One Night of Jazz Creates Countless Opportunities in the Arts

For four years, A Night of Jazz with Arts+ has been a night to celebrate the Arts+ mission, highlight current and former students and teachers, and raise money to keep our arts opportunities accessible for everyone.

The 2026 event was no exception! On March 3, a sell-out crowd of nearly 200 art and music lovers gathered at Middle C Jazz in Uptown Charlotte for an incredible evening.

Whether you were there and want to relive the fun, or missed out this year, check out the event highlights below and on our Instagram page.

Event Highlights

Guests started the evening with a warm welcome from Arts+ staff and cocktails, including a Real Good Sax (an espresso martini – Adrian Crutchfield’s signature drink!)

The amazing atmosphere at Middle C sets the stage for a fun evening. Middle C has hosted all four of the Arts+ Jazz events and is a generous partner to Arts+ all year round.

Arts+ Executive Director, Devlin McNeil, kicked off the evening by welcoming guests and thanking our generous sponsors.

Wes Smith, Director of Music Programs, conducted our youngest members of the Charlotte Youth Choir. Harmony Choir students in grades 1-3 sang “Kaleidoscope” and “Man in the Mirror” with confidence and energy.

Then the headliner for the evening, renowned saxophonist Adrian Crutchfield, played through the crowd with his band. Adrian, a former Arts+ student, is a beloved member of the Charlotte music community. His former Arts+ instructor, James Curry; former high school instructor, Jerry Lowe; and his mom, Sandra Demps, were all in attendance to support him and Arts+.

After jamming out for several songs, Adrian invited Arts+ student, Luke, to the stage to play with him. Luke is currently in middle school and attended the event with his parents and his instructor. He had a hunch that he might be invited on stage, but had no idea that he would be leaving the evening with a new saxophone gifted directly from Adrian. This is Luke’s first time owning his own saxophone!

Arts+ exists to serve students just like Luke and we are so proud to celebrate his achievements and the dedication of his parents and teachers.

Adrian and his band wrapped up the evening with more incredible music. Everyone was on their feet and dancing by the end of the night.

Jazz Hands for our Supporters

On top of all the fun we had together, we raised over $145,000 for arts education. Contributions from the event are helping to make the arts more accessible in Charlotte by supporting our robust financial aid program and our beloved outreach programs, including ArtsReach and Project Harmony.

A Night of Jazz was made possible by our generous sponsors:

Whether you attended the event, made a gift, or followed along online from home – thank you! We’re already thinking about how we will make the milestone fifth Night of Jazz event in 2027 an extra-special celebration.