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Editorial Reviews
One of the most beloved artists of her generation, preeminent violinist Regina Carter has achieved another landmark in a creative history that has yielded both artistic and commercial triumphs. Her newest release, Reverse Thread, starts with exquisite traditional African music and infuses it with contemporary jazz and Afropop energy. The results are uplifting, stirring, and joyful. Regina's Reverse Thread Band adds virtuoso Yacouba Sissoko on kora - the West African harp traditionally played by village storytellers--to her longstanding rhythm section. Sissoko's beautiful instrumental voicings were brought into the mix to help recreate the spirit of passing stories from generation to generation. The collaboration--unlike anything previously heard--is a haunting and beautiful compliment to Regina's sumptuously seductive violin. Through her best-selling, Grammy-nominated albums, incessant touring and various guest appearances and collaborations, Regina has developed into a distinctly diverse musical personality. She has repeatedly toured throughout the world, and was the first jazz artist and African American to play Niccolo Paganini's famed Guarneri "Cannon" violin. She has been featured with several symphony orchestras and performed with pop artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel, and Mary J. Blige. With Reverse Thread, Regina takes another giant step forward. In an era of cookie cutter jazz albums that do little to excite the imagination of music lovers, it's a brilliant, colorful, and lively exploration whose seductive charms are infallible.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Overview:
This is hands down my favorite Regina Carter CD ... ever. On this CD Regina weaves a tapestry of world music, inspired primarily by African music, but also by tango. Two of my favorite non-traditional jazz instruments, the accordion and kora are featured on this album. I wouldn't have thought they could work together, but amazingly they do. The violin actually forms the perfect bridge between the two. If you are not familiar with the kora it is a 21 string African harp. The kora player can play a bass line, melody, and solo all at the same time on it. Regina has assembled an all star case of musicians on this album they are:
Regina Carter - violin
Yacouba Sissoko - kora (tracks 2,3,6,7,11)
Will Holshouser - accordion (1,7,8,10,11,12)
Gary Vesace - accordion (2,3,4,5,9)
Adam Rogers - guitar (1,5,8,10)
Mamadou Ba - electric bass (2,3,9)
Chris Lightcap - accoustic bass (1,4,5,7,8,10,11,12)
Alvester Garnett - drums, percussion
The CD also features songs by legendary African musicians, including songs by Ayub Ogada, Bassekou Kouyate, and Boubacar Traore.
Song Highlights:
Kothbiro - Many people will recognize this Ayub Ogada song as the theme song for the recent movie "The Constant Gardner". While tragically sad, the tune is so pretty and one of my favorite songs by African World artists. This rendition isn't quite as powerful as the version by Kenny Werner, Chris Potter, and Dave Douglas, on Werner's Lawn Chair Society, but it comes very close. Sissoko opens the tune with a kora solo, and plays brilliantly throughout. Carter plays the sad melody to perfection.
N'Teri - This track written by Habib Koite is beautiful sad song. It is similar in style to Kothbiro. It opens with some plucking by Carter and Kora playing by Sissoko. After a real nice kora solo, Carter and accordion player Versace trade of short bars of soloing in classic call and answer fashion.
Artistya - This track opens with a rapid fire jumping bass line by Chris Lightcap and wild percussion by Garnett. Carter comes in over the top with monster violin solo that is absolutely ferocious. It is my favorite solo on the CD.
Day Dreaming on the Nile - The title of this track is perfect. Every time I listen to it, my mind starts to wander off in a day dream. Normally I'm not a huge fan of the electric bass, but it really works well here. The walking/ wandering bass line is the center point of the song. There is a lot of nice accordion work and texture provided by Gary Versace.
Kanou - Fans of Bill Frisell are probably very familiar with the composer of this song, Boubacar Traore. He was the inspiration of Frisell's "The Intercontinental" CD. Boubacar is a great artist and this is a great song choice by Carter. This song also features Sissoko's best Kora solo of the CD.
