Eric Myers Jazz

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.

SIMONE WADDELL: NEW ALBUM UNFORGETTABLE

Reviewed by Eric Myers

Sydney Arts Guide, May 11, 2026

This is the sixth album from the Australian jazz singer & songwriter Simone Waddell. I was very impressed by her previous album The Art of Collaboration, which I reviewed for The Australian in June, 2022, giving it four-and-a-half stars. I then wrote: “A gorgeous singer, her talent of Kate Ceberano proportions, Waddell moves effortlessly between jazz, soul and pop genres.” Today I’d stick by what I said then, although her Unforgettable album takes her very much into different territory. The new album has ten tracks, featuring what Waddell describes as “timeless songs from the Great American Songbook that have been a joy to sing. Some I’ve been singing for years…” When I first heard the album I initially thought it was a risky venture. Admittedly this turned out to be a very minor reservation, as the more I got into the album, the more that feeling faded from view...

PETER LOCKE TRIO & KATE WADEY AT THE LOUNGE

Reviewed by Eric Myers

Sydney Arts Guide, May 26, 2026

From the first note at The Lounge on May 21 last, I was struck by the glorious sound of the venue’s grand piano, as it was played by the talented Peter Locke. This confirmed in one fell swoop why I feel strongly that The Lounge in Chatswood is currently far and away the best venue in Sydney to hear live jazz. In my lifetime of often hearing the piano down in the sound-mix, courtesy of sound technicians who apparently have little idea of how jazz should sound, it’s a great relief to be in a venue where I no longer have to approach a sound technician in the intermission and request that the piano volume be turned up, so I can hear it clearly. At The Lounge, I’m glad to say, everything is in place…

HETTY KATE’S JAZZ IN FOUR SEASONS SPRING ALBUM

Reviewed by Eric Myers

Sydney Arts Guide, June 3, 2026

The Australian singer Hetty Kate lives in Paris, and performs regularly in a number of European countries, returning to Australia from time to time for various gigs around the country. I heard her performing on two occasions at The Lounge in Chatswood in 2024 and 2025, where I was mightily impressed by her unique artistry. This is the first of her four-album project Jazz in Four Seasons dedicated to the seasons in a calendar year. She’s in the process of exploring those seasons across different cities and cultures, recording in different continents. This album celebrates Spring, which she describes as “the most hopeful and capricious of seasons”. It was recorded in Prague in 2025 with a strong band of beautiful Czech musicians…