
PLAYING WITH FIRE offers a French Trio (also Mediterranean & Gypsy) , a Jazz trio, a Balkan Band and a five-piece reception dance band with two singers ("Saffron")!
JAZZ TRIO
The Jazz Trio makes for pleasantly smooth background music: essentially saxophone/clarinet backed by a string rhythm section (guitar and double bass). The presence of a double bass makes it possible for Keith Tabisher to use his awesome improvisatory skills on the guitar. I use either Dave Ridgway or Wesley Rustin on double bass, and both these players are legends in the mother city. The trio favours South African favourites such as Judith Sepuma's “A Cry, a Smile, a Dance” and Johnathan Butler's “Second Avenue”. You can hear us in some audio clips under the "Repertoire and Sound Clips Page" of this website.
FRENCH TRIO (also MEDITERRANEAN & GYPSY)
The French/Mediterranean/Gypsy Trio has emerged from my interest in Eastern European folk music. There is nothing so romantic as the accordion music from France, here put together with clarinet and double bass (and sometimes violin). The repertoire revolves around the tunes that the accordion does best: ie French Cafe, Italian Neapolitans, Strauss Waltzes, Klezmer and Russian music that is timeless. This ensemble is typical of the strolling “stetl” and gypsy musicians of Europe, whose function has been to play at weddings for centuries. We play “Lechaim!” from Fiddler on the Roof and “Buba Mara” in a Serbian Gypsy style.
Watch us on You Tube playing French cafe music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7LzkrERq74
PLAYING WITH FIRE BALKAN KLEZMER BAND
Playing with Fire was invited to help found the first Balkanology parties in Cape Town, and played in the first four of them with thirteen musicians on stage! It has presented a concert series of Klezmer music at the SA Jewish Museum and accompanied Cape Town's Jewish singers in the Yiddish Song Festival in the Baxter Theatre every year for the last ten years. The band has appeared on television, and performs as a quartet on the last Saturday morning of every month in the back room of the Biscuit Mill fresh produce market in Salt River.
Watch us on You Tube in this video made one Saturday morning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7zX1cmTX6g

SAFFRON
This is a five piece functions band (sax, keyboard, guitar, bass, drums) and the singers are Richard Gore and Caely Levy. It has a repertoire of infectious popular music.
Watch us on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGN5iBpn4_c


Meet my colleagues
I am privileged to work with top musicians in the city: excellent professionals and delightful people:
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Keith Tabisher (Guitar) Music is in his blood and Keith knows both how to support and how to take the stage. He is freed to make use of his awesome improvisatory skills in the presence of a double bass. With a B.Mus from UCT, he has been burning solos on his guitar for over thirty years. His versatility on it enables him to entertain audiences with divergent tastes. He currently performs with musicians from different backgrounds, covering various genres. |
| Kerryn Torrance (Violin)
Kerryn is not only our siren, but a fabulous player who has played with me for years, combining a rich warm sound on the violin with a style that is uniquely hers. Kerryn has a B.Mus from the University of Stellenbosch and studied music therapy at a post graduate level. In 2002 she co-founded the Music Therapy Community Clinic (MTCC), a non-profit organization that aims to provide free music therapy services to disadvantaged communities in the greater Cape Town area. She plays in a violin/guitar duo called “Take Two” with Pete Narun. |
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Jacek Domagala (Violin) This Polish violinist makes one of the sweetest sounds on the instrument in the city. Jacek obtained his Masters Degree in Wroclaw Music and is now a member of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also a well known and passionate freelancing violinist. |
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gt;Pieter van Zyl (Accordion) Pieter is one of those multi-talented artists who can do so many things well. He turns his pianistic skills easily to the accordion. He has extraordinary experience in mime and performing. Pieter's music qualifications include a B.Mus-degree (US) and M.Mus-degree (UPE) as well as Performer's Licentiates from UNISA and Royal Schools. As solo pianist he has performed throughout South Africa, in London and California. Recent chamber music recitals include those with the Vent Frais Trio as well as performances with Matthew Reid (clarinet) at most of the major South African arts festivals.. |
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Andre van Vuuren (Accordion) Andre plays the Musette accordion in a way that transports one immediately to the banks of the Seine and the steps of Montmatre. He is a uniquely talented player who makes the accordion skip and dance like a true French accordioniste. André was a pianist, accordionist and arranger in the South African Defence Force Entertainment Unit for many years. Many of South Africa’s top artists, including Mynie Grove, Lance James and Clive Bruce have invited André to perform with them on several occasions. During the Bloemfontein Volksblad Kunstefees 2006 he performed in the award winning production Altyd Jonker, a show based on the life of South African poet, Ingrid Jonker. In the same year he was also invited to perform at the launch of South Africa’s first ever Bollywood film production in South Africa. In Cape Town he has performed at almost all of it’s main venues and also performed in not less than 1600 corporate events, festivals, private functions and concerts country-wide. |
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Dave Ridgway (Double Bass) Dave has one of those enviable long-standing reputations in the gigging business in Cape Town. He has played with everyone and has played in anything worth talking about, including the international shows “Chicago”, “Rent”, “JC Superstar” and “Queen”. |
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Wesley Rustin (Double Bass) Wesley approaches the double bass like an enthusiastic labrador takes to a walk. His reputation, energy, enthusiasm and skill on the double bass is truly great. |
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Cheryl de Havilland (Cello) Cheryl helps out with ensembles which double as classical and light jazzy gigs. She plays a rich mellow cello. London born, she played in Pretoria and Cape Town orchestras before starting a successful business as a freelance player. Cheryl has extensive experience playing chamber music and is a member of the cello sextet I Grande Violoncellisti. She has given concerts in London, the Netherlands, Germany, Chile, the Canaries and China, as well as in the Grahamstown National Arts Festival and extensively in the Western Cape. She has played for artists such as Pavorotti, Josh Groban, Jimmy Dludlu and many others. Cheryl is also an established cello teacher and has studied jazz on the cello at UCT. |
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“We loved “Playing with Fire” and will think of you all fondly for many years to come!” - Suzanne and Avital








