My memories of the country and the time we spent there building our little house on the hill. The walks in the fynbos, the wind, the rain, the fire. The sounds of the owls at night, the wind whipping the gum trees, the crackling of the logs in the fire. The drumming of rain on the roof, the frogs in the pond, the cry of the eagles.

To the hills

This is one of the first tracks I ever made using Mixcraft. I love Mixcraft- it is so intuitive, and I am able to express my moods well with it. This piece was conceived in a remote part of Namibia called Terrace Bay which is 100 K's from any inhabitation! We had a magic time there with the rocky, desert shores of the Atlantic, the sound of seagulls, and the endless beaches with white sand stretching for miles. The coast has sometimes turbulent waters which have caused many shipwrecks over the years. But this piece concentrates on the peacefulness of the beach, and sometimes the loneliness.
I did this painting of the beach at Swakopmund- the coast is similar all the way up to Terrace Bay where we travelled.

Summer Holidays

Terrace Bay

I began this track at the beginning of the first lockdown in March 2020 thinking this would be the beginning of something new in the world- a better world? I was naive enough to think that, hopeful that things would change- wealth would be more evenly spread, the poor would get better treatment etc, etc, but no, the world has stayed the same- if anything it has got worse, Power struggles are worse, governments have become autocracies ruling with fear and using covid as a means to control and manipulate its citizens!! Ego still rules this world, The power structures of the past are even stronger, wealth stays in the hands of the few elite at the top of the chain. When will human beings learn to share and share alike, live in harmony and learn to spread love, not hate. I live forever in that hope.

South African Inspirational

When will things change

Donate

When will things change?

SHADOW

The world needs love

sundayevening

jungle

winter

Ne me quitte pas

we are building. there are sounds of power tools I have to drown them out with something cool

Sage Sounds

Its a new build

Summer

A slow easy fun jazz song for easy listening. Happy vibe

dont get around much

A laid back track using brass, trumpet and piano and orchestration. It could be used in a small band.

Dont Get Around Much

an arrangement suitable for amateur orchestras

Gentle Ships

Dancing in the Kitchen while I cook

A tribute to a very special lady who ran a Nursery School for children for many years and did great work for early childhood education in her community. This is for you Eileen Hookins.

For Eileen

I wrote this while my country was in elections. We have new hope

Gnuvibes

Terrace bay Part 1

This is an arrangement of Fly me to the moon. It is somewhat jazzy, somewhat classical.I used orchestration with Logic Pro.

Flymetothemoon

Preview

A lullaby I wrote for my great niece. It is gentle and soothing and uplifting with a sweet melody flowing throughout, first in piano, then taken up by the clarinet, flute and strings, weaving in and around each other, I picture a beautiful mother in a long flowing dress with a baby in her arms.

JAMIE'S THEME

Mellow days

I used Alesis midi on this- piano was the main inspiration. I wanted to get the laid-back jazzy feeling of Christmas summer holidays with cocktails by the pool or a beer in hand round the braai- Island style. There is a little hint of something oriental  about halfway through- perhaps floating down a canal in Thailand? Wherever you are, can you hear the ice tinkling in the glass near the end of the piece! Or were they Christmas bells?

Holiday chilling

I wrote this after my dog, Smoggy, a miniature Schnauser, drowned. I wanted to try and capture those last moments as he was in the water, and transform that fearful experience into something beautiful and profound, ameliorating the sadness and sending him to another manifestation in as pure and peaceful and happy way as possible.

Tribute to my dog, Smog

Some African inspired kalimba's mixed with classical orchestral strings and a smooth flowing rhythm suggest sunrise over a great river, welcoming a new time of peace and harmony.

A New African Dawn

I loved the movie, Gone with the wind as a child. The music was written by Max Steiner. Thank you Max, for the inspiration and a great tune which has inspired me pretty much my whole life.

Memories of gone with the wind

Movie memories,snippet

I designed this track with a movie in mind- a search is out for criminal elements. Helicopters comb the area. They are found, caught and jailed for life in the end!!

The Search

This is a short musical history of South Africa. At first just the indigenous sounds of the Kalimba and birds, then the English horn announces the arrival of the colonials, then the South African parliament announces its arrival with trumpets and horn-blowing, then the last part is a combination of all voices joining together (western and african instruments) in a glorious celebration of a new nation. The last voice is the voice of nature once again in the sound of thunder and rain. Of all voices, Nature's is the most permanent and powerful.



South African odyssey

A walk in a wet forest at Christmas time in Hogsback. Listen to the rain dripping gently from the trees, the sound of birds and frogs and the Christmas beetles.

A walk in a wet forest at Christmas time in Hogsback

Walking that same old bend
wanting a different end
to all the fear and pain that life can bring,'
That's not the way.

A different end

While writing this I was thinking about gentle memories on the beach of old days when the kids were small and life was less full of technology. I tried to replicate the sounds of a real orchestra that I heard in concerts as a child. Although this is a light orchestral piece, my references were music like the themes of the 60's movies, the theme from 
"A summer place" being a strong influence. My father probably would not approve of this light stuff as he was a staunch classical music lover of Beethoven and Mozart particularly, but the Summer theme was often played on the radio which I listened to a lot particularly when I was sick in bed- which was a thing we did in the 60's. Stayed in bed when you were sick!!
Also I was a fan of Dollar Brand who was a great South African born jazz musician whom I discovered in my 20's. Some of the piano riffs are a reference to him- a slightly bluesy feel.

Halcyon days

An old wise piggy with piggy fingers makes music on the computer. 

Igneous Pig

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks