JAZZ ALBUM REVIEWS IN THE AUSTRALIAN
In September, 2017 Eric Myers commenced reviewing jazz albums in the Review supplement of The Weekend Australian. All reviews in this folder are written by Myers.
JAZZ
THE CORD
JOHN HARKINS
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Independent
Four stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, March 25, 2023
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Despite the widespread desire for originality, most jazz musicians these days play in one or another historical style, give or take. John Harkins, a master at the piano keyboard, emulates with boundless authority the bop piano style which came out of Chicago & Detroit in the 1950s. (Think African Americans Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones). Harkins has given me so much pleasure in Sydney jazz clubs for so long that I naturally warm to this album. It was recorded in Chicago in 2022, with Harkins reuniting with two Chicagoans John Webber (bass) and George Fludas (drums), whose playing together began in 1977 in Wheaton, Illinois, well before Harkins moved to Australia. They breeze through a repertoire ready-made for this trio: five tunes by great jazz composers (Ellington, Monk, Cedar Walton, Thad Jones), two Harkins originals, and two standards. Harkins and his colleagues capture the essence of the immortal Chicago style, and play it so beautifully, that it sounds completely modern and contemporary today.
Eric Myers
JAZZ
FUN TIMES AHEAD
JAMES RYAN
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Rippa Recordings
Five stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, April 1, 2023
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This lovely album from a quartet led by Sydney saxophonist James Ryan ticks so many boxes that I already consider it one of the albums of the year. It’s easier to say what it’s not than what it is. It’s not a high energy trip where players are preoccupied with their technical ability; nor is it an exploration of complicated time signatures which can mystify the unsuspecting listener. Not that the group lacks technical brilliance. Clayton Doley (organ, keyboard bass), Tim Rollinson (guitar) and Andrew Dickeson (drums) are not exactly bereft of talent. What distinguishes this album is the musicians’ nonchalance, an indispensable quality in any great jazz album. Six very hip originals by Ryan in straight-ahead time-feels are played in such a way in the studio that an exquisite laid-back mood is captured throughout. No-one is trying too hard, no-one is upsetting the mood, and the music simply rolls out naturally. The result is a compelling suite that resonates with unusual maturity and genuine jazz feeling.
Eric Myers
JAZZ
ALPINE STREAM: MUSIC FOR JAZZ OCTET
MICHAEL GORDON
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Independent
Four-and-a-half stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, April 1, 2023
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While Melbourne jazz has been characterised by spectacular originality in recent years, comparable Sydney musicians, quiet achievers in comparison, have been equally productive across the spectrum. This beautiful album of straight-ahead swinging modern jazz from a splendid all-star octet led by saxophonist/composer Michael Gordon, mixes youth and experience: Lachlan McKenzie (trumpet), Michael Griffin (alto saxophone), Gordon (saxophones), Dave Panichi (trombone), James Loughnan (baritone and tenor saxophones), Aaron Blakey (piano), Jacob Graham (double bass) & Tim Geldens (drums). The album’s principal strengths are the thoughtful and rich-sounding arrangements of Gordon’s seven compositions; a brilliant rhythm section underpinning the music; and the splendid improvisations of all players, which are uniformly excellent throughout. If pressed to select the standout soloists, I would principally nominate McKenzie and Blakey, and give a nod to to the two outstanding saxophonists Griffin and Gordon, whose solos give the album real distinction. This album is a big step-up for Gordon, an exceedingly talented jazz musician, following his excellent 2019 album The Cricketers Arms Big Band.
Eric Myers