Q+A: Jamie Cullum

Friday, Sept. 22, 2006 | 7:32 a.m.

Who: Jamie Cullum

When: 8 p.m. Sunday

Where: Las Vegas Hilton Showroom

Tickets: $30 to $45

Info: 732-5755

Jamie Cullum is burning up the roadways and skyways as he travels the world entertaining fans who have suddenly turned this musician/vocalist into a budding superstar.

It's sort of like the Josh Groban syndrome - he has emerged out of nowhere to capture the musical hearts of almost every continent. Groban did it with pop-opera. Cullum does it with jazz-fusion.

The 27-year-old British entertainer is a jazz pianist-singer-songwriter, but one heavily influenced by rock, pop, blues and even hip-hop. He blends it all with a youthful passion and energy in his concerts.

The younger brother of Ben Cullum - who wrote the music for a stage version of "When Harry Met Sally," Jamie Cullum spent his early years performing in pubs and on cruise ships.

He released his first album, "Jamie Cullum Trio - Heard it All Before," in 1999. Only 600 copies were made. Now, they have gone for as much as $1,100 on eBay.

Since then he has released three albums - "Pointless Nostalgic" (2002), "Twentysomething" (2003) and "Catching Tales" (2005). "Twentysomething" sold more than 2 million copies worldwide (including 400,000 in the United States), went platinum and was the No. 1 selling studio album by a jazz artist in the United Kingdom.

Cullum has been on an international tour since October, promoting "Catching Tales." The tour has brought him to this country four times and to a blur of other nations, including Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Germany, Spain and Portugal.

His sixth tour in the United States begins Sunday with an engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Cullum recently spoke to the Sun by phone. He was somewhere in Brazil.

Q: Who has influenced you the most, musically?

My brother, Ben, was the guiding influence. He helped me cultivate a love of music - not just jazz, but everything from rock to hip-hop. He would bring home records by artists like Jimi Hendrix. He was very good at finding good in all different styles of music.

Where are you at the moment?

Brazil. I've been playing concerts here for the past two weeks. Before that we were in Argentina. Last month we were in South Africa for a couple of weeks. The South American tour just finished.

Which country has been the most successful for you on the tour?

Japan was amazing. There was a certain amount of hysteria there. I love the culture in Japan.

But some of our best shows, best audiences have been in America. The fans are very knowledgeable about the music.

What about Vegas?

This will be our second time in Vegas. We were there early on in the tour, at the House of Blues. Had a great time. We played to a full house.

All the flying. Isn't it difficult these days?

You have to adapt. There are more restrictions on flights, there's more security and it can become very difficult. But the best way to combat such things is to carry on as normal as possible.

And some problems are exaggerated. Actually, only about 10 percent of the time are there big troubles. Most of the time it's very smooth.

Aren't you concerned about traveling in certain parts of the world?

We go to all areas, places people would consider dangerous. But we've never had a problem. Whether it's the music or whatever, I don't know. Maybe it's true what they say, that music brings people together.

You have been touring practically nonstop for almost a year. Doesn't that wear you down?

No. I'm so excited. No one's making me do this. I love to tour, love to play, love to travel. When I get up in the morning, I want to play music. The impulse to play and make live music is my strongest urge. All I ever wanted to be is a good musician.