One of the few, truly virtuosic jazz multi-instrumentalists, acclaimed Australian James Morrison (pictured, left) makes a rare UK appearance this week at London’s Cadogan Hall on Saturday 7 July. Morrison also marks the date with the release of his long awaited follow up to his (practically) ‘one man’ big band 1989 album Snappy Doo, on which he, aside from a little help from guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jeff Hamilton, played all the individual brass parts himself, as well as piano.

Understandably it’s taken him until now to complete the follow up, Snappy Too, but this time he’s gone one further by playing all instruments himself bar the drums – once again played by Hamilton – on another hard driving swing-to-modern set on no less than 17 instruments. A child prodigy Morrison’s career began in stellar style with a performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival and he has since played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, BB King and Ray Charles to name but a few and remains an in-demand international performer.

For this London concert he’ll be teaming up with the renowned ensemble London Brass whose versatile virtuosity has seen them perform specially written works by the likes of Django Bates, Mike Gibbs, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Michael Nyman and Richard Rodney Bennett, as well as appearing on former Miles Davis drummer Jack DeJohette’s Free and Equal ECM album. London Brass have also performed all over the world as well as for high profile rock names such as Tom Jones and Paul McCartney. Collectively they will be performing variations on classical themes and Tudor rounds as well as an arrangement of Chick Corea’s ‘Spain’ and a whole range of classic jazz standards.

Click here to subscribe to get the August issue of Jazzwise to read a review of James Morrison’s Snappy Too alongside an interview about how he made the album.

For more info www.cadoganhall.com

– Mike Flynn