Carter Beats the Devil
Jazz violinist Regina Carter got her hands (temporarily, anyway) on "the Cannon," a peerless Guarnari violin that belonged to Paganini himself. Her new release pays tribute to the man who may have sold his soul to get those fiddle skills.

In April, Carter released "Paganini: After a Dream," an eclectic collection of pieces chosen to highlight the Cannon, which she plays throughout. Five pieces from the classical world are interwoven with others from film and some original compositions into a seamless fusion of old and new worlds.

Carter's career has already shown her to be a versatile and dynamic musician. She has appeared everywhere from Lincoln Center to R&B hits, from film soundtracks to the top of the jazz charts.

Nonetheless, some classical purists were appalled that a non-classical musician would be playing the revered Guarnari instrument, over 250 years old. Carter's first opportunity to do so was for a post-9/11 tribute from the people of Genoa, where her defenders reminded us all that the great Paganini himself (1782-1840) was a master improviser, a jazz man of his day. (Or perhaps, given rumors about how he got his jaw-dropping technical skills, the Robert Johnson of his day.)

Carter, who was the first African-American as well as nonclassical musician to play the Cannon, was "impressed by the way it was treasured," according to Martin Johnson of the Wall Street Journal (May 7, 2003).

Choosing a repertoire for the follow up recording was a challenge. Carter wanted to balance tradition with modernity, but without sounding too "corny." Emphasizing the music of the French impressionists would straddle both worlds well, she figured.

Reviews of "Paganini: After a Dream" have been quite positive, and sales have come from a diverse, crossover audience.

How's the fiddle? Carter describes it as "very dark" and "very loud."

Read a bio of Carter at Fiddlechicks.com and at her label, Verve Records

Listen to her new release at the Verve site and at Amazon.com

Hear a National Public Radio feature on Regina Carter

Learn more about Paganini's violin, "The Cannon" at a Paganini site and at a renowned violin dealer's site