This week’s song is dedicated to anyone who’s ever wondered what jazz would sound like if it were sent through a filter of traditional Scottish music.

Or at least it would be, if anyone had ever wondered what jazz would sound like if it were sent through a filter of traditional Scottish music. But since nobody has ever wondered that, I guess I’ll try opening this post in a different way:

This week’s song is dedicated to you, because you didn’t know how beautiful jazz can sound when sent through a filter of traditional Scottish music. And I didn’t either, until I heard the wonderful record Dancing With Embers by Scottish saxophonist and composer Matt Carmichael.

What makes this a beautiful song:

1. The slowly-bowed fiddle, played by Charlie Stewart, drones quietly in the background like a distant set of bagpipes.

2. The melody played by Carmichael’s sax is simple and gorgeous, somewhere between a folk hymn and a lullaby.

3. The double bass, played by Ali Watson, joins for the final 30 seconds or so, grounding the song while providing some subtle harmony for the melody in the sax.

Recommended listening activity:

Looking out across a rugged landscape.

Buy it here.

The post Week 792: “Restful Sky” by Matt Carmichael appeared first on Beautiful Song Of The Week.