James Morrison: The Wizard from Oz

This engaging profile, which aired on Australian television in 1989, spotlights a unique musical talent. James Morrison is not only one of the rare antipodean citizens who have made a mark on the international jazz scene, he's also a multi-instrumentalist (playing the trumpet, trombone, and euphonium). This music documentary combines interviews and performance clips, including a session with Morrison's mentor, Don Burrows; an engagement with the World Superband in New York; and a concert at Switzerland's prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival. The horn player, who also races cars and pilots planes, hails from a musical family, who appear here to sing and play with him at home and at church. As a teenager, Morrison studied at the New South Wales Conservatorium, where he so impressed Burrows that the band leader added him to his quintet (Morrison played with Burrows for six years before striking out on his own). Another influence, Dizzy Gillespie, proclaims Morrison “one of the best.” As an entertainer, Morrison likes to joke around on stage, but he takes his music seriously. Other notable speakers praising his work include Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel and jazz critic Leonard Feather, who caught a gig at the Village Vanguard, and found Morrison to be “equally adept on the trumpet and the trombone.” Presented in LPCM stereo, this is recommended. (K. Fennessy)