Regina Carter “Southern Comfort” quintet

Violin virtuoso – Regina Carter takes listeners on a musical exploration of her family history on new album — “Southern Comfort” (Sony Music Masterworks)

For Regina, the violin isn’t merely an improvisational vehicle. It’s a passport to unexpected realms, a Rosetta stone that unlocks the door to a myriad of cultures and worlds. An intrepid musical explorer, Carter has greatly expanded her violin odyssey since being awarded a coveted 2006 MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship... She began by researching the African roots of the violin. (The result was her gorgeous 2010 “Reverse Thread” release.)

Regina has now focused on her family history, marking the premiere of her new project, “Southern Comfort”… trading the West African kora for a slide guitar, she has collected songs redolent of her father’s roots in Alabama for a celebration of the joyous music that infused her early childhood. The imaginative use of slide guitar and accordion, and Regina's perfect choice of musicians consolidate the haunting quality of this new endeavor!