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.
Courtney Pine
COURTNEY PINE: SIMPLY SENSATIONAL
by Eric Myers
The Australian, December 10, 1987
British saxophonist Courtney Pine opened his Australian tour with a performance that could only be described as sensational, both musically and in terms of audience reaction. As we've been used to a procession of individual artists from overseas, backed up by off-the-cuff local rhythm sections, it was instructive for a change to hear a working group that is setting some pace in international jazz; the music had a clear direction, and was played with absolute artistic certainty. Besides Pine, 23, the musicians included Mart Mondesir (drums), Gary Crosby (bass), Orphy Robinson (vibes and marimba) and Joe Bashorun (piano) — all dressed in elegant black suits, despite an oppressively hot night at The Basement…
Australian Jazz Orchestra
THE AJO: BICENTENNIAL BOON FOR THE NATION
by Eric Myers
The Australian, December 11, 1987
One could feel the excitement in the air when the unique new 11-piece ensemble, the Australian Jazz Orchestra, came together for its first rehearsals at the NSW Conservatorium this week. Already known affectionately as the AJO, and established to give the National Bicentennial Performing Arts Program an impressive jazz component, the orchestra is one of the most ambitious projects in the history of Australian jazz. It has an overall budget of more than $200,000.00 for 1988…
Eric Myers writes: I resigned as jazz critic with The Australian in late 1987 for the following reason. I was then the CEO of a jazz organisation, the Jazz Co-ordination Association of NSW (JCANSW), funded by Federal and State governments, and held the full-time position of National Jazz Co-ordinator from 1986. Running an organisation dedicated to supporting jazz musicians, I felt increasingly that there was a conflict of interest in simultaneously being active as a reviewer and/or critic. My last article for The Australian was the one above, “The AJO: A Bicentennial Boon for the Nation”, published in The Australian on December 11, 1987. For more information please refer to my article, “My Jazz Odyssey”, published in the February, 2021 edition of the magazine of the Australian Jazz Museum, AJAZZ 88, available on this website at this link https://ericmyersjazz.com/miscellaneous-postings-6