The pantheon of jazz instrumentalists is home to scores of sax players, pianists, trumpeters, but not many violinists. Classical music maintains a fierce grip on the violin, and its country cousin, the fiddle, lives in bluegrass and folk.
But at least one musician is trying to change all that. Regina Carter, steeped in the musical tradition of her native Detroit, took up the violin at age four and did her time in orchestras and conservatories. Ultimately, though, Regina Carter chose the path less traveled for a violinist; jazz. Since releasing her first album in 1995, she has floored audiences, critics and fellow musicians with her outright mastery of the violin. Regina Carter, fiddling with the conventions of jazz, and playing a remarkable instrument.
Guests:
Regina Carter, violinist