The Morrisons have been dubbed the "royal family" of Australian jazz. James Morrison is the king, a supremely talented multi-instrumentalist and international performer. These days he is often joined on stage by two "princes", his sons Harry and William (fortuitously but inadvertently named). In spite of the way things have turned out, James was always careful not to expect his children to follow his footsteps.

His son Harry remembers. "He never wanted to force us to play jazz. He stayed out of the way and let us find our own path in music."

Music was always part of the Morrison scene. Harry and his brother William were introduced to instruments at a young age, and each soon discovered the one that suited. For William it was guitar and Harry chose the electric bass and double bass. As yet, jazz was hardly on their minds.

"Growing up we got into the reggae-pop scene and won a couple of competitions with our band," Harry says. "When I was about 13, a mate asked us, 'Do you want to play in a jazz band?' We said, 'yeah, sure, we'll try it'. Finally, we both went to Dad and said, 'We're serious about this and want to do it [as a career], can you help us out?'"

This was the right signal for their father to make a move. Jam sessions at home with James led to the boys joining in at their father's gigs. The family has since recorded together and toured around the world, also forming a band aptly named Inheritance.

The boys went on to study at the James Morrison Academy of Music, where this year they will cap their degrees with an honours year. They also play with friends in their own jazz quartet, Flip, which performs in cafes and clubs around Australia. And this week the pair will take the stage at the Canberra International Music Festival as core members of the famous James Morrison Quartet.

When he discusses performing with James, Harry becomes thoughtful. "To me, he's always been not just a father, but a great mate. When we're on stage, though, he's the band leader and I can't get away with things just because he's my Dad. You feel that he expects a lot from you, but as soon as we get up there and start playing, all that disappears and we're just having fun together and smiling."

The Canberra International Music Festival makes a special commitment to support emerging musicians such as the Morrison brothers. Annually, its young artists program offers masterclasses and performances with the festival's world-class artists. It's an opportunity for rising musicians to form connections that are vital to their musical careers. This year a diverse group of young instrumentalists will be working with Ensemble Offspring, as well as the Simon Bolivar String Quartet. Harry and William Morrison, in their capacity as official festival performers, inspire these artists and their audiences with a vision of where passion, talent and a well-managed network can get you.

The festival runs from April 27 to May 7. Full concert listings and booking information are available at cimf.org.au.