Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
Flea Finds His Jazz Thing
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
After a whirlwind 2004 that saw Jamie Cullum sell 2 million albums worldwide and garner a Grammy nomination, when it came time for the singer/pianist to write songs for his new album, Catching Tales, Cullum started with a clean slate.
“The first song I wrote was on Jan. 2,” said Cullum about the Oct. 11 release on Verve Forecast. “I was at home with my folks and they asked me to clean out the cupboard and I found these old photos. The same day I was reading fan mail and this 7-year-old kid wrote and said that he’s just starting out but he loves playing riffs from my songs. It made me think of something childlike, simple, a riff you could play with one hand. That was the basis for ‘Photograph.’”
As for the song “Mind Trick,” Cullum says, “My brother and I had just been hanging around listening to Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye all day and ended up in the basement, just playing.”
But it’s “21st Century Kid” that Cullum holds closest to his heart. “I think that’s the best song I’ve ever written,” he says. “Though it doesn’t start out that way—it was originally 11 minutes long. Once I decided I wasn’t going to become a prog rocker, I was able to pull it down into something I like very much.”
For details on Cullum, go to www.jamiecullum.com.
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
“These days, with curated news, where people only get half the story, people can’t even speak to family members anymore,” Schneider laments.
Mar 10, 2026 1:43 PM
Maria Schneider is doing her part to try to fix what ails America. Which got her thinking about crows, specifically,…
Each of the 25 JAMs has delivered a poster featuring a jazz legend that is sent out to schools across the nation. This year’s poster features Tony Bennett.
Mar 30, 2026 10:20 PM
Every April for the past quarter century, something remarkable has happened across the United States and far beyond.…
Cécile McLorin Salvant busts out Jelly Roll Morton’s “The Murder Ballad” at Big Ears, here with pianist Sullivan Fortner.
Apr 7, 2026 1:21 PM
There’s pluralism, then there’s PLURALISM! — and then there’s Big Ears. Thurston Moore, who participated in…
“We thought it’s important that Ronin has a new statement,” said Nik Bärtsch of his band’s latest album, Spin. “The sound is differently produced, so it reflects more of who we are.”
Apr 21, 2026 10:00 AM
Nik Bärtsch cuts an imposing figure on stage. He’s unmistakable with his soul patch, shaven head and black attire.…
