Eric Myers Jazz

ERIC MYERS REVIEWS 1980-87

Eric Myers was the Sydney Morning Herald’s inaugural jazz critic, his first review appearing on February 2, 1980. This folder contains reviews and articles written by Myers up to his resignation in 1982. Text published in the newspaper is reproduced here, with the addition of photographs which may or may not have appeared in the newspaper. In 1983 Myers moved to The Australian, where he was that paper’s jazz critic, until he resigned towards the end of 1987.  His reviews for that newspaper appear also in this folder. Articles which appeared in other publications are included here, if they serve to document the performances of Australian jazz musicians. Readers can click on the INDEX button for a list of reviews or articles in this folder.

RECORD REVIEWS: NOEL CROW’S JAZZMEN;  PETER O’MARA

by Eric Myers

Australian Penthouse, October, 1981

On their album, Something To Crow About (Larrikin), Noel Crow's Jazzmen play the sort of music that invokes the spirit of freewheeling parties, when the booze is flowing, inhibitions are down, and people are doing something rather unusual these days: simply having fun. It is little wonder that this group is one of Sydney's most popular dixieland bands, with a book full of engagements…

JAZZ IN SYDNEY

by Eric Myers

JAMM Magazine, October, 1981

The recent publication of the long-awaited book The Australian Jazz Explosion, by Mike Williams, jazz columnist for the Sydney Daily Telegraph, is a welcome event for the jazz world. It consists of transcribed interviews with 32 fascinating personalities in Australian jazz, each of whom is introduced in a brief commentary by the author, and contains a rich collection of black and white photographs by Jane March. The very title of Mike Williams' book raises a number of interesting questions. Has there really been a "jazz boom" or a "jazz explosion" over the last few years in Australia, or is it an illusion fostered by activists and jazz writers?

MANLY SWAYS TO MUSIC IN THE STREETS

by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, October 5, 1981

Outdoor music festivals can be made or broken by the weather. But, on Saturday, gale-force winds and occasional rain did not overly spoil the opening of the three-day Manly Jazz Carnival. This event successfully took jazz into the streets where it could be heard and appreciated by people who, in the main, probably have never been inside a jazz club. Children, old people, whole families, swayed and bounced to jazz rhythms, danced, clapped along on the on-beat, and generally had fun during four hours of free music…