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.

JAZZ RECORDS FOR CHRISTMAS GIVING

by Eric Myers

National Times, December 6, 1981

If you would like a middle-of-the-road LP with some jazz content, you could do no better than Julian Lee (Battyman Records) featuring the orchestral arrangements, keyboard work, and flugelhorn playing of the brilliant Julian Lee. Primarily this is an LP devoted to melodic treatment of popular and standard songs, but listen carefully to Satin Doll, Porto Allegre, Meninha Flor and Girl Talk — they could only have been produced by great jazz musicians. Also, this LP is beautifully recorded…

ERNESTINE ANDERSON: A SUPERB SINGER BATTLING HER SURROUNDINGS

by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, December 9, 1981

In her first Sydney concert on Monday night the American singer Ernestine Anderson, 53, showed that she is undoubtedly a superb jazz and blues singer. Her performance however was something of a battle against the forces around her, a battle which she largely lost. First, the rhythm section — Terry Wilkinson (piano), Darcy Wright (bass) and Lawrie Thompson (drums) —rose to the occasion only briefly during the concert. Second, the audience was a strange one, applauding generously and receiving her warmly, while talking loudly throughout and becoming less interested as her performance went on…

SONNY STITT & RICHIE COLE SHOW THEIR BEBOP STYLES

by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, December 15, 1981

In a weird and unsatisfying evening at the Pitt Street Jazz Club on Friday sight, the much-vaunted "battle of the alto saxes" between the Americans Sonny Stitt and Richie Cole never eventuated. In fact, it was never on. The fascination of the evening lay instead in the juxtaposition of a great original black musician who helped create the jazz idiom known as "bebop", with a brilliant young white player who, 25 years on, has adopted the music, and is playing it, in some ways, as well as the old master…