Posts Tagged ‘Electric Relaxation’

Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival, Day 2: Sound Familiar

Sunday, July 31st, 2016
Jamel Lorick (right) and Tamar Smithers sang with Brownskin in the World Beat Pavilion on Saturday.

Jamel Lorick (right) and Tamar Smithers sang with Brownskin in the World Beat Pavilion on Saturday.

The Brownskin Band did three shows for Day 2 of the Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival last weekend. The band featured several interchangeable members, but we noticed that the trio of Jamel Lorick, Tamar Smithers and TC Carter also formed a nucleus for one of our all time favorite bands from back in the day, Electric Relaxation. We saw ER for the first time at the old OnaJava Cafe. On Saturday Brownskin slowly built an audience inside the World Beat Pavilion until it became a sweatbox, sort of like Electric Relaxation used to do at OnaJava. The more things change, the more they can often sound the same.

Throwback Thursday: Affordable Old School

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Here are some sights and sounds from the former cafe/live music venue/soul-gathering place OnaJava, which was located on the Near Westside.

Some of the guests and performers included David Boykins, Nicole Mitchell, Darryl Dawkins and Steven Daniel.

A Tribute

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Leonard Stephens, Jr.

Leonard Stephens, Jr.

Jonathan Stephens III sent us a tribute to his cousin Leonard Stephens, Jr., who passed away last week.  Leonard was a talented song-writer, producer and a master on the steel pedal guitar.