Jamie Cullum releases his first festive album 'The Pianoman at Christmas'
"It is the pure sound of human warmth"
Last updated 11th Dec 2020
British and international music superstar Jamie Cullum has released his first full Christmas album, recorded earlier this year at the iconic Abbey Road Studios.
The festive album, entitled 'The Pianoman at Christmas', has been released on Friday 20th November 2020, including 10 original songs and featuring a big band, encompassing a whopping 57 musicians.
Jamie spoke to the BBC about his new record this morning (20th Nov), opening up about the recording process and how that worked during lockdown, "The recording was really interesting, we recorded at Abbey Road Studio Two, which is a big space.
"We had to set up in a way that you wouldn't normally; between screens, two meters apart and socially distanced, but we had some of the most talented people in the world working on this record and for that reason, it still ended up sounding as wonderful and authentic as it did."
He added, "Being in a room when all those musicians are playing at the same time, it is the pure sound of human warmth. I think that's why the sound feels so good at Christmas, because it's a mass of that beautiful human sound - I absolutely love it."
Jamie has now announced an accompanying Q&A session which will take place this evening (Friday 20th November) to coincide with his album launch date, taking questions from fans as well as giving an intimate performance.
Jamie first announced his Christmas album on 9th October, writing in an Instagram post that he'd been inspired by his wife, Sophie Dahl, who had encouraged him to get festive with his music.
Sharing a photo of the album cover, Jamie wrote, 'My wife has been telling me for years to make a Christmas album. So I started a notebook that began to fill with festive ideas. By the time we were in lockdown, my tour postponed for many months, the ideas started to develop flesh on their bones.
'I was in shorts and flip-flops, at the piano, having negotiated a morning of shared homeschool, picking away at these songs one by one. Sophie would pass by, in the in between of working on her own writing, listening, encouraging and throwing rhyming couplets my way like snowballs. These were truly beautiful moments. I wanted to reflect this creative romance in the artwork.
'Thank you to Sophie who brought the writing of this record to life with me, at home, in an incongruous locked down Springtime, barefoot, still bringing the magic whilst chaos whirled around like snowflakes. The world shines brighter with you in it.'
'The Pianoman at Christmas' was recorded over a period of five days at the world-renowned Abbey Road Studios and was produced by Greg Wells, know for his work on the soundtrack The Greatest Showman alongside his work with Adele and Dua Lipa.
You can hear the first single - 'Turn on the Lights' - from the album below:
What is the track list for 'The Pianoman at Christmas'?
1) 'It's Christmas'
2) 'Beautiful, Altogether'
3) 'Hang Your Lights'
4) 'The Jolly Fat Man'
5) 'The Pianoman at Christmas'
6) 'Turn On The Lights'
7) 'So Many Santas'
8) 'Christmas Never Gets Old'
9) 'How Do You Fly?'
10) 'Christmas Caught Me Crying'
11) 'This Winter' (Demo)
Jamie Cullum recently featured on our landmark series - The Music That Made Me (who you can listen to in full) - alongside other legends like Ramsey Lewis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick, Norah Jones (who is the recipient of our Impact Award for the Jazz FM Awards 2020 with OANDA), Gregory Porter and Harry Connick Jr.
You can watch a clip from The Music That Made Me with Jamie Cullum below:
When will Jamie Cullum's The Pianoman at Christmas be released?
Jamie Cullum's Christmas album, 'The Pianoman at Christmas', will be released on November 20th 2020 via Island Records.
Scroll through to see the winners at the Jazz FM 2020 Awards with OANDA:
Jamie Cullum was nominated for 'UK Jazz Act of the Year' at the 2013 Jazz FM Awards. Why not have a look at this years' winners?
BREAKTHROUGH ACT OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Cambridge Audio)
WINNER: Xhosa Cole
Yelfris Valdés
Rosie Turton
SOUL ACT OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Philip Bailey
Anderson .Paak
Celeste
IMPACT AWARD
WINNER: Norah Jones
GOLD AWARD
WINNER: Orphy Robinson MBE
THE DIGITAL AWARD (Sponsored by Oanda)
WINNER: Chiminyo
Jacob Collier
Jazz re:freshed
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Hampstead Jazz Club)
WINNER: Binker Golding
Mark Kavuma
Shirley Tetteh
BLUES ACT OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Blue Orchid Hotels)
WINNER: Jon Cleary
Keb' Mo'
Gary Clark Jr.
THE INNOVATION AWARD (Sponsored by Mishcon de Reya)
WINNER: Jazz re:freshed
Moses Boyd
Sarathy Korwar
VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Judi Jackson
Alice Zawadzki
Georgia Cécile
INTERNATIONAL JAZZ ACT OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Saint Lucia Wellness Festival)
WINNER: Charles Lloyd
Branford Marsalis
Kris Davis
The PPL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
WINNER: Herbie Hancock
Herbie said, "The UK has supported and kept jazz alive for so many years. Not just for its citizens, but globally. And people in distant lands, many fans from Asia, Africa and around the world have been able to enjoy great jazz in places like Ronnie Scott's and other venues for many, many years.
"It has all been a wonderful ride and continues with the younger generation of jazz musicians collaborating with me and I'm inspired by that. They think I'm inspiring them; they don't realise they are inspiring me! But jazz is in a very healthy state. The pandemic is not going to stop that. It's continuing beyond that. So I want to thank the Jazz FM Awards and OANDA for this wonderful honour. Thank you all so very, very much."
UK JAZZ ACT OF THE YEAR - PUBLIC VOTE (Sponsored by PRS For Music)
WINNER: Yazz Ahmed
Joe Armon-Jones
SEED Ensemble
ALBUM OF THE YEAR - PUBLIC VOTE (Sponsored by Arqiva)
WINNER: Yazz Ahmed – Polyhymnia
Ashley Henry – Beautiful Vinyl Hunter
SEED Ensemble – Drift Glass
Jazzmeia Horn – Love and Liberation
Binker Golding – Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers
Branford Marsalis Quartet – The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul
VENUE OF THE YEAR - PUBLIC VOTE
WINNER: Vortex, Dalston
Church of Sound
Ronnie Scott's
Love Supreme Festival
The Verdict, Brighton
Band on the Wall, Manchester
You can hear Jamie Cullum on the Jazz FM playlist.
Read more:
A guide to Jamie Cullum's career and albums so far
Jamie Cullum among The Ivors 2020 winners