Regina Carter shows range on violin

The violin’s preeminence in classical music has not deterred jazz musicians from employing its brilliant resources for swinging instrumental music. Regina Carter, following in a line that includes Stuff Smith, Joe Venuti, Stephane Grappelli and Jean-Luc Ponty, is in the front row of the 21st century’s slim but talented class of jazz violinists.

Her performance Tuesday night at Catalina Bar & Grill displayed the skill and eclecticism of her music. Carter has solid classical technique, but she also is firmly grounded in blues roots and jazz textures.

In her interpretation of “Manha de Carnaval,” for example, she played a variety of phrases using double-stop harmonies, climaxing with a rendering of the melody on high-string harmonics. Shifting gears with Lucky Thompson’s “Prelude,” she whipped out a sequence of brightly swinging bop-based phrases.

All of this was delivered with a gorgeous tone, its pliable mobility shifting emphasis easily from one emotional perspective to another.

Carter’s set was further enhanced by a broad selection of material. She also offered Astor Piazzolla’s “Oblivion,” Faure’s “Pavane,” Oriente Lopez’s “Centro Habana” and the ‘40s Glenn Miller swing number “Five O’Clock Whistle.”

That’s a lot broader, far more entertaining range of material than in the typical jazz set. To Carter’s credit, it was performed with a style and accuracy that respected the different genre bases of the material while bringing it firmly into a solid, contemporary jazz orbit.

She was aided immensely by an ensemble: pianist David Budway, bassist Chris Lightcap, percussionist Mayra Casales and drummer Alvester Garnett. They interacted in smooth, near-intuitive fashion with Carter and one another.

Casales, in addition, added some visual emotional seasoning to enhance the sole deficit in Carter’s presentation: a too-modest, even detached stage manner.

It remained, in fact, for Garnett to be the appropriate trigger to stimulate some visual excitement from Carter. The couple, married just a few weeks ago, exchanged musical phrases on “Five O’Clock Whistle” with a passionate energy forecasting a long and stimulating relationship.

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Regina Carter

Where: Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood

When: 8 :30 and 10:30 tonight through Saturday; 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Sunday

Price: $20-$35, with dinner or two-drink minimum purchase

Info: (323) 466-2210