Customer Reviews

Rhythms of the Heart

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In live performance, Regina Carter is one of the great musicians of our time, and one of the greatest jazz soloists of all time on any instrument. That monumental impact is not really captured fully on this disc, but it is fairly common in jazz that it would not be. This is an excellent disc, which reveals her beauty of tone, swinging approach, and compelling ideas. This is one of the best jazz violin albums of all time, and I look forward to listening to her for years to come. REGINA RULES!!!!

I would highly recommend this album to anyone who loves jazz. The violin is great as are the accompaning instruments. You will not regret buying this album. The best violin album I've heard.

Vendor sent CD as promised with a case that was cracked as reported from the vendor but the CD is in great playing shape. I would order from this vendor again.

This C.D. has a wonderful mixture of jazz rhythms and creations. Regina Carter is extremely talented and has developed into a confident jazz violinist. She is also accompanied by extremely talented musicians inall the selections. I hadn't heard it before I bought it, but I'm very happy with this C.D.

I love Regina Carter and this is one of my favorites. I listen to it in the car over and over again. Her sound is amazing as are the artists who play with her.

"Rhytthms of the Heart" is decidedly jazzier than Carter's first and second CD's. This is more evident towards the end with "New York Attitude," "By the Brook" and "Skeeter Blues." There are also some pleasant surprises as in "Mojito," a very latin, carribean inspired number. The mixture of percussion by Richard Bona and Carter's violin lends a breezy, delightful salsa tune, that invites you to relax and dance a little.

This CD also marks the appearnce of Kenny Baron, what an awesome treat! His piano really kicks it up a notch. And for all of you Cassandra Wilson fans out there, she makes a brooding appearance on track #3 "Papa was a rolling stone." I didn't care too much for "Mandingo Street." It seemed a tad too experimental and belonged in another CD, but fall in love with track #6, "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most." It 's a quite, romantic piece with Baron's translucent piano and Carter's weepy violin. It inspires complete amore, even if you're devoid of any amorous proclivities. Trust me.

I do have to give this a 4 star rating only because it isn't as brillaint as the previous two but nevertheless, it's worth owning.

Actually 2 and 1/2 stars. I agree with two of the reviewers below that Ms. Carter is better in concert than on this record, but I seem to be more disappointed than they with the difference. Her playing here is restrained, simplistic, detached, unemotional. Her violin's tone sounds boxy. There is a profusion of "guest stars" here and no sense of a band cohering. (Her real pianist is better than Kenny Barron.) I could go on, but I think you get the idea: this is a commercially compromised, timid, halting, uninspired effort.

I can only recommend you see the real Regina Carter in concert, and in the mean time pick up these two jazz records featuring violin: The Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Birds of Fire" and Shakti's "Natural Elements".

This album is truly mind-blowing! I saw Regina live in concert last night (Thursday 6th July), and also was involved in a masterclass run by her on Wednesday as part of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland Summer course. What an inspiration! If you ever get the chance to see her live, please do, because if you think the album is fabulous (which it is), you will be truly mesmorised by her playing and the general atmosphere at one of her gigs!