Regina Carter

Last night I tuned in my local PBS station to catch Austin City Limits (Esperanza Spalding was on!), and a bit early, came upon last twenty minutes or so of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival (a series I will not overlook in the future!). Featured was violinist Regina Carter and her group, playing some very wonderful stuff indeed, apparently mostly from her "Reverse Thread" album. While I haven't located that exact performance yet, here is a sample of the group via YouTube:
 Note the use of the kora, an African harp-like instrument (aka calabash?) I first became aware of a couple of years ago -- was it on Bill Frisell's "Intercontinentals" album?

The only music I have of Regina Carter is a album with Kenny Barron, the 2001 "Freefall". But that needs to change! Regina Carter is classically-trained, but professionally works as a jazz musician with strong Afro-Cuban and other world music influences. Carter is a cousin of the noted woodwind, especially baritone sax, jazz player, James Carter (the two did a duet album around 2000 that I need to track down). She received particular notice, in the aftermath of 9/11, for being the first jazz musician and first African American to be invited to play "The Cannon", the legendary 1700s violin once owned and used by 18th century Italian composer and violinist, Niccolo Paganini.