With a string of platinum albums to his name and 16 Grammy Award nominations, Brian McKnight bursts into town on his Just Me tour. This is his debut performance at Strathmore, a joint presentation by the venue and Blues Alley. “When I put together my fourteenth album, which was released July 12, it was important to remember that people out there are having troubles,” he said. “They’re tired of being dictated to and told what they have to listen to on TV and radio. Every career has its peaks and valleys, so I thought it was a good time to combine new tracks with some of my old songs for the people who want to go back to something meaningful.”

This tour is the first time McKnight and his brother, Claude McKnight, have sung together since they were children. Growing in up a large, musical family in Buffalo, N.Y., they participated in church and school music programs. Claude, five years older, signed a record deal in 1987 and Brian followed suit in 1992.