James Morrison with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra “The Great American Songbook”

Jazz great James Morrison returns to the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra with timeless hits from his latest album, The Great American Songbook. Performing on a range of instruments (trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, tenor sax and piano); Morrison brings his trademark virtuosity and style to songs written by famous American composers of the 1930-1950’s.  For one night only Wednesday 20 March, Festival Theatre.

James Morrison is, by anybody’s standard, a virtuoso in the true sense of the word. Besides the trumpet, this multi-instrumentalist also plays piano, all the brass, saxophones, and double bass.

Morrison is regarded as one of the finest musicians of his generation, with a distinguished career featuring collaborations with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Charles, invitations to perform at the world’s great venues and for multiple US presidents and Queen Elizabeth II, and pioneering education work.

The latest chapter in his diverse career sees James in Mount Gambier, South Australia, establishing the James Morrison Academy of Music, an innovative school dedicated to teaching jazz and offering a Bachelor Degree in Music. This exciting initiative involves educators from all over the world, transforming young musicians’ lives with inspiration and a love of jazz. For the past two years, the JMA have partnered with The Juilliard School in New York City to offer an exclusive Honours Program.

 James Morrison says, “These jazz ‘standards’ are close to Morrison’s heart: “I proposed to my wife by walking into the bathroom playing My Funny Valentine, Every Time We Say Goodbye was played at the funeral of a dear friend, Summertime was the first time I worked with a singer, A Foggy Day was the first song I performed in public on the piano (aged 10), and of course Duke Ellington answered the unanswerable question ‘what is jazz’? (It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing).”

Conductor Guy Noble is looking forward to again working with James Morrison he says,“ Every time I work with James I end up astonished. In this show he plays trumpet, sax, Flugelhorn, trombone and piano and all at an astronomically high level. Plus he’s funny. I don’t think there’s a performer quite like him in the world”

“I  love the arrangement we do of Cole Porter’s Everytime We Say Goodbye. Luscious strings and the solo line floating on top. My other more up tempo favourite is Don’t Get Around Much Anymore where James does a stunning trombone solo. By the end of the night you feel total admiration for composers like Gershwin, Johnny Mandel and Duke Ellington who created these timeless melodies”.

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Managing Director Vincent Ciccarello said, “Whether you’e a lover of Jazz or the Great American songbook, you’ll fall in love with them all over again as the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra inserts their orchestral magic blah blah blah blah”

SPECIAL EVENT            JAMES MORRISON The Great American Songbook

Wednesday 20 March, Festival Theatre

Conductor                    Guy Noble

Featuring, Porter’s Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye, Gershwin’s Summertime, and A Foggy Day, Ellington’s It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing and Kern’s The Way You Look Tonight.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Cheree McEwin, Publicist Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

08 8233 6205 / 0416 181 679 / mcewinc@aso.com.au