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.
We can vividly remember tipping into OnaJava about a decade ago to find Darryl Dawkins, aka Chocolate Thunder, chillin’ at the counter. He was a big man with a big personality to match, and helped pave the way for Lebron and Shaq. Dawkins was the first high school player to be drafted to the NBA (1975).
Flautist Nicole Mitchell will return to Syracuse to headline a fundraiser at the Community Folk Art Center next month. She is pictured here from a holiday party at OnaJava about 10 years ago.
A. Travis Reed, aka Renfro Jenkins, performed a Stevie Wonder cover during an open mike night at Transitions 658 on Sunday.
The Sound of Syracuse is alive and well at the new Transitions 658 venue on North Salina Street. We got wind about this joint from one of our friends, and was pleased to see and experience a cadre familiar local musicians letting their hair down and groove everything from Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, Bob Marley, Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton, and even some H-Town last night.
There was also an open mike segment that included some original poetry that reminded us of the musicology served up at the old OnaJava’s Soul Food Sundays.
Omanii Abdullah, poet, educator and businessman (performing at the former OnaJava Cafe)
Syracuse is a city of families. On this Throwback Thursday I want to give some dap to the Grace family. Each summer poet, educator and actor Omanii Abdullah sets up his hot dog stand near my office. He’s as famous for his country-style lemonade as he is for his spoken word performances. Omanii has specials at his stand, and one of my favorites is the Uncle Vince. It’s named for his brother Vincent Grace, who sadly passed away a few years ago. Vincent was a karate master who influenced a generation of fighters here in the city.
Sensei Vincent Grace (training at his studio, which was located on South Salina Street back in the day)
