Woodshed Jazz Magazine 

Review by: Bridgid Brousseau

 

REGINA CARTER QUARTET CONCERT REVIEW

 

The Regina Carter Quartet made an unforgettable appearance at The Herbert Zipper Concert Hall on April 14, 2014.

 

The modern design of the hall has extraordinary acoustics that made for an intimate, unforgettable experience. All eyes were fixed upon Regina as she performed original compositions from her newly released “Southern Comfort” album. Regina shared with the audience the inspirations, history and ancestry behind her compositions such as “Shoo Rey” and “Cornbread Crumbled in Gravy,” which included original musical snippets by her ancestors. This created for the most poignant moments during the performance.

 

The incredible ensemble — whose members include Alvester C. Garnett on percussion, Will Holshouser on accordion, Marvin Sewell on guitar and Jesse Murphy on bass captivated the audience from the moment they entered the stage. They are the consummate professionals! Watching the quartet perform collectively and individually was mesmerizing. The way in which they utilize slight gestures, subtle nods and eye contact to execute major transitions is seemingly magical. For those 90 minutes on stage it is as if their thoughts become intertwined and their minds become one.

 

The night was an ethereal experience for all. The audience was entranced and the positive energy flow was plentiful. One cannot help but watch in awe at the way in which Regina Carter executes her masterful techniques. She plays so passionately from the heart even to the point in which the strings on her bow had become visibly frayed.

 

When asked to describe their experience of the night in one word by the attendees, the response given most often was “spiritual.

 

The Regina Carter’s Southern Comfort North American Tour 2014 has performed in Chicago, Los Angeles and will be continuing on to The Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz and other many other cities. This performance is cultural, divine musical adventure that is not to be missed.