Phil Stack Shares The Life Lessons Artists Like James Morrison Have Taught Him Along The Way

James Morrison - No fear

I met James in '97. I had won a scholarship he started for young musicians and a few months later he called me to join his band. I was still at The Conservatorium studying jazz when we went on the road, so I did a great deal of growing up playing in that band. We also travelled Europe with Orchestras, sometimes just performing as a duo out front.

Playing acoustically in one of those old concert halls, exposed like that, kicks your ass into really having to tell a story with your instrument. James literally has no fear when it comes to music (and probably life). The trumpet is a physical bitch to play as is the upright bass - it can be like a wrestling match. One time I said, "Oh I haven’t played for a few weeks so I might be a bit rusty" and he said, "So, have you forgotten how to play?!” He’s renowned for having never ‘practised’ per se. He taught me that a large part of playing an instrument and performing is in the head and heart… Oh, and he also taught me how to eat! Before he became a vegetarian, he was famous for the one bite cheeseburger! Full on.

A young Phil Stack (R) pictured with James Morrison (L) and Tommy Emmanuel.

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Ray Brown - Granddaddy of upright bass

I took up the upright bass fairly late, around age 16 or 17. I found one in a storeroom and kind of stole it. When I had my first lesson from Craig Scott at The Con in Sydney, I was pulling cash out to pay him and he generously told me to put my money back in my pocket and go down to Pitt Street in the city, where these old record stores were, and buy a few Ray Brown albums instead.

Ray Brown is largely responsible for bringing the bass to the forefront in 1940’s and '50s jazz. He did it all with a massive sense of time and groove. I was fortunate enough to have a lesson with him in Germany. I was this 22-year-old kid turning up at the hotel room of his idol, nervous as all get out. I had been to Dachau Concentration Camp that day, was exhausted, freezing cold and late. He said, “OK, glad you made it, now play me something!”

I picked up his bass and fumbled through something kinda free sounding, as I was going through my avant-garde period at the time. Now, he didn’t say, “You need to play more traditionally” or “Play more like me!” but instead was super encouraging, pushing me to find my own sound. “Let’s just talk about a few things you can do to play the bass better,” he said. Stuff like that. I had $100 USD on me and insisted on paying him for his time, so he goes, “Well, ok, but I’ll give you another lesson next time you’re in town. He passed away the following year before I could get back. I missed my train back to Munich that night so I slept at the train station - I didn’t mind.

Rai Thistlethwayte - Mixing genres

Meeting Rai Thistlethwayte back when I was 18 and he 16 had a huge impact on my life. Here was this school kid (I was barely out of school myself) playing the living shit out of the keyboard and I thought, “Jeez where did this guy come from?!”

I didn’t come from that funky Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson-type background as much as he did, but we met somewhere in the middle, as I was really into jazz and rock, which he had plenty of too. We would spend hours sitting in our cars at service stations listening to and analysing music, which would form the basis of what was to follow. I had a grungy rock group from high school that had come through the '90s, we were a triple j unearthed band called Drown and we were still together, but floundering. After a few years of playing funky jazz together, Rai and I decided to try and make it all one unit, which would become Thirsty Merc. The mixing of the rock roots of the trio, along with Rai’s fast emerging prowess for songwriting mixed with soul proved crucial to the sound that we developed on those albums. I learnt a lot about mixing genres, playing keys, and pop song writing from Rai. He’s definitely one the most talented musicians I have ever met.

Phil Stack with Rai Thistlethwayte

Wynton Marsalis - The art of being ready

I have only played with Wynton once, but it was definitely a lifetime highlight. His records were some of the first jazz I ever heard and still some of the few from that period that I still listen to all the time. Though this brief experience of performing with Marsalis, I learned the art of always being ready. I don’t always succeed in this though, believe me! But I try.

There was to be no rehearsal, discussion, or even meeting each other before we performed. The rhythm section decided to get together the week before and study a vast amount of Wynton’s catalogue to suss out alt chord changes to some of the standards he may (or may not) call. This definitely helped, except for the first piece! We were standing side of stage with no sign of Wynton. The MC started his introduction and Wynton just appeared out of nowhere over my shoulder singing a bass line and he goes “You walk out just start playing that!” - and that was it.