming my way
I might have a vision of the woman who will soon appear in my life.
So I'll take this chance and celebrate the day
I'll make the most of this opportunity and cherish the moment.
When I'm making my way through an open door
When an opportunity arises to begin a new relationship.
I've got some love and so much more
I have a lot of love and other wonderful things to offer.
And I'm ready to make someone mine
I am prepared to commit myself to someone special.
Why does luck happen by surprise
Why is it that good things appear unexpectedly?
If you don't really care
If you aren't putting any effort into it.
The past is gone the flames are out
The past is over, and its resulting emotions no longer affect me.
From fires that have burned
From the damage that has resulted from past relationships.
New ideals and different thoughts
New concepts and ways of thinking.
From lessons I have learned
From the experiences I've had in the past.
Got the feeling this could take a pretty long while
I have the impression that this could take quite a long time.
To find that smile
To find true happiness.
Put my faith in another piece of good advice
I will seek out and believe in another good suggestion.
Well I tried that twice
I've attempted that before, twice.
Waiting for, a little something more
I'm anticipating that something extra will occur.
To inspire, take me higher
To encourage and enhance my life.
And I'll find her, 'cause it's about time
I'll find the woman I'm meant to be with because the time is right.
It's about time
The moment has arrived for me to find my true love.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BEN CULLUM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind