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.

GEOFF BULL: THE EARTHY FLAVOUR OF GENUINE NEW ORLEANS

by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, January 12, 1982

With the recent addition of Geoff Bull's Olympia Jazz Band to its team of traditional jazz bands, the Sydney Hilton has gone for the genuine article. While the resident bands on other nights tend to be mainstream outfits, playing updated, smooth-sounding, contemporary trad jazz, Bull's music is raw and earthy, capturing authoritatively the flavour of the traditional music which has been played by black musicians in New Orleans throughout this century…

FREDDIE HUBBARD AT THE BASEMENT

by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, January 16, 1982

Freddie Hubbard is here. On Thursday night the 43-year-old African-American trumpeter took the Sydney Jazz Festival by the scruff of the neck and stamped his dominant personality all over it. With nervous energy to burn, Hubbard was obviously psyched up for a stunning first appearance in Australia, and he delivered. With extraordinary power and endurance, the most gorgeous trumpet sound in jazz since Clifford Brown, an endless flow of exciting ideas, and sheer presence of personality, he gave a bravura performance, the likes of which we have rarely seen in this country…

JOHNNY GRIFFIN: THE LITTLE GIANT AT THE BASEMENT

by Eric Myers

Sydney Morning Herald, January 18, 1982

One of the delightful things about jazz is that it offers many different types of ecstasy. On the first night of the Sydney Jazz Festival, Freddie Hubbard blasted off with an awesome display of power and authority. Johnny Griffin - the 53-year-old American saxophonist known as "the little giant" - took the second-night audience on a far more subtle trip, but it was just as authoritative…