Thank you for visiting my website, the home of PLAYING WITH FIRE. I'm Matthew Reid and music is my passion. I choose to express myself in many musical genres: classical, light jazz, ambient Mediterranean, Gypsy, Balkan and Klezmer. Gorgeous Cape Town offers me opportunities to explore them all!

Please don't underestimate the power and magic of music to prepare a congregation for the special spiritual bond about to happen between two people at a wedding, or to uplift and unify a group of strangers brought together at a function. To my mind, excellent live musicians need to be the primary consideration at a social gathering!

I have been playing the clarinet, saxophone and piano for thirty years. I trained at the University of Cape Town and the Royal College of Music in performance. In addition to the music I provide for weddings, corporate and general functions, I perform concertos, chamber music and solo recitals (over thirty classical recitals last year at arts festivals, music societies and public concerts).

I started a Klezmer (Jewish folk music) Band in 1999 and have been the musical director of the annual Yiddish Song Festival in Cape Town's Baxter Theatre for nine years. An off-shoot of this involvement with Jewish music has led to a close collaboration with Cantor Ivor Joffe of the Seapoint Synagogue at Jewish weddings. My Balkan band PLAYING WITH FIRE was there at the very beginnings of the Cape Town Balkanology Parties and my ensembles have entertained people at weddings and functions for the last ten years. I play with delightful professional musicians, all keen to access joy through music.

Please visit my gallery of co-musicians and ensembles. For functions PLAYING WITH FIRE offers a Jazz trio (sax/clarinet, guitar and double bass) and a Mediterranean/Gypsy trio (clarinet, accordion and double bass). I offer several options for pieces appropriate to both Christian wedding ceremonies and Jewish wedding ceremonies, and a Repertoire List and Sound Clips for strolling pre-drink music and receptions. My blog will keep you in touch with my latest activities.