EDDIE MYER - Finding The Groove & Keeping It Real
Bassist, Eddie Myer may well, as he puts it, have started his musical career 'Much too late!', but a gig with the band Turin Brakes that is now into it's eighteenth year and his continued involvement with a variety of projects that include teaching at the British & Irish Modern Music Institute, his involvement with New Generation Jazz in Brighton, writing for various publications (including Jazz Views), and also running his own quintet; the Eddie Myer 5tet who have just released their second album which is too be launched this month at the 2017 South Coast Jazz Festival. It was therefore the ideal time to catch up with Eddie and speak to him about the new recording, and the juggling act that is his busy career.
Can you tell us about your new album, Finder's Keepers? What prompted the new album, and was the original material written especially for the recording?
Well, what prompted the new album was a sudden feeling of panic, a certainty that time was somehow running out, and that outside in the bleak darkness the wolves were circling, followed by a conviction of complete and utter uselessness and a soul shattering emptiness and despair. Then, after lunch, I remembered what a great experience it had been recording the last album, spending time in the studio with such fantastic musicians, doing what they do best. So I cheered up and started gathering together various musical odds and ends I had lying around and trying to shape them into finished pieces that I could present to the players I had in mind without embarrassment.
Can you tell us about your new album, Finder's Keepers? What prompted the new album, and was the original material written especially for the recording?
Well, what prompted the new album was a sudden feeling of panic, a certainty that time was somehow running out, and that outside in the bleak darkness the wolves were circling, followed by a conviction of complete and utter uselessness and a soul shattering emptiness and despair. Then, after lunch, I remembered what a great experience it had been recording the last album, spending time in the studio with such fantastic musicians, doing what they do best. So I cheered up and started gathering together various musical odds and ends I had lying around and trying to shape them into finished pieces that I could present to the players I had in mind without embarrassment.
How did the you choose the musicians for the quintet?
My first album, Why Worry, was built around the great saxophonist Ian Price, but after his sad passing away it was very hard to find a replacement. I’d seen Riley play before with Dave Drake, a great pianist from my hometown of Brighton, and John Easterby, the proprietor of the Verdict Jazz Club and an old family friend of Riley’s, put me in touch with him. Riley’s such a fantastic player, and so in command of his talent, but he also brings a lot of heart and soul into everything he does. The first record had Frank Harrison on rhodes, but he’s so in demand - and no wonder - and wasn’t available for the time-slot I needed. It was hard to contemplate finding a replacement; Mark Edwards is such a stunning musician, with such a rich CV playing with so many world-class acts, but like Riley there’s always a warmth and direct emotion in his playing. I’m truly honoured that they both agreed to be a part of this. Tristan and Luke were with me on the first record and I’ve known them and loved their playing for years - they’re so creative, and they really know how to lay down a groove. Tris is a great composer as well. So there was no hesitation about asking them onboard again.
Are you hoping to keep the band together with this personnel, and do you have plans to tour with the quintet?
In the ideal world, I’d love to keep them employed for ever! But such great players are in high demand, and everyone has their own projects as well, so one has to be realistic. I’m certainly intending to tour the record as much as possible, starting with a launch gig as part of the South Coast Jazz Festival this January 24th.
My first album, Why Worry, was built around the great saxophonist Ian Price, but after his sad passing away it was very hard to find a replacement. I’d seen Riley play before with Dave Drake, a great pianist from my hometown of Brighton, and John Easterby, the proprietor of the Verdict Jazz Club and an old family friend of Riley’s, put me in touch with him. Riley’s such a fantastic player, and so in command of his talent, but he also brings a lot of heart and soul into everything he does. The first record had Frank Harrison on rhodes, but he’s so in demand - and no wonder - and wasn’t available for the time-slot I needed. It was hard to contemplate finding a replacement; Mark Edwards is such a stunning musician, with such a rich CV playing with so many world-class acts, but like Riley there’s always a warmth and direct emotion in his playing. I’m truly honoured that they both agreed to be a part of this. Tristan and Luke were with me on the first record and I’ve known them and loved their playing for years - they’re so creative, and they really know how to lay down a groove. Tris is a great composer as well. So there was no hesitation about asking them onboard again.
Are you hoping to keep the band together with this personnel, and do you have plans to tour with the quintet?
In the ideal world, I’d love to keep them employed for ever! But such great players are in high demand, and everyone has their own projects as well, so one has to be realistic. I’m certainly intending to tour the record as much as possible, starting with a launch gig as part of the South Coast Jazz Festival this January 24th.
Many will know you from you work with the band, Turin Brakes with whom you've toured and recorded since 1999. How did you get started playing music, and especially jazz?