Un Aguinaldo Pa Regina - A great modern tango song written by Papo Vasquez. Great interplay between guitarist Adam Rogers, Accoridanist Gary Versace, and Regina Carter.
If you are a fan of Roswell Rudd's Malicool, Bela Fleck's "Throw Down your Heart", Frisell's Intercontintels, you better run down to the store and pick this up. As far as modern African music fused with jazz goes, this is as good as it gets.
This is hands down my favorite Regina Carter CD ... ever. On this CD Regina weaves a tapestry of world music, inspired primarily by African music, but also by tango. Two of my favorite non-traditional jazz instruments, the accordion and kora are featured on this album. I wouldn't have thought they could work together, but amazingly they do. The violin actually forms the perfect bridge between the two. If you are not familiar with the kora it is a 21 string African harp. The kora player can play a bass line, melody, and solo all at the same time on it. Regina has assembled an all star case of musicians on this album they are:
Regina Carter - violin
Yacouba Sissoko - kora (tracks 2,3,6,7,11)
Will Holshouser - accordion (1,7,8,10,11,12)
Gary Vesace - accordion (2,3,4,5,9)
Adam Rogers - guitar (1,5,8,10)
Mamadou Ba - electric bass (2,3,9)
Chris Lightcap - accoustic bass (1,4,5,7,8,10,11,12)
Alvester Garnett - drums, percussion
The CD also features songs by legendary African musicians, including songs by Ayub Ogada, Bassekou Kouyate, and Boubacar Traore.
Song Highlights:
Kothbiro - Many people will recognize this Ayub Ogada song as the theme song for the recent movie "The Constant Gardner". While tragically sad, the tune is so pretty and one of my favorite songs by African World artists. This rendition isn't quite as powerful as the version by Kenny Werner, Chris Potter, and Dave Douglas, on Werner's Lawn Chair Society, but it comes very close. Sissoko opens the tune with a kora solo, and plays brilliantly throughout. Carter plays the sad melody to perfection.
N'Teri - This track written by Habib Koite is beautiful sad song. It is similar in style to Kothbiro. It opens with some plucking by Carter and Kora playing by Sissoko. After a real nice kora solo, Carter and accordion player Versace trade of short bars of soloing in classic call and answer fashion.
Artistya - This track opens with a rapid fire jumping bass line by Chris Lightcap and wild percussion by Garnett. Carter comes in over the top with monster violin solo that is absolutely ferocious. It is my favorite solo on the CD.
Day Dreaming on the Nile - The title of this track is perfect. Every time I listen to it, my mind starts to wander off in a day dream. Normally I'm not a huge fan of the electric bass, but it really works well here. The walking/ wandering bass line is the center point of the song. There is a lot of nice accordion work and texture provided by Gary Versace.
Kanou - Fans of Bill Frisell are probably very familiar with the composer of this song, Boubacar Traore. He was the inspiration of Frisell's "The Intercontinental" CD. Boubacar is a great artist and this is a great song choice by Carter. This song also features Sissoko's best Kora solo of the CD.
Un Aguinaldo Pa Regina - A great modern tango song written by Papo Vasquez. Great interplay between guitarist Adam Rogers, Accoridanist Gary Versace, and Regina Carter.
If you are a fan of Roswell Rudd's Malicool, Bela Fleck's "Throw Down your Heart", Frisell's Intercontintels, you better run down to the store and pick this up. As far as modern African music fused with jazz goes, this is as good as it gets.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
For those who seek a blend of joyfulness and beauty--this album is a must!
The performances are both buoyant and sublime, and I am moved to provide a few words here as this album is such a rare treasure.
As it regards album specifics, I refer you to the earlier review by Scott Williams "SneakyNeighborsDog," which contains an impressively detailed overview.
Enjoy!!!!
