Jazz violinist, alumna Regina Carter to perform at Varner Recital Hall

Oakland University alumna Regina Carter will bring her talents back to Oakland for a jazz violin concert Feb. 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Varner’s Recital Hall.

The Oakland Jazz Quartet, composed of Oakland music professors including Miles Brown on acoustic bass, Mark Stone on percussion, Sean Dobbins on drums and Scott Gwinnell on piano, will be accompanying Carter.

Graduate student Joshua James will sit in on one tune, according to Brown.

This is not Carter’s first time back to OU. She is the artist-in-resident and returns to the university twice every academic year.

During this visit, Carter will be working with various Jazz Music classes and student groups including the OU Jazz Band and the Jazz Steel Pan group.

Carter will play a concert filled with music from movies including “Toy Story,” “Cars” and “Star Wars.”

Carter and the Jazz Quartet will have two rehearsals together before the show, one of them being a final sound check.

They started the rehearsal processes separately by picking tunes they enjoyed and shaping them into an ensemble form.

“It’s a challenge because we won’t be playing the music as it is written for the movies,” Brown said.

The audience is encouraged to dress up as their favorite character for the concert.

Brown did not let on if the musicians will be dressed up for the night though.

“You’ll have to come and find out,” Brown said.