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Eric Marienthal w/ James Morrison: Why You Should Play, Never Practice
Jazz Cruises Conversations
This conversation was recorded during The Jazz Cruise '24 and features an interview with world-renowned multi-instrumentalist James Morrison by Music Director Eric Marienthal. In this episode, Morrison discusses his unique approach to musicianship, the mental "switch" required to play multiple instruments at a high level, and his parallel lives as a professional race car driver and an airplane pilot who flies his own band to their gigs.
Key Takeaways
• The "Play, Don't Practice" Philosophy: Morrison argues that traditional "practicing" can lead to a mindset of "getting ready" rather than "doing". He advocates for a mental paradigm where intention causes manifestation, noting that once a musician has successfully played a note, they should never doubt their ability to do so again.
• Multi-Instrumental Mastery: James explains the difficulty of playing trumpet and piano simultaneously in two different keys; he succeeds by turning off the analytical part of his brain and focusing purely on the sound. He also reveals that the hardest part of playing trumpet and trombone together is the inability to move the trombone slide, requiring him to hit every pitch using only his lips.
• The 2000 Sydney Olympics Fanfare: Morrison composed and performed the opening fanfare for the Sydney Olympics, a feat that required him to circular breathe while holding a double high G for a massive global audience.
• Solo Big Band Project: James shares the story of a recording project where he played every instrument in a 17-piece big band (except for the drums, which were added later by Jeff Hamilton).
• Life in the Fast Lane: Beyond music, James has been a professional driver for Toyota in the World Rally Championship, a host of Top Gear Australia, and is a licensed pilot who regularly flies his band to tour dates.
• Innovation in Brass: A deep dive into the design of Morrison's custom E-flat flugelhorn, which uses rotary valves to produce a rich, haunting sound that mimics a French horn in its upper register.
- Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
- Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Afrodeezia on Blue Note.
