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.

GEORGE CABLES’ WIZARDRY HITS THE HEIGHTS

by Eric Myers

The Australian, November 7, 1985

The American pianist George Cables has mainly been known in jazz as a sideman, principally with the quartets of Dexter Gordon and the late Art Pepper. This performance showed that he deserves to be recognised on his own merits. Cables is the sort of artist who is essential to modern jazz as we know it - a consolidator rather than an innovator, a masterful purveyor of the jazz tradition, completely literate in the repertoire of the music. Over three sets, he took the listener through works of many seminal composers, including Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Strayhorn, Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans…

CROSSFIRE'S UNIQUE SOUND HITS ITS MARK

by Eric Myers

The Australian, November 25, 1985

The re-emergence of the group Crossfire after an absence of two years is an event to be warmly welcomed. This performance was a reminder that their music — unique and non-derivative — amounts to one of the most original repertoires in Australian jazz. Whereas the previous group was a sextet, the new Crossfire has eight musicians: the veterans Michael Kenny (piano), Jim Kelly (guitar), Ian Bloxsom (percussion) and Tony Buchanan (saxophone) plus the new recruits Wayne Goodwin (violin), Victor Rounds (bass), David Jones (drums) and Sunil De Silva (percussion)…

THE LAST STRAW: HARD-BOP HAMMERED OUT WITH FEELING

by Eric Myers

The Australian, November 26, 1985

Occasionally one of the really great bands in Australian jazz re-emerges to perform in an unusual venue, and this is certainly the case with The Last Straw's new engagement at the Lansdowne Hotel, Broadway.  I use the term "great band" deliberately. The Last Straw plays the sort of full-on modern jazz which is truly exceptional. Only a handful of red-blooded jazz musicians around Australia could match them for passion and commitment…