Theron Brown Sextet 
with Open Tone Music

Sunday, June 8, 2025

The Theron Brown Sextet is a dynamic jazz ensemble led by pianist Theron Brown, known for his soulful and inspiring music. Theron’s sound is influenced by gospel, jazz, and soul legends. The sextet features a mix of talented musicians creating a rich and vibrant jazz experience.

June Concert a Celebration of Jazz

The show begins with Shine Like the Sun, a trio of powerful theatrical vignettes from Karamu House—the nation’s oldest producing African American theater. Written by Michael Oatman, these stories illuminate the Black experience through music, art, and resilience:

• No Room at the Inn – Akron’s Matthews Hotel in 1937. A couple’s search for a hotel room becomes a soulful stand for dignity, featuring a moving performance of “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
• Café Society – In a Cleveland nightclub, the Café Tia Juana, past lovers and rising artists cross paths on the eve of a Count Basie concert, where art and memory collide.
• A Place of Our Own – At Lake Glen Country Club right here in Cuyahoga Valley in 1959, painter Charles Sallee is invited to dream bigger in a world built by and for Black excellence.

And don’t miss the Complex Chords exhibition tent—an immersive arts experience exploring Northeast Ohio’s rich jazz legacy.

Register

Carlos Jones and the P.L.U.S. Band
with Shaw High School Marching Band

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Carlos Jones and the P.L.U.S. Band will be rockin’ the house with their unique brand of high energy “put yer dancin’ shoes on” reggae.

Register

Nikki D & The Sisters of Thunder
with Blakk Jakk Dance Collective

Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025

Nikki D & The Sisters of Thunder is a family-based group from Toledo, Ohio. The group is known for their powerfully moving, revival-like performances with beautifully atmospheric vocals riding about a wave of infectious rhythms and grooves. Their unique style is gospel with blues riffs and grooves, all punctuated by Nikki D’s wildly soulful and electrifying steel guitar and raspy, sultry voice.

Register