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.

MY JUDY BAILEY STORY

by Eric Myers

Sydney Arts Guide, June 29, 2026

The jazz pianist, composer, arranger & educator Judy Bailey passed away on August 8, 2025, aged 89. With the first anniversary of her death coming up in August, 2026, the purpose of this article is to provide a companion-piece to the obituary I wrote last year, which was published on August 19, 2025 in Sydney Arts Guide, at this link https://sydneyartsguide.com.au/vale-dr-judy-bailey-oam-1935-2025/. Here I’d like to add some personal anecdotes about my interactions with Judy, which were not possible in that formal obituary. It’s odd how serendipitous events have continued to remind me of Judy. For example, when I recently purchased a new computer from the innovative company It Can Be Done, its proprietor John Aitcheson, who had access to all my photo files, selected at random a B & W pic of Judy which was taken long ago at the jazz cellar El Rocco, where she was a regular performer in the sixties, after arriving in Sydney from New Zealand in 1960. Whenever I boot up my computer the first thing I see on the welcome page is a head shot of Judy in action at the piano…

SPECTRA JAZZ ORCHESTRA & SYDNEY YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA AT THE LOUNGE IN CHATSWOOD

Reviewed by Eric Myers

Sydney Arts Guide, July 23, 2026 

Consistent with previous programming at The Lounge in Chatswood, the July 16, 2026 concert, featuring two student ensembles, presented once again a program packed with interest. Two sets were played, the first featuring the Spectra Jazz Orchestra, a big band usually of orthodox size (but 15 musicians on this occasion) directed by the award-winning trumpeter, composer, bandleader and teacher Ellen Kirkwood.  According to its website this orchestra “(formerly known as The Young Women’s Jazz Orchestra) is a dynamic large ensemble for talented young women and gender diverse musicians aged 15-23 interested in pursuing jazz, honing their improvisation skills and looking for experience playing in a large ensemble.” Certainly, given the still-existent gender disparity in Australian jazz, despite great strides which have been achieved in this space over say the last 30 years, an all-female jazz orchestra is a project one can warm to…

MATT HARRIS: JAZZ PIANIST

Interviewed by Eric Myers

Sydney Arts Guide, August 20, 2026

Matt Harris is a pianist based in Sydney. Having studied during his teens with Adrian Lim-Klumpes, he went on to study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under jazz artists such as Matt McMahon, Judy Bailey, Steve Barry and Kevin Hunt. Graduating in 2020, during his studies and since then he has performed with Australian and international artists such as Angela Davis, Lakecia Benjamin, Katie Noonan and Joe Fiedler. A member of Sydney-based group Jiem, his playing and compositions are featured on their latest release, Laying Down a Path in Walking (Earshift, 2024). He has also appeared on recordings by Steph Russell, Lachy Hamilton and Judy Bailey’s Jazz Connection. Since 2019, he has been a member of the Hilary Geddes Quartet, with which he appears on Parkside (ABC Jazz, 2021) and Redleaf (Earshift, 2026)…