<strong>Jamie Cullum<br/> </strong>Momentum<br/> (Island)<br/>**** How to describe Jamie Cullum? Is he still a jazz musician? Having dabbled with house and techno on his last album, 2009's <em>The Pursuit</em>, Cullum did consider just covering jazz standards for this follow-up but, thankfully, his creative evolution continues apace. The 33-year-old introduces some splendidly diverse new compositions here, from<em> Get a Hold of Yourself</em>'s acoustic folk to the anthemic soul of <em>Anyway</em>, which will surely be appropriated by a big-voiced diva soon. When he does rework a standard, it's anything but traditional. A downbeat version of <em>Pure Imagination</em>, once warbled by Willy Wonka, cleverly revitalises the grandiose movie classic. Bolder still is his quasi-cover of Cole Porter's <em>Love for $ale</em>, based around a Roots Manuva sample and guest-starring the British rapper, to good effect. There is a splash of jazz, on <em>When I Get Famous</em> – recorded with the gifted producer Nostalgia 77 – and even the weaker songs invariably finish with a flourish of his keyboard talents. Cullum's momentum is in the right direction. <strong><a href="mailto:artslife@thenational.ae">artslife@thenational.ae</a></strong> Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thenationalArtsandLife">Facebook</a> for discussions, entertainment, reviews, wellness and news. Follow us