Much too late! I never went to music school and came up playing all sorts at parties and in bars at weekends, but I’ve always loved jazz and kept trying to play it whenever and wherever I could. It’s and endless journey of discovery, which I guess is part of the appeal..I can find an emotional resonance in all kinds of music, but jazz has a depth and a timeless quality... and I love good swing, it’s got a special kind of magic and freedom.
Who would you cite as influences?
Ian Price was kind enough to share some of his knowledge with me, and showed me by example how much dedication you need to master your instrument, though I can’t say I’ve followed his exacting example. Dan Sheppard, Terry Pack and Nigel Thomas are three bass players in Brighton who’ve all inspired me with their playing, first-hand so to speak. For the general vibe of the record, I love the kind of free-wheeling jazz from the late 60s and 70s - the sort of records people like McCoy Tyner, Jackie Mclean, Arthur Blythe and Woody Shaw were putting out on Milestone, Black Saint, Blue Note and Contemporary. They mixed in all kinds of diverse musical elements but still swung like the clappers!
If asked to pick a fantasy dream band (with musicians past and present), with yourself on bass of course, who would you choose?
I think I’ve got a fantasy dream band already! But maybe I’d add J S Bach on church organ. The wig wouldn’t fit with the band’s image, but that guy could really write a tune!
As well as Turin Brakes and your quintet you are also involved with New Generation Jazz. Can you tell us about this project?
It’s a project in my home town of Brighton to bring young, up-and coming jazz artists together with new audiences, and try and shake things up a little. We’ve got a great jazz club, the Verdict, but audiences are sometimes slow to turn out for unknown talent, which means promoters are understandably reluctant to book new acts. And some younger audiences find jazz to be very dominated by older age groups. So we’ve been lucky enough to get Arts Council England support to bring some different acts down, and get them to put on workshops in schools and colleges across the city, and it seems to be working! Here’s the website; https://newgenerationjazz.co.uk/
If all this was not enough, you also write for various publications and also teach at the Brighton Institute for Modern Music. How do you manage to fit everything in to your busy schedule?
Lots of coffee and a lot of support from my wife.
And plans for the future?
The future, as has been emphatically brought home to us over the last year, is never certain. Such plans as I have all involve more music-making and lots of coffee.
Much too late! I never went to music school and came up playing all sorts at parties and in bars at weekends, but I’ve always loved jazz and kept trying to play it whenever and wherever I could. It’s and endless journey of discovery, which I guess is part of the appeal..I can find an emotional resonance in all kinds of music, but jazz has a depth and a timeless quality... and I love good swing, it’s got a special kind of magic and freedom.
Who would you cite as influences?
Ian Price was kind enough to share some of his knowledge with me, and showed me by example how much dedication you need to master your instrument, though I can’t say I’ve followed his exacting example. Dan Sheppard, Terry Pack and Nigel Thomas are three bass players in Brighton who’ve all inspired me with their playing, first-hand so to speak. For the general vibe of the record, I love the kind of free-wheeling jazz from the late 60s and 70s - the sort of records people like McCoy Tyner, Jackie Mclean, Arthur Blythe and Woody Shaw were putting out on Milestone, Black Saint, Blue Note and Contemporary. They mixed in all kinds of diverse musical elements but still swung like the clappers!
If asked to pick a fantasy dream band (with musicians past and present), with yourself on bass of course, who would you choose?
I think I’ve got a fantasy dream band already! But maybe I’d add J S Bach on church organ. The wig wouldn’t fit with the band’s image, but that guy could really write a tune!
As well as Turin Brakes and your quintet you are also involved with New Generation Jazz. Can you tell us about this project?
It’s a project in my home town of Brighton to bring young, up-and coming jazz artists together with new audiences, and try and shake things up a little. We’ve got a great jazz club, the Verdict, but audiences are sometimes slow to turn out for unknown talent, which means promoters are understandably reluctant to book new acts. And some younger audiences find jazz to be very dominated by older age groups. So we’ve been lucky enough to get Arts Council England support to bring some different acts down, and get them to put on workshops in schools and colleges across the city, and it seems to be working! Here’s the website; https://newgenerationjazz.co.uk/
If all this was not enough, you also write for various publications and also teach at the Brighton Institute for Modern Music. How do you manage to fit everything in to your busy schedule?
Lots of coffee and a lot of support from my wife.
And plans for the future?
The future, as has been emphatically brought home to us over the last year, is never certain. Such plans as I have all involve more music-making and lots of coffee.
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For more information visit Eddie's Website.
Finder's Keepers by the Eddy Myer 5Tet is launched at rhe South Coast Jazz Festival on 24th January 2017 - Click here for full details. Click on the album cover to read our review and you can purchase Finder's Keepers at https://eddiemyer5tet.bandcamp.com/album/finders-keepers 
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