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.
McJad’s Keith Hounslow
TONY GOULD & KEITH HOUNSLOW AT JAZZ YATRA
by Eric Myers
Excerpt from JAMM Magazine, March, 1982
Right from the start, the Jazz Yatra Festival—held in Bombay over four nights last January 28-31—was beleaguered by bad luck. In the few days before the festival began the guitarist John McLaughlin injured his left hand, leaving the group Shakti without one of its essential members; the violinist Stephane Grappelli, 74, had a heart murmur in Paris and cancelled out; and the American emcee/ broadcaster Willis Conover, of “Voice of America” fame, was too ill to come to India…
George Benson
GEORGE BENSON: MANY STRINGS TO HIS BOW
by Eric Myers
Sydney Morning Herald, March 6, 1982
George Benson appears as a genuine pop superstar — an extremely handsome African-American man, with a watermelon grin and flashing jewellery. Yet his pop persona does not wholly disguise the fact that he was, and still is to a great extent, a first-rate jazz guitarist. Even without his vocal ability, which has brought him great commercial success, he would still be in the top echelon of American jazz guitarists, as one of the leading players to come out of the Wes Montgomery school…
Keith Jarrett
KEITH JARRETT MOVES IN TOP GEAR
by Eric Myers
Sydney Morning Herald, March 10, 1982
Keith Jarrett, the 36-year-old piano virtuoso, does not have an orthodox repertoire. He improvises his music from the first note, so that what is produced is a totally spontaneous creation. Apparently in a trance, he spends much of his performance crouched beneath the keyboard of the piano, emitting groans of ecstasy. Those who attended his performance last night at the Sydney Opera House might well ask: did we hear a piano recital, or witness a profound spiritual experience?...