Jamie Cullum Pointless Nostalgic (Candid) 180g 2LP

The album that made Jamie Cullum a household name, his cover of Radiohead's "High and Dry" a standard, and propelled him to Glastonbury and Coachella as a jazz ambassador to the alternative nation.

With a mischievous and lighthearted approach that has become his calling card, it endeared him to jazzophiles and pop fans alike. And with its infectious blend of jazz standards, American songbook classics, original compositions, and hip contemporary covers, Pointless Nostalgic went straight to the top of the charts and demanded attention.

Barely in his twenties at the time of this recording, Cullum's move to mix genres and use contemporary arrangements and a rock and roll attitude coalesced at just the perfect time. This was the same year that Norah Jones appeared on the scene with her debut album Come Away with Me. And while approaching material in this manner could have alienated purists, Cullum found a unifying thread in all of the styles, tying them together in a manner that seemed like the natural culmination of a diverse record collection.

Cullum hops from Gershwin to Radiohead to Thelonious Monk with equal verve and accomplishment. The closing number, Cullum's own composition, "I Want to Be a Popstar," is a playful rumination on the advantages of being a pop star rather than a jazz key pounder.

This album has been remastered by legendary mastering engineer Bernie Grundman.