Armadillo, Glasgow
Nov 24th, 2024
Glasgow’s most gracious venue, the Armadillo, an architectural compliment the most famous Sydney Opera House, sits on the River Clyde where, last night, we were treated to a top level concert by the wonderful Jamie Cullum’s extraordinary piano playing.
Jamie and his band is on a massive global tour, inviting Billy Locket to join them for every stop. In the special atmosphere that the Armadillo makes, designed to have perfect acoustics, the great stage soon saw spotlit billy, clad in red, sitting down to play piano to an entireity of original songs.
His sentient style of music had a pace to it, somewhere in the throngs of jazz, blues and melancholy pop. His story is an archetype of music that was easily enjoyed, devoting our ears to the magic of listening to the pure and thrifty companionship of vocal & piano, along with gut-bursting writing and a powerful voice. He took us along for a 35 odd minute set filled with accomplished songs from his album ‘Abington Grove’, the stage yearning to be filled as instruments stretched across it.
Jamie’s popularity in Glasgow held a candle up as a trio of himself and two others took to double bass, drums, and of course, Jamie’s vocal and piano. It was a slower introduction to what would become a feast-like party of music and connection. Then, for their second song, the full band were brought out into the evening to perform, with great magic, Jamie’s tightly engaged show – an infinitely relaxed band, playing intricately distinctive songs, rich and very colourful.
As his music came together, Jamie’s skeleton t-shirt started to make more sense, the backing vocals professed with jive-like dancing, to rhythms of great speed, a male and female shaking it down. This truly magical night held sway in its lively music, and as the wheels kept being greased, the more lively it became.
When Jamie released his first album ‘Heard it All Before,’ way back in 1999, his name started to gather formidable interest along the jazz circuits. The great songs of this album were in evidence, along with a selection from the intervening 25 years, 9 studio albums, copious EP’s – a collection of lyrics and vocals declaring s splendid amount of experience, and revealing a master at work.
With jovial enthusiasm these compositions erupted in musical festivity, brist;ling with historic tones of the highest blues, jazzy, rock, and ska, all put together and emanating from the stage, tantalising the audience with absorbing moments of connection right up to the high stalls.
Jamie has such a great palette to work from, bending composition to the whims of an ability for something praiseworthy, or something rock, to accompany a classic horn or clarinet.
Forever expanding and exploring the stage in the finest and most joyful moods led this entourage of vocals, trumpet, double bass, and others, swapping instruments and making their way, end-to-end, across the formidable stage, while fans and music lovers sang along to this great musical vehicle, revving at its finest. I simply cannot understate their use of styles and genres, booming as if an orchestra in full swing, and inviting us to lose inhibition, which was what this fitting night was about.
Daniel Donnelly
themumble.uk 