AJAZZ ARTICLES & REVIEWS 2019-
This folder contains reviews and articles written by Eric Myers for the Australian Jazz Museum’s magazine AJAZZ. Myers commenced writing occasional pieces for the magazine in November, 2019. Readers may click on the INDEX button for a list of reviews and articles in this folder. Click on the title of any review or article that you wish to read.
Jenna Cave
DIVERGENCE JAZZ ORCHESTRA: SHADOWS AND LIGHT
Album review by Eric Myers
AJAZZ 99, November, 2023
For various reasons I was unaware of the Divergence Jazz Orchestra’s first two albums: The Opening Statement in 2013 and in 2016 Fake it Until You Make It in 2013. As those two albums pre-dated my reviewing jazz albums for The Australian in 2017, they escaped my attention. Their third, Shadows and Light however has arrived with a vengeance, stimulating my curiosity. Most of the names of the splendid players in the orchestra were unknown to me; I wondered where they came from. What could explain the immaculate section work I was hearing? How come the key improvisors played such highly musical and heartfelt solos, which were an inspiration? I now know that many of the musicians in the DJO came through the successful jazz studies program at the Sydney Conservatorium…
Mark Ginsburg
MARK GINSBURG RYAN GROGAN BRETT HIRST FABIAN HEVIA: OCEANS TOGETHER
Album review by Eric Myers
AJAZZ 100, February, 2024
The first thing to notice about this album is that visually it’s an immaculate product. The graphic design and artwork are highly attractive, with excellent black-and-white photographs, including a great shot of the four principal musicians which dominates a handsome ten-page CD sleeve. This suggests a level of professionalism and attention to detail in the area of production values, which is somewhat unusual in the jazz albums which come my way for review…
John Buchanan
JOHN BUCHANAN: A WARRIOR FOR TRADITIONAL & SWING JAZZ
by Eric Myers
AJAZZ 100, February, 2024 & AJAZZ 101, May 2024
John Buchanan is probably best-known today as the presenter of the popular radio program “Swing Sessions” on Sydney’s 2MBS-FM Fine Music station, on Mondays at 12 noon. It’s a program I hate to miss, as John invariably plays music that I, as a modernist, have tended to miss out on, despite a lifetime of listening to jazz. In a nutshell Buchanan has prompted me to completely revalue the various pre-bebop jazz styles which were played in the 1920s and 30s. I was of course well aware of New Orleans giants Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong. No jazz enthusiast goes through life without hearing their music. But no matter how important such icons are, there are other amazing and interesting jazz musicians whose work John regularly highlights on his programs. These have been an eyeopener for me…