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 text of articles published in the newspaper up to Myers’s resignation in 1982. Photographs which may or may not have appeared in the newspaper have been added. From 1983 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 of them have been modified, but mostly they are reproduced as they appeared in newspapers. Readers can click on the INDEX button for a list of reviews or articles in this folder.

SERGE ERMOLL AND MAREE MONTGOMERY: BLUES/FUNK MASTERY ON DISPLAY

by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, April 21, 1980

Safs is probably better known as a discotheque — in fact, it is still a disco after midnight - but it now features modern jazz from 8 to 12 on Thursday nights (Peter Dilosa Quartet), Fridays (Judy Bailey Quintet) and Saturdays (Serge Ermoll Trio, with Maree Montgomery). The Serge Ermoll Trio is at present confining its repertoire to jazz and popular standards, but the music is not merely swinging mainstream. Rather, the music is presented in an adventurous and exploratory atmosphere…

ABBEY JAZZ BAND: PROBLEMS WITH A BANJO

by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, April 23, 1980

On Monday night the Abbey Jazz Band included a number of deputy players, but their music raised at least one interesting issue which still creates controversy among students of early jazz. The basic feel of the band was very much located in the strong four-to-the-bar style of John Reid on banjo, which appeared to present some problems throughout the band…

JIMMY WITHERSPOON: ONE OF THE TRUE BLUES

by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, April 25, 1980

Jimmy Witherspoon, 56, is reputed to be one of the few great originals still singing in the fast diminishing field of black American blues singers. Although he has shown over the years that he is at home in a number of forms and styles, his concert at Jenny's on Wednesday night brought us back to the fundamentals of jazz. Singing with Steve Murphy (guitar), Ray Forster (piano), Dieter Vogt (bass) and Willie Qua (drums), Witherspoon demonstrated, in this context, how well the blues can be dovetailed into the music of Australian musicians who are more used to playing modern jazz…