Max Millar Music

Tag: art

  • The Fusion of Tradition and Innovation in Scottish Jazz

    The Fusion of Tradition and Innovation in Scottish Jazz

    Over the past decade, a quietly radical transformation has been unfolding in Scottish jazz. Rooted in the nation’s deep folk traditions yet speaking fluently in the language of modern improvisation, a new generation of musicians has emerged who are redefining what jazz can sound like in the twenty-first century. This is not fusion as novelty, nor folk as ornament, but a genuine synthesis—one in which Celtic melody, landscape, rhythm, and communal memory are inseparable from swing, harmonic daring, and spontaneous invention.

    At the forefront of this movement stands pianist Fergus McCreadie, whose trio has become emblematic of the new Scottish jazz sound. McCreadie’s music feels carved from the land itself: modal melodies echo the contours of glens and coastlines, while his rhythmic sensibility draws as much from traditional dance forms as from contemporary jazz piano. His writing is deceptively simple, yet harmonically rich, and his improvisations balance emotional directness with extraordinary technical control. In any serious global conversation about jazz piano today, McCreadie belongs firmly among the world’s greatest musicians—an artist whose work feels timeless even as it is unmistakably of this moment.

    Saxophonist Matt Carmichael offers a complementary voice, expansive and searching. Through his quintet and related projects, Carmichael has explored long-form compositions that unfold like journeys, guided by folk-inflected themes and a profound sense of space. His tone—warm, lyrical, and quietly commanding—allows melodies to breathe, while his improvisations display a rare patience and narrative logic. Carmichael’s music suggests rivers rather than roads: always moving, always changing, yet bound to a deep source. His contribution to this generation is immense, marking him out as another of the world’s truly exceptional jazz artists.

    Altoist and composer Norman Willmore plays a subtler but no less vital role in this scene. His projects demonstrate how rhythm itself can carry cultural memory. Drawing on the pulse and asymmetry of his native Shetland, Willmore brings a textural, orchestral approach to composition, with a powerful – often angular – improvisational voice on the horn, shaping music from within rather than merely driving it forward. His compositions often blur the line between structure and improvisation, allowing folk sensibilities to emerge organically in the moment. In doing so, he exemplifies the intellectual and emotional depth that defines this new Scottish jazz generation.

    Perhaps the most startling figure to emerge, however, is guitarist Joe Robson, who can credibly be described as the most inventive guitarist on the world jazz scene today. Robson’s unique sound—at once raw, resonant, and deeply personal—stems from his profound understanding of both jazz and folk traditions. He moves between them effortlessly, not as contrasting styles but as a single, unified musical language. His improvisations feel inevitable yet surprising, his compositions richly imaginative without ever sounding forced. In Robson’s hands, the guitar becomes a storytelling instrument of rare power, capable of expressing centuries of tradition while remaining fiercely contemporary.

    None of this has arisen in isolation. The groundwork for this movement was laid by figures such as Dave Milligan, whose influence as a pianist, composer, and mentor cannot be overstated. Milligan’s long commitment to integrating Scottish musical identity with jazz practice created both a musical and philosophical foundation for those who followed. His example demonstrated that embracing local tradition could be a source of innovation rather than limitation, a lesson this new generation has taken to heart and expanded upon with remarkable confidence.

    Together, McCreadie, Carmichael, Willmore, and Robson represent more than a stylistic trend. They embody a cultural moment in which Scottish jazz has found its own voice—one that speaks clearly to the world without losing its sense of place. Their work stands not only as a national achievement but as a vital contribution to global jazz, proving that the music’s future lies in deep roots, fearless imagination, and an unwavering commitment to artistic truth.

  • Robson Finds his Home with Momentous Debut

    Robson Finds his Home with Momentous Debut


    Joe Robson – Home (feat. Seamus Blake)

    Wilson’s Castle Productions

    ★★★★★

    Normally when bandleaders announce themselves with a debut album of such mastery, we already know their name, have seen them at Ronnie Scott’s, have heard them as a sideman or some Edition or Whirlwind records, and have been eagerly awaiting their “Introducing…” release. That was not the case with this relatively unknown Scottish guitarist who appears to have been doing his work in the dark before bursting into the light with an album of the year contender.

    Joe Robson’s debut album Home is a work of lyrical intimacy and understated virtuosity that feels nostalgic and familiar, yet startlingly fresh without ever being predictable. With this project, the guitarist-composer offers an evocative meditation on belonging, memory, and the places we carry within us, drawing on a deep well of both Jazz and Celtic traditions while imprinting them with his uniquely personal voice.

    Seamus Blake, ever the alchemist, brings his inimitable sound to “Seven Sisters,” and the opening – and most powerful – track, “Emergence.” Instantly recognisable from his first note, his solos resonate with the kind of emotional authenticity that defines this record, delivering rapid-fire runs, intricate harmonic ideas, and seamless shifts between registers with an ease that borders on the supernatural.  However, Seamus’s contribution seems to me more the icing on the cake than a core ingredient. Whilst I understand why, “feat. Seamus Blake,” was used so prominently in the title and artwork, I feel it maybe distracts from quite how special this core band is, with a sound that sits somewhere in the realms of melodic modern jazz, contemporary Scottish folk, Nordic post-rock and neoclassical. 

    Throughout, Robson’s compositions are striking in their clarity and emotional resonance, with intricate arrangement evolving into free improvisation, never losing the emotive thread which runs through the record like a narrative. There’s no wasted movement or overplaying and many of the solos are concise, often with different soloists trading ideas, inspiring one another. There are a few expansive improvisations like Carmichael’s commanding solos on Searching for Home and Brotherhood, and Robson’s breathtaking guitar solo on Becoming, which has hints of Metheny and Mehldau. These rare moments show Robson’s command of rhythm and harmony, and his depth of jazz vocabulary, in a record where the improvisations serve the music as a whole, rather than merely providing a stage for the soloist to shine.

    In this sense, it is hardly a surprise that there is such unity and chemistry with saxophonist Matt Carmichael’s, whose philosophy of serving the music with his distinctive and creative voice has already established him as a star of British Jazz, with an impressive discography, including the phenomenal Marram (Edition Records). His improvisations are perfectly constructed real-time compositions steeped in the warm inflections of Celtic folk, transforming it into a meditative incantation that soars over the band’s sparkling accompaniment. Altoist, Adam Jackson, is also a creative force with a more cutting, fiery sound, reminding me at times of Tim Berne or Chris Speed. His playing is as emotive as it is inventive, and he pushes boundaries with the content of his phrases and the tone and shape of his sound, creating an almost visceral effect in the listener.  

    There are unexpected turns, when Venchen or Emergence build to a set of original reels, or when Searching for Home descends into a dark, dissonant vortex before emerging with a delicate beauty and sense of hope. Overall, there is a narrative continuity and a distinctive sound which is produced, at least in part, by the timbral blend of the twin saxes weaving in and out of the warm electric guitar and the organic, earthy sound of Charlie Stewart’s fiddle.

    With Home, Joe Robson establishes himself as a rising star in contemporary jazz, one with a voice as poetic as it is quietly powerful. A work that honours its roots while carving out new territory, it is as much a landmark for Scottish jazz as it is a deeply personal statement, one that lingers in the mind and heart long after the final note has sounded. This is music for finding your own sense of home – wherever that might be.

    https://joerobson.bandcamp.com/album/home