One of my favorite artists to photograph has to be Kirk Whalum. His show always seems to be fresh at every performance. Saturday night's performance was no exception.

Whalum's sibling, his brother Kevin, and vocalist Nicole Henry joined him onstage for the show, which came to Charlotte via The Jazz Diva.

Whalum is on tour after the February release of his latest work, Romance Language, which was recorded in LiveAudio for Jambox, a 3D listening experience that give the listener richer detail and more enhanced sound.

Keyboardist John Stoddart, who had not been on this leg of the tour, surprised Whalum with a last-minute trip into town to watch the performance. Even better, he took the stage, giving the audience an extra treat.