New York, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) -
Jamie Cullum - the Grammy nominated singer, pianist, and composer with sales of over five million albums worldwide - was just honored with a Golden
Globe nomination for "Best Original Song" for "Gran Torino," from the motion picture of the same name. The film - directed by and starring
Clint Eastwood - premieres December 12th in New York and Los Angeles, and will see a nationwide release in January.
Says Cullum: "I can't imagine, as a songwriter, having a greater springboard to write a song - a beautiful script and a fabulous movie. It is quite inspiring to know that someone as legendary as Clint Eastwood would take the risk on a British piano player to make music to accompany his film. This has been an incredible experience for me."
Jamie Cullum's performance of the Cullum and Eastwood penned title-track will be available for exclusive download from iTunes beginning December 23rd. Both Cullum and Eastwood are featured singing "Gran Torino" during the film's emotional finale.
Earlier this year, Eastwood and Cullum jointly headlined the Monterey Jazz Festival's closing evening panel where the iconic Eastwood raved: "I just see in him a great spontaneity... a great showman player, and I think he's everything that jazz needs today."
A worldwide star noted for his raw energy, insatiable musical creativity, and fearless and engaging live performances, Cullum's career on stage and on record has been marked with remarkable critical acclaim, sales, and fan support. Cullum has spent much of 2008 writing and recording material for his next album - the follow up to his breakout albums 'Twentysomething' and 'Catching Tales' - slated for release in early 2009.
The film 'Gran Torino' is a production of Warner Bros. Pictures, and will be available in wide release in the U.S. beginning January 16th, 2009.