Jamie Cullum Brings 'Momentum' to the House of Blues

Jamie Cullum brings his tour in support of his most recent release "Momentum" to the House of Blues Boston on June 1.

Cullum's sixth album is the sound of a man both at peace with himself and in playful, creative battle with his inspirations. For the first time he's recorded with his live band; for the first time he's written most of the songs himself, with the occasional help of his brother Ben. And never before has he used, in the case of many of the songs, the original easy-going, DIY home demos as the blueprint for the finished articles. For a while iPhone apps and cassette recorders were his go-to "instruments". It's also, probably, the first Cullum album that was largely penned while the artist was in his pajamas.

The album is called "Momentum" with good reason: it's the pop-filled sound of on artist on a creative role, bursting with ideas and inspirations, and allowed full creative reign by his new label, Island.

"After I moved label, I did wonder whether I should just go in and cut an album of jazz standards - in some ways what the wider world expects of me," he reflects. "But it just felt like the wrong time to do that. I've always acted on instinct and my gut told me to focus more on my songs this time around."

Appropriately, "Momentum" begins with the thumping beat of "The Same Things." Cullum acknowledges that the song is a declaration of intent. "It falls between my love of New Orleans jazz and Beyonc�, with a screaming organ solo in the middle. The chaos and fuzz of a beat-up transistor organ seems more appropriate at the moment than a tender piano solo!" he says, adding that the funk-filled party vibes of "Anyway" - produced by Lily Allen collaborators Future Cut - was written in two speedy hours and features more rootling swagger of Farfisa. "The moments of keyboard soloing are all raucous and juke-joint, like I heard in the kind of places I encountered in the American south on tour - that more visceral blues and New Orleans end of jazz."

Much closer to home is a song like "Sad Sad World." It began life on a train journey into London, with the electronic beat and part of the keyboards being completed before he pulled into Marylebone Station. He describes the song "as the beating heart of the album" - its reflective, melancholy-tinged lyric in fact "makes me very happy when I hear it 'cause it reveals a new level of understanding of myself and the people around me."

At the other end of the vibes spectrum is "When I Get Famous." It was recorded with big band zip, party-on clamour and big, louche, echoey vocals from Cullum in the London studio of cult young jazz producer and vinyl champion Nostalgia 77. "He's so punk in the way he does it," nods Cullum approvingly.

With "Momentum" - and by channeling momentum - Jamie Cullum is enjoying a newfound musical freedom. He has momentum. And he won't be stopping anytime soon - backed by his road-hardened band of brothers, Cullum can't wait to continue to perform these new songs around the world.

Jamie Cullum Brings 'Momentum' to the House of Blues, Sunday, June 1, 2014 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $29.50 and $45.00 in advance at the Orpheum Theatre Box Office and the Scion Box Office at House of Blues Boston. For more information, Jamie Cullum's website.