Cape Jazz Collection

Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Cape Jazz Collection celebrates the music and the musicians from the southern tip of Africa. Cape Town has countless riches as a result of its history, its beauty and its diverse culture, which all contribute to a unique style of music.

It is a new publication, first of its kind, containing over 30 lead sheets with melody and chords, of tunes connected to Cape Town, including works by Jonathan Butler, McCoy Mrubata, Paul Hanmer, Winston Mankunku, Errol Dyers, Tony Schilder, Basil Coetzee, Morris Goldberg, Mac Makenzie, Robbie Jansen, Ezra Ngcukana and Hilton Schilder.

The collection is in form of sheet music and the song book contains thirty-nine compositions of twenty-three of Cape Town's leading musicians. The songs cover all the styles of the Cape Jazz genre. The intention of the book is to get musicians to play the music. Be it on the bandstand, in studio, for the occasional jam session or in the classroom.

The songs are written as lead sheets (chords and melody). In a few cases, where considered necessary for harmonic reasons, two or three voices have been used in the melody. One of the characteristics of popular Cape music is the 'ghoemma' beat and this is used extensively in many of these compositions.