Paganini left his Guarneri violin to the city of Genoa and they have since guarded “Paganini’s Cannon” as a royal family would the crown jewels. The violin is only allowed to come out and play with top soloists and winners of the Paganini competition and, until the other day, only for a classical repertoire. But, as a gesture of friendship between Genoa and New York City, jazz violinist Regina Carter gave a concert on the instrument (NY Times link), despite criticism from certain elitists who complained that “jazz profanation would ‘debase the image of the instrument.'” Carter‘s response: “Paganini was an extraordinary improviser and an innovator. If he were alive today he probably would have said, ‘About time!’ “