In this collection, Roux recalls some early musical influences of his African youth: the infectious Cape Malay rhythms; the 'boeremusiek' melodies which run from the plaintive to the light-hearted; the moving strains of gospel music; the clever township improvisations of the black artists of the day (which  he salutes in his own composition Penny Whistle Song included here).

 

In his interpretation of these diverse genres, Roux pays a special tribute to a group of artists whose talents helped shape his future career as performer, arranger and composer: Scott Joplin, Fats Waller, Rick Wakeman, Abdullah Ibrahim, among others.

 

The result is a unique and personal response in a variety of musical styles and shades. It is less an exercise in forging a new syncretic identity or an intellectual tour de force - which represent a further side of Roux's musical profile. It is, in the first instance, a labour of love.