Regina Carter is a jazz violinist - yes, jazz violinist - from Detroit. She impressively melds the likes of Johann Sebastian Bach with Little Brown Jug or Ella Fitzgerald; her latest album features jazzed-up classical tunes, and classically-reinterpreted jazz favorites, all passionately and vivaciously improvised.
Though her CD has been out for nearly two years now, the quintet's performance of the songs on stage was not old news. The long solos, as innovative as the arrangements themselves, introduced fresh ideas to familiar themes and kept the listener enjoying each new turn.
A highlight in the evening was a stellar re-interpretation of "Little Brown Jug," a tune Carter said she learned when she was four years old. The simple child's melody morphed between Russian dance, German opera, New York swing, and more. For solo after solo, each member of the quintet took the simple tune through subtle, sophisticated changes, never once tiring the audience on a theme that should have quickly become repetitive.
Nearly as startling as that quick improvisation was the oh-so-tender "I'll Be Seeing You." The quintet pulled together seamlessly to draw out the ballad with warmth rarely heard from drums and piano.
The violinist herself seemed stage-shy. The introduction likely contained more words in it than she spoke into the mic herself, and she sometimes hid in a seat behind the piano or went offstage completely when her band mates took the spotlight. Despite that, she did not entirely abandon her hostess duties, as she sometimes told brief musical jokes with her violin by playing off key or silly, short licks. The humor was appreciated, and the tone of the concert quickly became clear: Regina Carter was onstage to play music and nothing else. Words were only a distraction and would not much be tolerated.
At the beginning of April, Regina Carter will be in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Fans of improvisation should definitely explore the rich surprises this quintet has to offer.
The Quintet:
Regina Carter, violin
Matthew Parrish, bass
Alvester Garnett, drums
Xavier Davis, piano and arrangements
Dr. Darryl Harper, clarinet
More About Regina Carter:
Her Official Site
Regina Carter on the Wikipedia
Hear or read her interview on KXJZ 90.9 Sacramento.
Her Official Site
Regina Carter on the Wikipedia
Hear or read her interview on KXJZ 90.9 Sacramento.
When she's not writing, Lacey Waymire can be heard occasionally eking out tunes on her violin or singing for fun. Her favorite types of music are jazz, Celtic, and folk.
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