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The gospel, Jazz and James Morrison

With my trusty iPod in tow, I’m rediscovering all the treasures in my collection of Jazz on CD. Jazz is most definitely my first love in music. Especially big band, but a whole bunch of other styles too.

James Morrison is one of my favourites. Apart from being Australian, James has professed a Christian faith for a long time, but I’ve never been really sure as to it’s ‘fair dinkumness’.
This article on sydneyanglicans.net is helpful in confirming some good things about James and Jesus.

In particular, I was interested in his comments in the article about the ‘power’ of gospel jazz to move people:

“JM: It’s interesting. I will be playing at a secular concert that’s supposed to have nothing to do with Christian music or gospel music, then I will play a gospel number or two and people will be moved. Even people who profess to have no Christian faith and say ‘That stuff is not for me’.
I find that guys in my band – great musicians with no professed faith – would turn to me and instead of saying ‘I am not comfortable playing Christian stuff,’ the reverse has been true. They say, ‘That’s amazing. I really started to feel something amazing, but I don’t know what.’ Music – carrying the message that it does – can really move the people that are playing it.

I don’t think he’s meaning that music per se, can bring people to Christ, but it’s true to say that we can understate the impact that some music can have on people.

Of course, our church can claim a minor brush with fame with the Morrison clan. We have hosted two jazz supper club pre-evangelistic night called Black, No Sugar At these, John Morrison (brother of James), Con Campbell and a small ensemble played superb jazz and Con shared the gospel in talk and music.

In fact, it’s on the cards for us to run a third ‘Black, no Sugar’ early in 2006 – what do people think? A good idea?
If so, we have to book soon…

Have your say below…