Motor City Moments

• Artist: Regina Carter
• Rating:
• Release Date: September 26, 2000
• Genre: Jazz

Review

Two years after her stunning debut on Verve, violinist Regina Carter offers listeners her exceptional string virtuosity on ten great songs inspired by her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Motor City Moments features a stellar collection of songs written by some of the best musicians from Detroit including Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Thad Jones, and Milt Jackson. Regina Carter applies her pure skill, pizzicato, and arco passages to "Don't Mess With Mr. T" and "Higher Ground" with impeccable tuning and multiple approaches. Her string virtuosity on Milt Jackson's "For Someone I Love," is a masterful performance backed adeptly by Mayra Casales on percussion and spotlights a brilliant piano solo by Werner "Vana" Gierig. Two originals, "Forever February" and "Up South," which was co-written with guitarist Russell Malone, provide an interesting contrast of the artist's use of reflective temperament and folk-ornamented cadences. Each song also emphasizes Carter's adept techniques with melodic phrasing and song forms. Accompanied by her touring band of Darryl Hall on bass, Alvester Garnett on drums, percussionist Mayra Casales, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and flugelhorn, James Carter on bass clarinet and tenor sax, Barry Harris on piano, Lewis Nash, as well as several special guests, Regina Carter has rapidly become one of the most exciting and original violinists to arrive on the jazz scene. ~ Paula Edelstein, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Don't Git Sassy	Thad Jones	Regina Carter	(5:17)
Don't Mess With Mister T.	Marvin Gaye	Regina Carter	(6:17)
For Someone I Love	Milt Jackson	Regina Carter	(5:52)
Forever February	Regina Carter	Regina Carter	(3:48)
Higher Ground	Stevie Wonder	Regina Carter	(6:56)
Love Theme from Spartacus	Alex North	Regina Carter	(6:24)
Prey-Loot	Lucky Thompson	Regina Carter	(3:47)
Fukai Aijo		Regina Carter	(4:56)
Chattanooga Choo Choo	Mack Gordon, Harry Warren	Regina Carter	(3:50)
Up South	Russell Malone, Regina Carter	Regina Carter	(3:35)

Credits

Marcus Belgrave (Trumpet), Marcus Belgrave (Flugelhorn), Russell Malone (Guitar), Lewis Nash (Drums), Greg Calbi (Mastering), James Carter (Clarinet (Bass)), James Carter (Sax (Tenor)), Regina Carter (Violin), Regina Carter (Main Performer), Regina Carter (Liner Notes), Myra Casales (Percussion), John Clayton (Producer), Joe Ferla (Engineer), Joe Ferla (Mixing), Werner Vana Gierig (Piano), Jason Olaine (Research), Richard Seidel (Producer), Bob Blumenthal (Liner Notes), Isabelle Wong (Design), Hollis King (Art Direction), Alvester Garnett (Drums), Bill Phelps (Photography), Theodora Kuslan (Release Coordinator), Michaela Angela Davis (Design), Scott Young (Assistant Engineer), Darryl Hall (Bass), Michelle Taylor (Project Coordinator)