Australian Story: Aug 1

Next week’s Australian Story reflects on the the great friendship between jazz greats Don Burrows, and his legal guardian, James Morrison.

This episode is introduced by Megan Washington

The touching friendship between jazzman James Morrison and his long-time mentor Don Burrows is the focus of this week’s program, The Two of Us.

Don Burrows took the young trumpeter under his wing when James was just 16 and studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. After Don was diagnosed with dementia following a stroke several years ago, they effectively switched roles.

James has become Don’s legal guardian and taken charge of his care at a nursing home on Sydney’s northern beaches.

“Now Don’s at the stage where he needs looking after, and it’s really lovely to be able to look after him, the way he did for me for so many years. It never crossed my mind that I’m not Don’s family by blood. We are his family and we needed to look after him.” James explains.

Don had semi-retired from performing and moved to the Victorian town of Paynesville to enjoy his other great love – fishing. But the stroke left him paralysed down one side and no longer able to take care of himself.

James made the decision to move Don back to the veteran jazzman’s hometown of Sydney after realising that music was the key to his recovery.

The realisation came when James visited Don in hospital two months after the stroke, and encouraged Don to pick up his clarinet.

“It was like a switch flicked, and suddenly he was Don Burrows again, he was playing just like he always did. It was like his mind snapped back into place. He didn’t get his short term memory back, but he got his personality back.” James recalls.

James and his wife Judi were convinced that the best medicine for Don was to be around music and the “family” of musicians he had played with all his life in Sydney.

Don, who will turn 88 on 8 August, gets regular visits from former band mates including guitarist George Golla and pianist Kevin Hunt.

Meanwhile, James has opened a school of jazz at Mount Gambier in South Australia to continue the mentoring work pioneered by Don Burrows.

The James Morrison Academy of Music offers one-year or three-year courses in jazz, in conjunction with the University of South Australia.

“And certainly whilst ever I’m around, we’ll be teaching about what Don Burrows has meant to Australian jazz,” he says.

Monday 1st August at 8pm on ABC.