James Morrison on bass trombone

ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist · Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:36 am

I'm always amazed at his trombone playing. I love the very trumpety riffs in his solos, but I never expected to hear him playing bass trombone like this. Does anyone here know much about this program Hey Hey It's Saturday or if James has done any recordings on bass trombone like this elsewhere?

As someone who is now more seriously looking for gigs in a trumpet/flugelhorn and trombone/bass trombone jazz combo I fear this has inspired me to try even more with my bass trombone.

https://youtu.be/SBV1XVjTLU8

ttf_Nanook · Post by **ttf_Nanook** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:57 am

Thanks for the post, this guy is amazing, and he's killer on the trumpet as well...He's now on my bucket list to see live... I have tickets to see Arturo Sandoval live at an intimate venue in Pittsburgh...Scratch one off the list, add one on....LOVE it...

Nanook

ttf_bigbassbone1 · Post by **ttf_bigbassbone1** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 9:05 am

The man is incredible. It's not just trombone and trumpet..... He plays everything. Do a search, he has plenty of videos where he plays every part from a big band. Except drums. I've never seen anyone else like him.

I was incredibly fortunate to do a gig playing in an ensemble backing him only a few months ago. It was kind of hard to focus on your own part when you are trying to figure out how he does what he does and on top of that, does it on multiple instruments.

ttf_Exzaclee · Post by **ttf_Exzaclee** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 9:25 am

James Morrison plays everything. He plays everything really, really well. The first time I heard his stuff, a musician from New Zealand brought a CD to my room and said "check this out brah." JM played everything but drums on that album if I remember right.

I got to transcribe and arrange some of his stuff for a concert he did with the Rebel Alliance Big Band last year. I wanted to go to that show but unfortunately had other commitments. Some of the guys in the band sent me some cell phone videos. He's just inspiring - he inspires me to practice, he inspires me to consider another line of work!

Amazing cat. Have you heard him slay the tuba?

ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist · Fri Aug 25, 2017 9:29 am

The Snappy Doo and Snappy Too albums are incredible

There was a couple videos on YT of him tearing it up on what looked like a Yamaha marching euphonium but I don't know where it is. Never heard him on tuba though.

ttf_Ellrod · Post by **ttf_Ellrod** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 9:42 am

As a trombone player and a Tele player, this is so good.

ttf_dershem · Post by **ttf_dershem** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 7:30 pm

Not a bass bone, but he's still a great player. (All of the extra tubing is because it's a valve/slide bone Schagerl made him, and the valves are up inside he crook).

ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist · Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:01 pm

Quote from: dershem on Aug 25, 2017, 07:30PMNot a bass bone, but he's still a great player. (All of the extra tubing is because it's a valve/slide bone Schagerl made him, and the valves are up inside he crook).

That was in recent years. This is a Yamaha inline bass trombone.

ttf_Ellrod · Post by **ttf_Ellrod** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 9:09 pm

Both James and the guitarist, Tommy Emmanuel, look pretty pre-Schagerl in the vid.

Here is Tommy from 2014.

https://youtu.be/ENJuNCkPfx0

This vid totally knocked me out. I was familiar with the name but I'd never heard his music. Stunning.

ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist · Fri Aug 25, 2017 9:31 pm

Tommy or James? Both are astounding musicians I discovered thanks to YouTube only about 10 years ago.

ttf_sonicsilver · Post by **ttf_sonicsilver** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 3:52 am

James Morrison is actually four identical quads, each of whom is a virtuoso on separate instruments. What other explanation could there possibly be??

But seriously, the guy is a freak. Being that good on any instrument is amazing enough but a one man band too...? I met him once years ago and had a chat and he is super super nice, very friendly and totally down to earth about what he does and completely open and generous about how he achieves his results. Absolutely none of the ego and "marketing mystique" that many musicians try to create around themselves.

This is typical

https://youtu.be/fhpbGJXFemc

Totally brilliant playing - makes me think of Clark Terry - and then he goes straight into explaining how to do it without thinking that the audience might be amazed and want to applaud: genuine modesty. As far as I can tell, he's all for the music and not about himself and I admire that.

ttf_Geezerhorn · Post by **ttf_Geezerhorn** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 4:09 am

A large-bore trombone is not a suitable choice on which to play jazz? Somebody should tell James, b/c apparently he doesn't read TTF. Or maybe he does and this is his answer. If it is, it's a fantastic answer!

...Geezer

ttf_The Bone Ranger · Post by **ttf_The Bone Ranger** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 4:11 am

Quote from: dershem on Aug 25, 2017, 07:30PMNot a bass bone, but he's still a great player. (All of the extra tubing is because it's a valve/slide bone Schagerl made him, and the valves are up inside he crook).

This video was from the mid 90's, if I recall. Definitely a Yamaha bass bone.

Quote from: Full Pedal Trombonist on Aug 25, 2017, 08:36AM Does anyone here know much about this program Hey Hey It's Saturday or if James has done any recordings on bass trombone like this elsewhere?

Hey Hey was a weekly variety show that ran for nearly 30 years here in Australia. They had a house band and guests musicians each week, and was incredibly popular in it's day. James appear a few times a year during the 90's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Hey_It's_Saturday

Andrew

ttf_Graham Martin · Post by **ttf_Graham Martin** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 5:27 pm

Quote from: The Bone Ranger on Aug 26, 2017, 04:11AMThis video was from the mid 90's, if I recall. Definitely a Yamaha bass bone.

Hey Hey was a weekly variety show that ran for nearly 30 years here in Australia. They had a house band and guests musicians each week, and was incredibly popular in it's day. James appear a few times a year during the 90's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Hey_It's_Saturday

Andrew

Yeah! Put me down as a huge fan of 'Hey, Hey', especially the initial run from 1971! The program was very dominated by musicians and their humour, particularly Red Symons and Wilbur Wilde.

And obviously from my many posts about him on this forum that I am also a huge fan of James Morrison. My mate Derek Capewell played string bass for him whenever he came up to Queensland and therefor I got lots of tips about James' approach to playing jazz that you don't normally hear about. James, along with brother John, is also responsible for keeping the interest in jazz alive with Aussie youngsters through his many tours, supporting of festivals, and now his University.

http://www.jamesmorrison.com/

ttf_Graham Martin · Post by **ttf_Graham Martin** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 5:27 pm

Quote from: The Bone Ranger on Aug 26, 2017, 04:11AMThis video was from the mid 90's, if I recall. Definitely a Yamaha bass bone.

Hey Hey was a weekly variety show that ran for nearly 30 years here in Australia. They had a house band and guests musicians each week, and was incredibly popular in it's day. James appear a few times a year during the 90's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Hey_It's_Saturday

Andrew

Yeah! Put me down as a huge fan of 'Hey, Hey', especially the initial run from 1971! The program was very dominated by musicians and their humour, particularly Red Symons and Wilbur Wilde.

And obviously from my many posts about him on this forum that I am also a huge fan of James Morrison. My mate Derek Capewell played string bass for him whenever he came up to Queensland and therefor I got lots of tips about James' approach to playing jazz that you don't normally hear about. James, along with brother John, is also responsible for keeping the interest in jazz alive with Aussie youngsters through his many tours, supporting of festivals, and now his University.

http://www.jamesmorrison.com/