The performances are both buoyant and sublime, and I am moved to provide a few words here as this album is such a rare treasure.
As it regards album specifics, I refer you to the earlier review by Scott Williams "SneakyNeighborsDog," which contains an impressively detailed overview.
Enjoy!!!!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By B. Smith
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you're like me, the short audio excerpts that often accompany an Amazon musical offering (not available here) seldom give you a good idea of what the product is really like, so reviews by owners of a particular disc can be the most valuable critique you'll get.
Regina Carter is an extremely skillful violinist. On 'Reverse Thread' she's gathered a very unusual group of instrumentalists, who give the overall sound a very original character. Although they may be virtuosos in their own right, they mostly perform as accompanist's here.
The sound is overall light and pleasant, but never in a trite way: this group of recordings certainly bear continual replaying, revealing a complexity perhaps not apparent on the first listening. As an astute reviewer has previously written here, think mainly 'African', with 'Tango' on at least one track.
It's so refreshing to finally have a few musicians coming out of the 'jazz' tradition (Regina and Bill Frissell) who are willing to stretch the envelope instead of trying to top the masters of yesterday (think Wynton Marsalis).
Regina Carter is an extremely skillful violinist. On 'Reverse Thread' she's gathered a very unusual group of instrumentalists, who give the overall sound a very original character. Although they may be virtuosos in their own right, they mostly perform as accompanist's here.
The sound is overall light and pleasant, but never in a trite way: this group of recordings certainly bear continual replaying, revealing a complexity perhaps not apparent on the first listening. As an astute reviewer has previously written here, think mainly 'African', with 'Tango' on at least one track.
It's so refreshing to finally have a few musicians coming out of the 'jazz' tradition (Regina and Bill Frissell) who are willing to stretch the envelope instead of trying to top the masters of yesterday (think Wynton Marsalis).
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Regina Carter is best
Beautiful music, wonderfully played by the outstanding jazz violinist of our time. Ms. Carter tries something new with every album, and this one's a keeper.
Published 3 months ago by Reluctant Consumer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Anything by Regina Carter I will purchase
I love her music. I feel most creative when listening to one of her cd's. She has a very soothing and inspiring style.
Published 5 months ago by Vanessa B. Gilkes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sublime Sensuality
The music on this CD is powerfully sensuous, as well as engrossingly intricate in the blending of the violin between the kora and the accordian. Read more
Published 10 months ago by sherab
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exquisite, creative and distinctive
I had no idea what to expect going to see Regina Carter and ensemble perform at the Santa Fe Jazz Festival this past week. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Paul A. Eisenstein
5.0 out of 5 stars
superb
between the violin the accordion and the singing - this is one of the most interesting mixes of music I have bought in a while
Published 12 months ago by Joe Thorburn
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dissapointed
CD does not compare to her past music and CD's. I love her jazz CD's, but this CD is boring.
Published 13 months ago by D. Beatty
5.0 out of 5 stars
Her best effort yet
I can only echo Scott Williams review of Regina's new cd. This is easily her best cd of her career - at times bouyant, others introspective, always thoughtful. Read more
Published 17 months ago by br3
5.0 out of 5 stars
She just performed this CD in Chicago 12-10-2011. AMAZING!!!
I wish that I could've uploaded the live performance of this CD. It was Seriously Amazing!!! I LOVE the Intertwine of the KORA.. Read more
Published on December 11, 2010 by Kats Intuition
5.0 out of 5 stars
She keeps getting better
Regina draws much of her inspiration from Africa in this her newest
disc. There is also one track that appears Argentina-inspired. Read more
disc. There is also one track that appears Argentina-inspired. Read more
Published on October 13, 2010 by David Newman
4.0 out of 5 stars
regina carter Reverse thread
This is a great new sound from Regina Carter.I like the background,her playing has improved over the yrs.She has matured in the experiences of recording a new sound track. Read more
Published on August 22, 2010 by J.Dots
