Soul music no longer belongs to American performers of African descent.
The Australian Multi Instrumentalist who has been guest performer with most of the world’s truly great symphony orchestras and national radio bands of the UK, West Germany and other European and Middle Eastern nations is Sydney’s James Morrison.
He has become a world jazz legend in his own lifetime; is yet to turn 40; is idol to fans in more countries than most people can name, regularly gives live performances in most of them; has co-performed and co-recorded in the last 23 years with many of the world’s truly great jazz personalities and is respected by all of them for his talent.
He is a dedicated, loving, caring, husband, father of three, an active family man, a pilot, a trans-Tasman yachtsman, an advocate and sponsor of new and emerging Australian jazz talent, generous to his chosen Australian charities and has been recognized internationally and nationally for his work. He was awarded, in 1997, The Order of Australia for his services to the arts in Australia and in February 2002 with an Honorary Doctorate from Queensland’s Griffith University for his achievement of excellence in Australian music.
The level of his international performances has been likened to those of Dame Joan Sutherland appearing at Covent Garden and the current phalanx of Australian actors dominating international film awards.
At age 16, James began his professional career in the USA performing to enthusiastic acclaim at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Now, 23 years later, he has performed with musical giants including Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Ray Brown, Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, Cab Calloway, Woody Shaw, Red Rodney and George Benson.
The international Orchestras and bands he has featured in include the London Philharmonic, London Symphony, Israel National, BBC Big Band, NZ Philharmonic, West German Radio (WDR) Big Band, Prague Symphony, Munich Symphony and the Philip Morris Superband.
In 1996, James was commissioned by Jazz buff Clint Eastwood, distinguished Argentinean Composer Lalo Shifrin and Italian filmmaker Pupi Avati to perform the world premier of the suite Rhapsody for Bix in Davenport, Ohio. It was part of a documentary film commemorating the life of 1920s jazz trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke, regarded as the greatest jazz trumpeter of his era behind Louis Armstrong.
James has also completed six Royal Command performances for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and other members of the Royal Family, and has played to Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush at National receptions in Canberra.
His greatest audience, of several hundred million, was in 2000 when he was commissioned to compose and perform the Opening Fanfare of the Olympic Games in Sydney. At an earlier international event for Australia, Expo in Brisbane, while performing the opening fanfare there, James extended his range and mastery of conventional instruments including trumpet, trombone, piano, saxophone, euphonium and flugelhorn, by adding in a brief segment on didgeridoo!
As head of Morrison records, an independent label, James promotes the best of Australia’s new jazz talent. He is also patron of six youth bands and awards an annual scholarship to further the music education of young Australians.
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