An Interview with Scottish Jazz Musician Matt Carmichael

Jazz isn’t typically associated with Scotland, how was it that you first began playing saxophone, and what was it about Jazz that caught your attention? Is there much of a Jazz scene in Scotland?

I started playing thanks to my local council who offered saxophone lessons in school and I became hooked straight away. I then got introduced to Jazz by my teacher and was drawn to the improvisation and freedom of expression in the music. There is actually a very exciting Jazz scene in Scotland, especially in Glasgowat the moment. Fergus McCreadie, corto.alto, Anoushka Nanguy, Georgia Cécile, and Graham Costello are some interesting new artists to check out.

You were a member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland, can you tell us about how the orchestra began and how this formed your early career?

NYJOS brings together musicians from all over Scotland and it is where I met a lot of my closest friends and musical colleagues. It also gave lots of great experiences such as playing at the BBC Proms.

“An exciting Scottish style of his own”, “Strikingly organic synthesis of lyrical Jazz and Scottish Folk”, and “You can really feel Scottish landscape in his playing and compositions” are just a few quotes to have been published, can you tell us about how traditional Scottish music has influenced you and your playing style?

Jazz is an American art form but I am playing that music in Scotland so I guess it’s natural that I interpret it in my own way but with respect for the history of the music. There are so many amazing Traditional Scottish musicians in Glasgow who inspire me and that naturally seeps into the music I make just as much as Jazz which is the genre more typically associated with the Saxophone.

You were a finalist in the televised BBC Young Jazz Musician 2020. Was this your first televised performance, and how was the experience?

Playing at Celtic Connections this year was very memorable, it was the first big gig with my band since COVID and there was a great audience. My music was also arranged for the WDR Big Band in Cologne by Bob Mintzer the other month and it was pretty special to hear my music in that context.

You’ve performed at Celtic Connections, Ronnie Scott’s, Latitude Festival, Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, and have a number of gigs lined up both in the UK & Germany. Do you have a favourite place to perform or any memorable performance moments?

Playing at Celtic Connections this year was very memorable, it was the first big gig with my band since COVID and there was a great audience. My music was also arranged for the WDR Big Band in Cologne by Bob Mintzer the other month and it was pretty special to hear my music in that context.

You graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland last year as the first student on the jazz course to win all three of the awards that are presented at the end of the academic year – for improvisation, composition, and arranging. How does it feel to have graduated and to have been so highly recognised during your studies?

It felt a bit strange to have graduated with the last few years being online, it all went by pretty quickly! Now I’m just figuring out life as a freelance musician which is exciting and daunting at the same time.

In the same year as completing your degree, you released your debut album, ‘Where Will The River Flow’ to critical acclaim throughout Europe, including a 5-star review in BBC Music Magazine, along with being long-listed for the multi-genre Scottish Album of the Year Award. What was it like to record your Debut Album, did you enjoy the process, is this the first of many, and what’s next?

I really like the process of making an album and telling a story through that format. I self-released my first one which was a really useful learning experience that taught me more about the business side of life as a musician. I’ve got lots of ideas for future recordings and people I would like to collaborate with so there will be much more to come. My next album ‘Marram’ is coming out in October 2022 on Edition Records featuring Charlie Stewart (fiddle), Fergus McCreadie (piano), Ali Watson (bass) and Tom Potter (drums).

A number of Tracks on your Album draw inspiration from your childhood growing up in the Scottish Highlands, can you tell us more about this?

I think the track you are referring to is ‘Conon Bridge’ - a small rural village a few miles north of Inverness where I was born. Although most memories of living there are very distant now, I have an attachment to the place and the warmth and melody of this track, which for me, evokes a sense of home.

Have you always celebrated your Scottish Heritage?

Not particularly but I do love Scotland and the music and musicians who live here. Some of my favourite music comes from Scotland and I am proud to be a part of the music scene here.

This month we are celebrating Clan Carmichael as our Clan of the Month, what does it mean to you to be part of the Clan?

To be honest I’ve never thought about being a part of a clan but I love my family and I am very happy to be a Carmichael!