Matt Carmichael: ‘Held in the Dark’

Sax player Matt Carmichael has just released his fourth album, ‘Held in the Dark’, a beautiful collection of eight tunes that combine Scottish folk music with contemporary jazz, performed by an outstanding ensemble.

There is a gentle, wistful atmosphere about Held in the Dark and Matt expresses so much through his music that makes this album one of those you need to play from start to finish. The tunes were composed on guitar and perhaps that is why the folk music element is strong, although never overwhelming.

I interviewed Matt for Harmonious World in August 2026 and also reviewed his gig at Kings Place in September 2026. His tenor sax is joined on Held in the Dark by Charlie Stewart (violin), Chris Amer (guitars), James Mackay (guitars), Fergus McCreadie (piano), Ali Watson (bass), Stepen Henderson (drums) and Tom Gibbs (clarinet).

The album begins with the sublime and calming Red Sky, followed by the more intense Morning Geese, which brings Matt’s tenor at its simplest, most sonorous.The tension builds on Wide Eyes, including a superb piano solo by McCreadie and lovely touches of violin interweaving the tenor sax lines.

The combination of instruments continues to great effect in producing the combination of folk and jazz on Frog Green and the beautifully lyrical Flood Lines. The brevity of Prayer is inspired, acting as an interlude before we are brought to the poignant title track.

Matt says: “Writing music has always been my escape and a way to process emotions. Personally, it's an ongoing experience learning to understand the nuances and how to

make someone feel seen, even though you can never fully know how it feels when you're

on the outside. Everyone is going through something in some form, and it can be hard to

find people who understand those complexities. I guess a lot of that goes into the music.”

‘Held in the Dark’ by Matt Carmichael is available on Bandcamp