Matthew Reids ‘Playing with Fire’ is a collective of musicians that offers a wide variety of ensembles for social functions. Matthew is passionate about music and chooses to express himself through many musical genres from classical to light jazz, Mediterranean to Gypsy, and Balkan to Klezmer.

Playing with Fire offers

  1. French/Mediterranean ensemble “Ooh La La” (2 – 4 musicians)
  2. Jazz Duo/Trio
  3. Balkan Band (3 – 6 musicians)
  4. Klezmer Band (3 – 6 musicians)
  5. Solo Saxophone with backing tracks

All the musicians who feature in the various collective genres are highly accomplished musicians:

Matthew Reid – Clarinetist and saxophonist:  Matthews musical interest started with folk, which included the clarinet and accordion/guitar, but has extended to light jazz with guitar and sax. Besides the many varied functions and events that Matthew and his collective have performed at , Matthew has accompanied Ivor Joffe at chuppahs and his klezmer band has accompanied Ivor as well as many of the Jewish singers in the city at the annual Yiddish Song Festival at the Baxter for 11 years.

Matthew comes from Durban, he attained his Honours degree from UCT with Leslie Craven and completed a postgraduate course at the Royal College of Music in London and has a diploma in Orchestral Studies (Dip NCOS) from Goldsmiths College in Greenwich.

Matthew the SASOL and Oude Meester Prizes for instrumentalists in 1986 and studied with Alfred Prinz in Vienna, Guy Deplus in Paris, and John McCaw in London. He premiered and recorded Peter Klatzow’s Clarinet Concerto with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra in 1992, and his Sonata with Pieter van Zyl.

Matthew performed extensively with pianist Pieter van Zyl winning the 2008 Kanna Award at the KKNK for classical music. He performed with the Sontonga String Quartet at the Arts Festivals in Grahamstown, Cape Town, Franschhoek, and the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, giving the first performances of Oswaldo Golijov’s extraordinary “Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind” in this country. He was the music director of the annual Yiddish Song Festival in the Baxter Theatre for eleven years.

Keith Tabisher – Guitarist:  Keith is a classically trained guitarist who specializes in playing jazz on the classical guitar. He currently performs with musicians from different backgrounds, covering various genres. Keith has also written a number of songs for guitar.

Kerryn Torrance – Violinist:  Kerryn completed her B.Mus degree in violin performance Cum Laude at the University of Stellenbosch in 1998. During this time she co-led the Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra that traveled around Europe, was a member of the South African National Youth Orchestra, and was an ad hoc musician for the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

Kerryn’s passion for using music to connect, heal, and inspire people of all shapes and sizes led her to do her postgraduate studies in Music Therapy at the University of Pretoria. In 2000 she graduated Cum Laude amongst the very first group of South African Music Therapy graduates. 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. Have a look at www.music-therapy.co.za if you are interested.

Kerryn has played in a variety of music ensembles and orchestras and has taught violin to both young and old. When Kerryn is not making music, she´s being entertained by the antics of her 2 rambunctious sons and she has realized how much ´musicking´ and improvisation is involved in mothering. She loves doing anything creative as well as taking time out to take leisurely strolls in and around Cape Town.

Brydon Bolton – Musician, Composer, and Educator:  Brydon is a musician, composer, and educator. A regular performer at local and international festivals. He performs in many diverse styles, being equally at home on the concert stage, at outdoor festivals, and in intimate venues.

Cheryl de Havilland – Cellist: Cheryl was born in the UK. She started on the cello at the age of 8. She studied in London and came out to South Africa initially to join the orchestra in Pretoria. Her playing in South Africa includes Opera, Classical, Symphony Orchestra, Baroque music, chamber, and jazz, in fact just about anything as long as it’s on the cello! She is a member of the 6 celli group I Grandi Violoncellisti. Cheryl is also a well-established cello teacher in Cape Town.

James van Minnen – Percussionist and drummer:  James is an accomplished percussionist and drummer, with a deep passion for Arabic, Balkan, and Mediterranean music and rhythms. Playing professionally since 2000, James has played in various other musical projects in Africa, Europe, and Japan, including Ottoman Slap, Mean Black Mamba, Andrew James & The Steady Tiger, Hot Water, Sirena Riley, and Shackleton.

As well as working as a session musician, James facilitates and teaches drumming and rhythm in group and private capacities and plays the mandolin.

André van Vuuren – Accordion:  André was a member of one of the SADF Entertainment units as a pianist, accordionist, and arranger. He left to perform solo while completing his studies. He has recorded for the SABC and many South African artists under leading labels such as Sony, Select, and Vonk.
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. Andre also performed for the group Conf8 at the KKNK as part of an American-sponsored initiative.
Highlights of his career have been his performance with the award-winning band Zamar at the South African wedding of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco. More recently he was involved in the film “The Price of Sugar.”

In Cape Town, he has performed at almost all of its main venues and also performed in not less than 1600 corporate events, festivals, private functions, and concerts country-wide. He plays on a true muzette accordion, especially suited for French café music. He distinguishes himself from the rest not only by his high standard of performance but also because he is totally mobile and moves around while playing. This in itself creates a very intimate atmosphere.

 

Eugen Sinclair – Vocals: Eugen is the lead singer of Playing with Fire‘s Balkan band. He sings in Russian, Serbian, and Turkish!

Joe Bolton – Tuba Player: Joe not only plays the tuba in Playing with Fire’s Balkan Band but also in the Nomadic Orchestra. He has a degree in jazz piano playing and is currently studying actuarial science at UCT.

Dave Ridgway – Double Bass: Dave is an established freelance bass player in Cape Town. He has played everywhere with everyone!