Eric Myers Jazz

ERIC MYERS REVIEWS 1980-87

Eric Myers was the Sydney Morning Herald’s inaugural jazz critic, as from February 2, 1980. This folder contains text of articles published in the newspaper up to his resignation in 1982. Photographs which may or may not have appeared in the newspaper have been added. From 1983 Eric Myers was The Australian’s jazz critic until his resignation in 1987.  His reviews for that newspaper also appear in this folder. Articles which appeared in other publications are also included, if they serve to document the performances of Australian jazz musicians. Headings which appeared in the newspapers were always written by sub-editors. The most excruciating have been modified, but mostly they are reproduced as published. Readers may click on the INDEX button for a list of reviews or articles in this folder.

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM: MEDITATIVE AND HYPNOTIC

Reviewed by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, February 2, 1980

Such a diversity of entertainment has been presented in Sydney recently under the general banner of "jazz" that narrow definitions of the music are rapidly becoming outmoded. The South African-born musician Abdullah Ibrahim, whose quintet performed last night at the Seymour Centre, has denied that he is a jazz musician. As he is something of an abrasive personality, and openly critical of Western thought and society, it is paradoxical that little of this abrasiveness is reflected in his music, which is gentle, meditative and hypnotic…

RICHARD OCHALSKI'S STRAIGHT AHEAD: BRILLIANT HARD-BOP

Reviewed by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, February 5, 1980

Mainstream jazz was first identified in the early fifties. It was a style based on consolidating the achievements of the bebop era of the late forties, and was the essential language of modern jazz before the introduction of modal music into jazz by Miles Davis and John Coltrane in the late fifties. Mainstream music has, for many years, had an extraordinary resilience in Australian modern jazz. One of its leading contemporary exponents is Richard Ochalski's group Straight Ahead, which is appearing at The Basement on Monday nights during February…

BOB BERTLES MOONTRANE: HOME-MADE JAZZ HITS A BRIGHT NOTE

by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, February 8, 1980

Bob Bertles's Moontrane, which appeared for the Jazz Action Society on Wednesday, is one Australian group which reflects, with a cultured ease and authority, significant recent developments in jazz as an art form. It consists of Bertles on saxophone, Mike Bukovsky on trumpet, Dave Panichi trombone, Paul McNamara piano, Darcy Wright bass and Alan Turnbull drums…