By Scott Haas, The Bay State Banner Jazz violinist Regina Carter teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer and writer Kabir Sehgal to release “Swing States: Harmony in the Battleground” in July. Sehgal, a godson of civil rights icon Andrew Young and author of “Jazzocracy: Jazz, Democracy, and the Creation of a New American Mythology,” among … Read More
By Matt Micucci, JAZZIZ A very cool concept album by violinist Regina Carter, compiling songs associated with “swing states,” the states that in American elections are up for grabs when it comes to their electoral votes and their political leanings. Read this article here.
By John Murph “Carter opens the album with a spoken-word recollection of growing up in Detroit and how observing cultural differences works toward shaping how individuals vote. She also mentions watching her older family members head to the polls—a pertinent recollection given recent reports of voter suppression efforts and the centennial anniversary of the 19th … Read More
By Brenda Nelson-Strauss, Black Grooves Virtuoso jazz violinist Regina Carter has a history of releasing music that celebrates Black culture, whether commemorating the 100th anniversary of Ella Fitzgerald or her father’s roots on Southern Comfort. Read this full review here.
By George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly A couple of ladies with strings attached… Read this article here.
By Chris Spector, Midwest Records REGINA CARTER FREEDOM BAND/Swing States Harmony in the Battleground: Chop wise, Carter is a player you can’t argue with. The resume is too long to reprint when you can Google it. Politically, she’s a force of nature that power’s a Republican’s worst nightmare. Read all this reviews here.
By Phil Freeman, StereoGum Plenty of jazz musicians have made politically engaged music; there’s usually at least one album in this column with a message to convey, whether subtle or explicit. Read this article here.
By Wulf Muller, Wulf’s Music + Blog Regina Carter Freedom Band / Swing States: Harmony in the Battleground – Violinist extraordinaire Carter called up an all-star band to record this musical and political statement. Read this full review here.
By Matt Micucci, JAZZIZ An exploration of the creative freedoms of the trio format; a top jazz vocalist’s return to original songwriting; the third installment of a four-part musical polymath’s magnum opus. All this and more on the list of ten albums out this month that you need to know about. Read the full article … Read More
By Richard Kamins, Step Tempest Hard to ignore in the midst of the pandemic the fact that 2020 is a Presidential Election year with the one, arguably, the most fraught since 1860. Read this full review here.
