sydney arts guide
This folder contains reviews written by Eric Myers for the Sydney Arts Guide, edited by David Kary. Readers can click on the INDEX button for a list of reviews or articles in this folder.
Dave MacRae & Joy Yates
DAVE MACRAE & JOY YATES AT AVALON BOWLO
Reviewed by Eric Myers
Sydney Arts Guide, December 25, 2025
I’ve been hearing about jazz at Avalon Bowlo Club for several years, so it was with some anticipation that I attended there on Wed Jan 7 to hear a concert featuring singer Joy Yates and her husband/pianist Dave MacRae. I felt I was killing two birds with one stone – not only experiencing the legendary artistry of those two great musicians, which has come my way on too few ovcasions over the years, but also checking out for myself what was always represented to me as a truly unique jazz phenomenon. As for the latter I wasn’t fully prepared for what I saw and heard. Arriving a little late, as I mixed up the concert’s commenceent time, I was confronted by a packed room, holding an estimated crowd of say about 100 people, with scarcely a spare seat in the auditorium. I’m indebted to the man on the door, Maurie Altman, who made me very welcome and found for me what appeared to be the last available seat in the room…
Lachy Hamilton
SAXOPHONIST LACHY HAMILTON BACK FROM AMSTERDAM
Reviewed by Eric Myers
Sydney Arts Guide, January 18, 2026
How time flies. I’m often surprised that I’ve lived long enough to see that young musicians whom I’ve admired in their fledgling years have emerged as mature musicians, playing such outstanding jazz that it’s difficult to remember exactly how they played when I first heard them, although I knew at the time they were immensely talented. So it is with the saxophonist Lachy Hamilton, now studying in Amsterdam, doing his Master’s thesis. He was back in Australia recently for a short time, and I caught up with his playing at a little gig at the Carlisle Castle Hotel in Newtown on Thu Jan 15. This gig happens regularly every second Thu night from about 7.15 pm to 9.15 pm. Just two sets, but played with withering brilliance by a quartet featuring, other than Hamilton, Peter Koopman (guitar, yet another outstanding Kiwi musician), Nick Jansen (double bass) and Tim Geldens (drums)…