Fusion at jazz festival

Some of the world’s top performers will bring the best in funk, rhythm and blues and all that jazz to Newport Beach this weekend.

This year’s Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Jazz Festival will kick off today with an 8 p.m. amphitheater show, followed by music on the golf course from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The smooth jazz festival will feature performances by 25 artists.

It will begin with the Sax Pack event in the amphitheater tonight — saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa; saxophonist, composer and producer Kim Waters; and funk master Steve Cole are set to perform.

Saturday on the golf course and grounds, patrons will watch Dave Koz with special guest Peabo Bryson.

Koz is a six-time Grammy nominee and a platinum-selling artist who will receive a walk on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this year. He has performed with everyone from Burt Bacharach to U2. Bryson is known for his rich, almost operatic soul voice.

Also Saturday will be the Jazz Attack program, featuring Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler and Richard Elliot.

Braun, an acclaimed contemporary trumpeter, will be joined in the program by Butler, a South African Grammy-nominated songwriter and guitarist who sees music as his salvation, and Elio, a saxophonist known for his easily accessible groove.

Also onstage will be Warren Hill, a Canadian sax sensation; Grammy award-winner and Latin jazz staple Poncho Sanchez; and Nick Colionne, who combines many genres with his baritone voice. On the lawn stage, DW3 and Oli Silk will perform.

DW3 blends R&B;, old-school funk, dance and Latin grooves; Oli Silk is a twenty-something British composer and keyboardist who is making waves on both sides of the pond.

Sunday, the golf course and festival grounds will feature performances by Jeffrey Osborne, Peter White and Mindi Abair, and Candy Dulfer.

Osborne, a gold- and platinum-selling performer, has been singing since 1969, and has created Top 40 hits like “Don’t You Get So Mad,” “Stay With Me Tonight” and “Love Power,” which he performed with Dionne Warwick.

Dulfer, who has played the sax since she was 6, has recorded with everyone from Van Morrison to Prince, but holds her own as a solo artist and has topped smooth jazz airway charts.

Peter White and Mindi Abair are a guitar and sax duo who represent the next generation of instrumentalists, with thoughtful yet catchy songs.

The Guitars and Sax showcase will feature Euge Groove, Jeff Golub, Jeff Lorber and Jessy J.

Groove, born Steven Eugene Grove, is one of the top saxophonist/songwriters in the industry, with eight straight top-five singles; four have been No. 1 hits.

Golub became known in the 1990s for his blend of jazz, R&B; and pop, and is known for a more edgy vibe.

Lorber spent three decades as the leader of the groundbreaking Jeff Lorber Fusion group, and now collaborates on the keys with Rex Rideout on making pop, jazz, R&B; and blues-influenced tracks.

Jessy J, a USC graduate, performed backup on Michael Buble albums and toured with acts like the Temptations, Jessica Simpson and Michael Bolton. She also appeared off-Broadway in Blast!, but has since developed her solo career and released two albums.

Tim Bowman also will perform.

A national name and jazz magazine darling, Bowman has released a new record full of the breezy hooks his guitar work is known for.

On the lawn stage, the Ronnie Gutierrez Band Featuring Marco Mendoza will be followed by Was (not was), featuring Sweetpea Atkinson, Sir Harry Bowens, Don Was and Randy Jacobs.

Gutierrez, known for his vocal versatility, is the son of saxophonist Tony Gutierrez, a founding member of the Topeka Jazz Workshop. But his mother loved country music, and Gutierrez developed a repertoire of contemporary Christian songs singing at church.

The front main entrance of the hotel will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians; ticket holders are asked to enter from Back Bay Drive. Any overflow parking will be at Corona del Mar High School, with shuttle service available.

No outside food or beverages other than sealed plastic bottles of water will be permitted. Patrons will not be allowed to bring umbrellas, coolers or other large items. Personal cameras will be permitted, but no video or recording devices will be allowed.

A three-day VIP package with reserved seats, a hosted Friday reception and VIP tent access is $225. A package including two days of lawn seating Saturday and Sunday, with room for blankets or low-backed chairs, is $90; a one-day pass for Friday is $45, with provided chairs and reserved seats. A dinner buffet option for the Friday night show, with seats, is $75 per person. One-day Saturday or Sunday open lawn seating is $55 per day.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Jazz Festival

WHEN: Today to Sunday

WHERE: Hyatt Regency Newport Beach, 1107 Jamboree Road

INFO: (949) 729-6400 or summerjazzseries.com