James Morrison (fiddler)

James or Jim Morrison (3 May 1893 - 1947) was a traditional Irish musician known at "the Professor" who was a notable fiddle player in the "South Sligo style"."

Morrison was born in 1893 near Riverstown, County Sligo at the townland of Drumfin. Morrison grew up in a community steeped in traditional Irish culture especially music and at the age of 17 he was employed by the Gaelic League to tutor the Connacht style of step dancing at the Gaelic League school in County Mayo. [cite web | title = SLIGO FIDDLING | author = Mick Moloney| url = http://www.brianconway.com/aboutsligo.html| publisher = "Brian Conway" | date = | accessdate = 2007-05-19] [cite web | author=Geoff Wallis | title=From Ballymote to Brooklyn | work=Irish Music Review | url=http://www.irishmusicreview.com/morrison.htm | accessdate=5 October | accessyear=2006]

In 1915, at the age of 21, he emigrated to America and settled in New York. In 1918, Morrison won the fiddle competition at the New York Feis. Morrison become associated with other leading Irish musicians such as Michael Coleman, Paddy Killoran who were also from County Sligo.

Morrison was one of the leading Irish music teachers in New York in the 1930s and '40s. In addition to the fiddle, he could play the flute and button accordion (and wrote a tutor on the latter) and taught hundreds of young Irish-American students to play traditional music on various instruments.

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