Jamie Cullum says farewell to his piano
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
He may have played the Hollywood Bowl this summer, but last night Jamie Cullum returned to his old manor to bid a final farewell to his ‘old joanna’, inspiring a new generation whilst he was it.
Swindon’s Old Town was the scene of some of the Cullum’s earliest gigs, so it was a satisfying twist of fate when, after he decided last year to run a competition for his trusty Yamaha Grand with which he’d toured the world, The Commonweal School’s entry ‘Come on Jamie (give is your old piano)’ went viral and won the public vote.
The Swindon comprehensive, with a track record in boosting young musicians and organising a town wide piano competition, wasted no time in inviting him to come and play and give them a few tips. For two hours, to an audience of students and friends of the school, Cullum sang, whipped up his trade-mark percussive storms on the piano, answered questions, demonstrated what it means to “play around and make stuff up” (at one point inventing a song on the spot about the evening) and staged an impromptu group lesson in playing the blues for three students who’d just performed short pieces.
The questions came thick and fast, mainly from students and they learnt about his formal training (he failed grade three piano), inspirations (brother Ben, early mentor Ray), great gigs (Ray Charles memorial concert – too many names to drop at once were in attendance) and could feel the love of jazz, singing and exploration that drives him. The reception was rapturous and may just spark the beginnings of another jazz revival in Swindon. You heard it hear first.
– Mike Collins
@jazzyblogman