John Morrison, Drummer and Big Band Leader performing on stage with the College Concert and Jazz Ensembles.
Br R J Wallace Performing Arts Centre
Waverley College
131 Birrell Street
Waverley NSW 2024
John Morrison is our special guest for the evening. In addition to playing with our ensembles and with his own group, John will be spending time workshopping students from the Concert and Jazz Bands during the day prior to the concert.
John Morrison has delighted audiences for more than 40 years with his humour and dedication to sounds that swing. Equally at home in a small group or big band setting, his musical facility runs the entire spectrum from traditional jazz, swing, Bebop, R&B, Soul and commercial jazz rock.
The eldest of the Morrison family, John has spent much of his musical life playing and recording with his younger (and slightly more famous) brother James Morrison. At age 8, John began playing cornet in the school brass band and by the age of 10 had built his first drum set from pots and pans. In these early few years he played many different instruments and styles but jazz drumming was to be his calling.
After living in New York in the late eighties, John and James returned home to form Australia’s premier jazz big band “The Morrison Bros Big Bad Band”. John widened his exposure and experience also playing with a variety of other well-known international artists.
As the driving force behind Swing City, John, who was voted Australia’s best big band drummer, loves the big band sound and started his own big band festival, Big Band Blast, held in Port Macquarie in May.
John is proud to be an ambassador of the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) and is sponsored by Wincent drumsticks, Bosphorous Cymbals, Gibraltar Hardware and ProMusic Australia. John is passionate about music education, and travels the country presenting workshops in schools, teaching at jazz camps, and helping teachers develop their skills.
John will be joined by two amazingly talented and in-demand musicians, Bill Risby on piano and Natalie Risby on double bass.
Tickets for the event are available for purchase through Trybookings. https://www.trybooking.com/BFTBY
Event Poster: Download
Hot food and beverages will be available for purchase from 5.30pm provided by the Music Supporters Group. Any parents available to assist with service on the evening please contact the Music Supporter Group, pac_supportersgroup@waverley.nsw.edu.au or Keiran Kossenberg, PAC Administrator, kkossenberg@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation who are the traditional Custodians of the land on which Waverley College is located. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We are committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual connections to the land, waters, seas and sky and their rich contribution to society.
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