John Morrison (drummer)

John Morrison is an Australian jazz drummer, band leader, music educator and experienced commercial pilot. While he is not as famous as his younger brother James Morrison, he is a significant musician in his own right.

Voted as one of Australia’s best Big Band drummers, his big band “Swing City” was selected to open the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Throughout his career John Morrison and his many groups have headlined every major event and festival in Australia.

As the eldest of the Morrison family, John has spent much of his musical life playing and recording with his younger 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.

John’s driving swing feel has been heard with many internationally well known artists including James Moody, Scott Hamilton, Richie Cole, Christian McBride, John and Jeff Clayton, Garry Dial, Jimmy Whitherspoon, Eartha Kitt, Bobby Gebert, Don Burrows, George Golla, and Bob Barnard.

Further to his busy playing schedule, John is a gifted educator, producer, and patron of many outstanding youth bands and orchestras. He has mentored literally hundreds of young musicians into successful playing careers and as a record producer engineered many of Australia’s finest award winning albums. (Elly Hoyt - 2011 Bell Awards – Best Jazz Album) (Mothership - 2012 Bell Awards - Best Jazz Album)

For over 25 years he has been musical director for the famous Sydney Jazz Camps. The Australian Federal Government selected John to be acting Chairman on the board of the “Contemporary Music Touring Program” advising the Federal Arts Minister on eligible Australian groups to tour regional and remote Australia.

John and his wife (singer Jacki Cooper) spend time each year touring disadvantaged schools throughout the Northern Territory inspiring hundreds of kids to get involved in the joys of music. John has also seeded bands in the remotest parts of the Cape York peninsula for the QMF giving young indigenous Australians the opportunity to try jazz. In addition to two successful albums, John and Jacki have also toured China where they performed and recorded with the prestigious Shanghai Symphony.

Flying has also been a big part of the Morrison family and John has gained many hours as a professional pilot. Nearly 6000 flying hours in more than 50 different aircraft sees John with the dual role of pilot and bandleader when the band travels.

He leads the Big Band Swing City, who together with James Morrison played the prerecorded fanfare played at the opening of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and more than twelve years later remains a top act.

In 2013 John Morrison launched the Big Band Blast Festival in Port Macquarie (NSW Australia). The festival invites musicians of all ages to come together and celebrate the sound of the Big Band in a totally non-competitive environment. Morrison is an outspoken opponent of competitive playing and believes music should be a collaborative experience, not a competitive one. "Play with each other - not against each other".

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