THE exciting news I was able to relay to you about the forthcoming concert in Southport featuring George Benson and Jamie Cullum has already had one hugely satisfying spin-off.

Thanks to the efforts of Julia Brough who is handling PR for the festival, I managed to get an interview with Jamie Cullum.

OK, so it was at the end of a couple of mobile phones and I woke him up to get it, but he forgave me and turned out to be a thoroughly pleasant and unassuming young man.

He seems genuinely taken aback by all the fuss and attention he is creating and very flattered that people like Michael Parkinson has taken such an interest in his career.

The fact that Jamie is a terrific singer and piano player, and that Mr Parkinson, one of life's rarities, a cultured and educated Yorkshireman, wouldn't be pushing him so energetically were he anything but special, seems to have escaped Mr Cullum's attention.

He sounded for all the world like Ben Castle, son of the late Roy, who also happens to be incredibly talented but equally as modest. The fact that Ben and Jamie are good mates helped me considerably during the introductions as I shamelessly exploited the fact that I knew Ben very well, having worked with him on at least three occasions.

Apparently Jamie's world has gone totally potty in the short period since his appearance on the Michael Parkinson show and news of his £1million recording deal. His diary is filling up by the day and besides a new CD he has TV and radio shows lined up as well as a series of sell-out concerts.

What I found especially interesting about Jamie Cullum was the reply to the usual question put to musicians or singers by interviewing journalists: "Who has been the biggest influence on your life and career?" I expected it to be Francis Albert, Nat King Cole, or one of the other great swing singers.

But no, Jamie named his older brother Ben, principally a guitarist, but a man who has made music of all types for most of his 28 years.

"He's been so enthusiastic and supportive," Jamie told me. "He's a natural and it was really because of his encouragement that, at 16, I gave up pumping gas at the local garage for £3.50 an hour and went out playing solo piano for £20 a night."

The rest, as they say, is history.

The 18th Wigan International Jazz Festival was launched yesterday and will run until Saturday July 20. Among the world-class bands and singers contracted to appear are John Dankworth and Cleo Laine; Don Lusher's Best of British; Bobby Shew and his All-Star Big Band; Eddie Palmieri; The Yellowjackets; Curtis Fuller Sextet; The Arizona Big Band; Tina May and her musicians and Lee Gibson.

Don Weller, one of the truly great hard bop tenor sax players, will be the guest at The Rhythm Station, Rawtenstall on Tuesday.