James Morrison
Composer and Trumpet

James Morrison is, by anybody’s standard, a virtuoso in the true
sense of the word. Besides the trumpet, this multi-instrumentalist
also plays trombone, piano, saxophone and double bass.
At the age of six he started on piano, at seven he took up brass,
at nine he formed his first band and at thirteen he was playing
professionally in nightclubs. His international career developed
just as quickly with a debut in the USA at the Monterey Jazz
Festival at age sixteen.
Following this were performances at the world’s major jazz
festivals, including Montreux, North Sea, Nice and the Hollywood
Bowl, playing with many of the legends of jazz - Dizzy Gillespie,
Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, George Benson,
Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Ray Brown and Wynton
Marsalis to name a few. James also frequents the world’s most
famous jazz clubs – Birdland, The Blue Note and Village Vanguard
in New York, the New Morning in Paris, the Tokyo Blue Note and
Ronnie Scott’s in London.
James has been appointed a member of The Order of Australia,
has won countless awards and has been inducted into the
Australian Jazz Hall of Fame. He has received several honorary
Doctorates and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of South
Australia, leading his own music Academy.
James has recorded with The London Symphony Orchestra, rock
legends INXS and the European Brass Ensemble, performed at the
Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms, written the opening fanfare
for the Olympic Games, played for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
and for US Presidents Bush and Clinton. He has played classical
trumpet at the Kremlin, broken a Guinness record conducting the
world’s largest orchestra, was TV presenter on Top Gear Australia
and in 2016 was a guest of President Obama at the White House.