Jamie Cullum - Influences

What makes the versatile singer, songwriter and piano virtuoso Jamie Cullum tick? Find out on this wide-ranging collection of tracks hand-picked by Cullum exclusively for the “Influences” series. Kicking off with his early inspirations – bands like The Wedding Present and Ben Folds Five, as well as piano legend Elton John (note Jamie’s intimate version of “Your Song”) – the compilation follows his immersion in hip-hop (Q-Tip, Quasimoto), which led him to explore jazz. Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans and Tony Bennett and contemporary great Kurt Elling are among the jazz trailblazers saluted. With some top-flight R&B (Donny Hathaway) and even ’60s folk-rock (Donovan) rounding out the set, this “Influences” anthology offers a rare road map to an artist’s creative journey. “This CD feels like a fantasy résumé,” says Cullum, “or a mix tape I would make for a great friend or a really, really hot girl.”