St Luke's x Celtic Connections: Matt Carmichael - Held in the Dark

14+ (under 16s with an adult)

Playing music from saxophonist and composer Matt Carmichael’s latest album Held in the Dark. This is his strongest to date and evolves the emotive Scottish Folk-Jazz sound with more indie and singer-songwriter influences reflecting a period of time supporting a loved one through complicated health issues.

"A powerful statement... genuinely beatific.” 
- Clash Magazine

‘’an artist whose deep and introspective relationship with music is organically pushing against the boundaries of learned traditions.’’ 
- The Quietus

Matt Carmichael - tenor saxophone
Charlie Stewart - fiddle
James Mackay - guitars
Chris Amer - guitars
Fergus McCreadie - piano
Ali Watson - bass
Stephen Henderson - drums

Heralded by BBC Music Magazine as "a distinctive new voice in a crowded scene," Scottish saxophonist and composer Matt Carmichael continues to move from strength to strength and grow his reach globally with his powerfully emotive blend of melodic jazz and folk music. Born just outside of Inverness before moving to Glasgow, where, at the age of 11, he enthusiastically ran home from school clutching a letter from his local music service offering saxophone lessons. Music instantly became his passion, and he soon began writing music for his own band, performing their first gig at the Butterfly and Pig in Glasgow — before half the band were legally allowed in the pub.

Since then, the band has developed a special chemistry and sound together, grounded in collective improvisation. They regularly perform internationally as well as Matt having worked as a soloist and arranger with the Grammy Award-winning WDR Big Band, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Kings Place Jazz Orchestra.

Following his critically acclaimed debut Where Will the River Flow (which amassed over 8 million streams), Carmichael signed to the renowned label Edition Records for his second album, Marram. His last album Dancing with Embers included collaborations with Rachel Sermanni and Brìghde Chaimbeul and was shortlisted for the multi-genre SAY awards as well as winning ‘Best Album’ in the Scottish Jazz Awards.

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