Humility in the midst of excellence. That’s a rare combination (dare I say, particularly in the world of jazz and improvised music?) and yet it is so perfectly exemplified in this album of the week by Matt Carmichael. Perhaps one of the most inspiring saxophonists to have ever come out of these islands, Carmichael’s approach to music is as refreshing as the coastal air that gives life to this week’s record. Released nearly 3 years ago, Marram has proven it’s salt as a modern yet timeless album. It’s almost oxymoronic how Carmichael does that; his fiddle-like approach to melody and expressive jazz-like exploration of harmony in his solos marry two worlds together. I have talked before about Carmichael (reviewing his single ‘Kite’) and his visceral tone and brilliant timbral balance. However, if I was to point you to only one album of his that demonstrates this, Marram would be it. The textural interplay between the fiddle and sax, sax and piano, bass and drums, is truly masterful – not only in terms of the collective timbre it creates but the way in which it drives the melody toward and away from the foreground. This, along with his dynamic compositional approach, is perhaps why Carmichael captured my attention from the first listen.
A running theme in many of my album picks – for those that have themes – is the idea of Home. This can mean many different things to many people. Yet, even for an man like me, whose lived his entire life in English border counties, this album couldn’t feel more like home. The melody in tracks like ‘The Far Away Ones’ feel innately Scots – even with its medium tempo, the melody is too chipper to be inspired by English folk, which (in my opinion) is almost always dreary in topic and tonality. If the music wasn’t so rousing, I would have to say it’s the coastal link in the title “Marram” that draws me inward to thinking about home. Yet it is incredibly rousing. Drenched in tradition and heritage, yet bursting with a sense of modernity and excitement, Marram might just be one the best albums to listen to if you want to feel inspired yet nostalgic. I am aware that that sounds a little niche of a feeling but if you’ve heard it, you’ll hopefully get what I mean. Regardless of how you are feeling, you need Marram this week – particularly as it serves to perfectly accentuate that cosy autumn feeling that I talked about 2 weeks ago in my last album of the week. So, you can thank me later (or now if you want to comment on this post).
Waxing Lyrical 