For Grammy-nominated artist Regina Carter, the violin isn’t simply an improvisational vehicle; it’s a Rosetta Stone unlocking the doors to a myriad of cultures, sounds, and worlds apart. The first jazz musician and African-American to play the Guarneri Del Gesu violin, once owned by Niccolò Paganini, MacArthur “Genius” award-winning Regina Carter is director of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s All-Female Jazz Residency and has collaborated with Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel, Dolly Parton, Ray Brown, Kenny Barron, the String Trio of New York, Cassandra Wilson, Oliver Lake, and Steve Turre.