by S. Rotan Hale
Saxophonist extraordinaire, Adrian Crutchfield returned to Roanoke for a one-night-only show Friday, June 30 at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center.
Everyone was “dressed to the nines” at the sold-out affair that was in recognition of the Presidential Ball, honoring fellow Roanoker Michael Hamlar of Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home who has been president of the Virginia Morticians’ Association since 2021.
Adrian, known as a multi-genre artist, started playing saxophone at the age of four and has evolved into a powerhouse as he leads his heavy-hitting quartet on tour nationwide.
He is a master with a style all his own and has performed with many of the best in the business as Lionel Richie, Ceelo Green, Anthony Hamilton, and most recently famed guitarist Johnathan Butler and others just to name a few.
However many consider his greatest claim to fame as his 4 years with the legendary R&B artist Prince with whom he played and recorded some of the superstar’s most popular works until his death in 2016.
“Although I went back to college (Florida State Univ.) I never really appreciated school because I feel the experience is the best teacher,” he said to the crowd after calling his family members close to the stage. “Hanging out with Prince was the best education I could get anywhere.”
His speech led to the news of his receiving an honorary Doctorate in Music from The Sacramento Theological Seminary and Bible College presented to him by Mike Hamlar.
Adrian opened the show with tunes from his most recent album “Lover” – first playing a song entitled “Know Your Heart.” It was a tribute to Kenny G who he credits for boosting his career.
His amazing story began when he received a saxophone from the famed jazz artist during a concert in Roanoke. It’s a story worth telling as Adrian typically does – interjecting stories between songs during his shows and this night was no exception.
“Kenny G saw me and thought wow there is a kid in the audience and he stopped the show, had my family bring me to the stage where he gave me my first real saxophone,” Adrian reflected.
Another story he told was about when he was asked to play the National Anthem at a basketball game. Adrian insisted on playing an alternate version of the anthem in response to his feelings regarding a recent injustice that had occurred during that time.
Against the wishes of those in charge, he began to play his version of the anthem that merges into the Negro National Anthem. The stage manager at the game along with security guards headed to stop him and were held back by the ballplayers and the crowd that applauded his spirited rendition. Thus he continued to play to the crowd’s delight.
Telling the story, Adrian wove the song into his account of that momentous performance and brought the “ball” crowd to its feet as well.
The show was filled with high energy and Adrian as front-man pushed his trusty backup band through the night. At one point he pulled out a lyrical (aka EWI) – a flute-like instrument that electronically synthesizes the human voice on which he played several familiar R&B crowd favorites. Adjusting his intonation he played a bit of Computer Love by ZAPP and later slipped into SWV’s “Weak,” and the party was on as Roanoke’s very own Prince protégée rocked this extraordinary night elevating the Presidential Ball.
