As Newport Beach Jazz Festival returns, Brian McKnight talks coming back to its stage

R&B singer-songwriter Brian McKnight’s return to the annual Subaru Newport Beach Jazz Festival at the Hyatt Regency in Newport Beach on June 5 will be an extra special occasion.

Not only is he excited to hit the stage and perform new music off his latest “Exodus” album, as well as hits like “Back at One” and “Anytime,” but the show also happens to fall on his 53rd birthday.

“It’s always great to perform at that venue down there,” McKnight said during a recent phone interview. “But it’s actually my birthday that day. So it’s interesting because for most of my career, I rarely have a show on my birthday, so it’s an extra added treat.”

The Newport Beach Jazz Festival postponed its 25th anniversary in 2020 due to the pandemic and instead celebrated that milestone in October 2021. Eight months later, the festival is back on track and taking place June 3-5.

“The event has always been in June,” NBJF promoter and Omega Events president Rich Sherman said during a separate interview. “It was really important for us to come back to that timeframe, but we did have tremendous success last October and we feel very fortunate that we were able to pivot to that.”

The 26th installment kicks off with a sold-out VIP performance by Marion Meadows and Alex Bugnon on June 3 in the Hyatt’s 1,000-seat Back Bay Amphitheatre. The event then migrates down to the sprawling grassy grounds of the Back Bay Golf Course June 4-5.

Saturday’s performances include CeeLo Green, who will honor the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, with his Soul Brotha #100 tribute show, as well as Eric Benét, Peter White, Vincent Ingala, Morgan James, Kim Scott and Four80East. Brian Culbertson leads Sunday’s lineup, which also includes McKnight, Marcus Miller, DW3, Lindsey Webster, Adam Hawley, Phil Denny and Derek Bordeaux.

Early on in his career, McKnight said he remembered hearing about the Newport Beach Jazz Festival as other artists described it as having a good vibe and a unique location with ocean views. He’s performed at the festival several times but hasn’t been back since 2014 when he played alongside R&B superstar Chaka Khan and jazz saxophonist Dave Koz.

“I’d heard about it and I always wanted to play there,” he recalled. “So now, having played there, it’s really kinda cool and nostalgic. It’s an event that’s been going on for such a long time and it’s a staple in that part of the country that people really do look forward to every year.”