DANCING WITH EMBERS is an album that doesn’t just blend jazz and folk—it lets them breathe together, naturally and seamlessly, like two currents flowing into one.
Self Released
Matt Carmichael – Tenor Saxophone, Piano (Track 1, 12); Charlie Stewart – Fiddle; Fergus McCreadie – Piano; Ali Watson – Double Bass; Tom Potter – Drums; Innes White – Acoustic Guitar (Track 2, 3, 5, 6, 11); Chris Amer – Electric/Tenor Guitar (Track 1, 5, 6, 10, 12); Brìghde Chaimbeul – Small Pipes (Track 7, 8); Rachel Sermanni – Voice (Track 10)
The Isle of Arran has a rugged, windswept beauty, and Lochranza, perched at its northern tip, is one of its most striking spots. The shoreline is a mix of rocky outcrops and seaweed-strewn beach, with the ruins of Lochranza Castle standing watch over the bay. It’s a fitting location for the cover of DANCING WITH EMBERS, Matt Carmichael’s latest release—a place where land meets sea, tradition meets change, and melodies drift like the wind.
Carmichael’s saxophone lines have that same windswept, open quality—like a melody carried out to sea. And in DANCING WITH EMBERS, he takes that journey further, drawing from folk traditions while shaping them into something deeply personal.
Back in the ’70s, Scottish folk-rock groups like Silly Wizard, Ossian, and Battlefield Band redefined traditional music by weaving it into a contemporary setting. They electrified folk—literally and figuratively—blending old melodies with new instrumentation, keeping the tradition alive while propelling it forward. Carmichael’s approach is different, but the spirit remains the same. His compositions are rooted in Scottish folk music, but instead of guitars and fiddles driving the arrangements, it’s his saxophone that carries the lilt of a ballad, the bounce of a reel, the expansiveness of the Highlands.
Just as Andy M. Stewart’s voice in Silly Wizard carried the rolling lilt of Scottish ballads, Carmichael’s saxophone sings with a similar fluidity. His melodies don’t just move from note to note—they dance, bending and swaying like the contours of a well-loved folk tune.
Carmichael, hailed by BBC Music Magazine as “a distinctive new voice in a crowded scene,” continues to carve out his own space in jazz with DANCING WITH EMBERS. His goal for this album was clear: focus on the song, not the solo. Unlike more traditional jazz albums where improvisation often takes center stage, here, it’s all about the melody.
Many of the album’s 12 tracks began as improvisations at the piano, an instrument Carmichael hadn’t recorded himself playing before. He bookends the album on keys, opening with ‘A Distant Glow’ and closing with ‘Woodsmoke.’ “I lack the technical skill I have on saxophone, but it felt natural to play piano on a few tracks.”
The album features Carmichael’s longtime quintet—pianist Fergus McCreadie, bassist Ali Watson, drummer Tom Potter, and Charlie Stewart on fiddle—a group that has played together since their teenage years. Their chemistry is instinctual, built on years of friendship and shared musical exploration.
But Carmichael also broadens his musical palette, bringing in guest Scottish artists who deepen the album’s folk connections. Rachel Sermanni’s haunting vocals, Brìghde Chaimbeul’s hypnotic small pipes, and additional guitars from Chris Amer and Innes White add texture and warmth, blurring the lines between folk and jazz even further.
Carmichael’s piano gently sets the tone on ‘A Distant Glow,’ its warmth enveloping the track, while Chris Amer’s electric guitar weaves in seamlessly, adding its own spark.
On ‘Mangata,’ Rachel Sermanni’s voice has a deeper, breathy quality that mirrors Carmichael’s tenor saxophone. Their voices blend together effortlessly, creating a beautiful match of depth and texture.
Brìghde Chaimbeul’s Scottish small pipes on ‘Beckoning Night’ and ‘Aglow’ evoke classic ’70s folk-rock bands. Though tenor saxophones were absent from those ensembles, Carmichael’s playing would have fit seamlessly, his sound blending naturally with traditional Scottish folk instruments.
At just 25, Carmichael has already made an impact, performing at festivals like Celtic Connections and Love Supreme, playing legendary venues like Ronnie Scott’s and Bimhuis, and even appearing as a guest soloist with the Grammy-winning WDR Big Band. With DANCING WITH EMBERS, he stays true to the sound he’s shaping, blending his love for Scottish folk and singer-songwriters into something that’s completely his own.
DANCING WITH EMBERS is an album that doesn’t just blend jazz and folk—it lets them breathe together, naturally and seamlessly, like two currents flowing into one.
