Matt Carmichael is a rising star – an exponent of the burgeoning Scottish jazz scene, the young tenor saxophonist’s debut on Edition Records is an irresistible blend of lyrical jazz & lilting folk melodies. Joined by the award-winning fiddle player Charlie Stewart, and his long-time collaborators Fergus McCreadie (Edition Records), Ali Watson and Tom Potter, ‘Marram’ is a lively and energetic album from one of Scotland’s leading young performers.

Winner of the Peter Whittingham Development award in 2019, a finalist of the BBC’s young jazz musician competition in 2020, Matt has already established himself as one of the UK’s most dynamic improvisers and performers – And having been long-listed for the Scottish Album of the year award in 2021, Matt continues to move from strength to strength and grow his reach globally; This is evidenced most recently by way of an invitation to perform with Germany’s premier WDR Big Band under the direction of their guest conductor Bob Mintzer who arranged music from Matt’s first and second album.

Taking its name from the long swaying grass of the Scottish coastline, the music of ‘Marram’ is also inspired by Matt’s deep connection to the country’s folk tradition, with lush part-writing for Charlie Stewart (BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year) on fiddle. The way Matt combines his background as a jazz musician with the vernacular musical tradition of Scotland is what makes his music so powerfully evocative and deeply emotive.

Founder and CEO of Edition Records Dave Stapleton explains what it was about the record that inspired him: “We are very excited to welcome Matt to the Edition family. We believe that originality is demonstrated when an artist blends different ingredients together – Matt’s new record perfectly epitomises this, sitting right on the edge between folk and jazz. There’s so much amazing music coming out of the Scottish scene right now and Matt as one of it’s leading exponents has really captivated our imagination with his new record”.

Matt Carmichael on signing to Edition: “I first became aware of Edition Records after hearing the incredible debut albums from Rob Luft and Snowpoet. I really connected with the music and was struck by how original they both sounded combined with an accessibility to reach listeners beyond the usual Jazz audience.. Edition consistently releases innovative music that excites and inspires me as a music fan and it’s an honour to have my music released alongside so many musicians I look up to.”

“Dave Stapleton was generous with his time guiding me through the self-release process for my first album ‘Where Will The River Flow’ and I’m excited to see my music reach a wider audience with the backing of Edition for this second album.”

Marram will be released on Edition Records in late 2022.