The last time I had the pleasure of Mr. Cullum's company, it was lightyears ago (okay, October 2006) and at the end of the show, Jamie said, "We will see you in one year." Well, one year passed, and then another, and another and finally, three years later, he returned. The show at the Keswick lived out the phrase "worth the wait," as Jamie and his bandmates, new and old, created phenomenal music and a tangible vibe throughout the venerable old theater. As it goes with Jamie gigs, to list the highlights would be to copy the entire setlist in this space. Instead, I'll just say that "I Get A Kick" with JC and the amazing Chris Hill will stay with me for a long time, as will the haunting rendition of Gran Torino. Looking back on the show, the tune that made me smile the most was, without a doubt, Mixtape. Jamie's lengthy introduction to the song felt like a person conversation with me and the others in the audience who spent countless hours of their adolescence hunched over dual tapedecks attempting to shoehorn several months worth of psychoanalysis onto 90 minutes of magnetic tape. When he began to play the song, which he admitted was a challenge to do live, it was impossible not to get caught up in the Jamie's carefully crafted lyrics and the band's frenetic magic.
Thank you Jamie Cullum and friends for another fantastic evening that I will remember for years to come... although, I hope it doesn't take that long for you to return to Philadelphia!
