Latest news with #Lemons
New York Post
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Inside Brooklyn's ‘unique' jazz haven where Duke Ellington meets viral fame and all ages sit down, enjoy the music: 'It's so special'
Step inside this Bed-Stuy brownstone and you'll swear you've been whisked back to a jazz venue in 1940s Brooklyn. Housed in a 19th-century home with floral drapes, moody lamps and live music, this intimate Victorian parlor revives the borough's storied musical roots — no time machine required. Welcome to BrownstoneJAZZ, the romantic, toe-tapping hot spot that's putting Brooklyn back on the jazz map — and picking up a new generation of fans on Instagram and TikTok in the process. The venue at 107 Macon St. — founded by newly crowned 'jazz hero' Debbie McClain and co-owner and music director Eric Lemons — is part speakeasy, part stage, part black history museum. And every weekend, it transforms into a swinging tribute to the borough's deep jazz legacy. 9 Debbie McClain and Eric Lemons are two lifelong jazz fans who preserve the history of the genre in Bed-Stuy at BrownstoneJAZZ. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post 'Most people who live in Bed-Stuy don't know what was once here. There were major recordings and performances in this neighborhood that impacted the whole musical world,' Lemons told The Post. Inside the performance room, a trio of glowing lamps — one purple, one orange, one green — bathe the 'ballroom,' as McClain calls it, in a mesmerizing, ethereal glow. 9 During a recent performance, Patience Higgins (from left) played saxophone, Yovanne Pierre took to the piano, Lemons held down the bass, Kathryn Farmer delivered vocals, and Bruce Cox kept time on drums. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post Ornate white floral molding lines the walls, flanked by vintage mirrors, tasseled paisley sconces, angel-footed lamps and a framed black-and-white shot of Billie Holiday mid-performance in 1947. With an upright grand piano, double bass, drum set and vinyl records from Scott Joplin to John Coltrane on display, the whole space feels like a jazz lover's dream frozen in time — just how McClain planned it. 'This venue is so unique and special because when you enter it, you feel as if you're stepping back in time,' singer and BrownstoneJAZZ performer Kathryn Farmer told The Post. 9 Singer and violinist Mimi Block performs with Higgins (left) and Pierre. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post On a recent steamy Saturday night, Farmer took the mike alongside a lineup of local legends, which rotate every week — Patience Higgins on sax, Bruce Cox on drums, Yovanne Pierre on piano and Lemons on bass — for a soul-stirring set that had the audience swaying, snapping and erupting into applause after every tune. Farmer dazzled with a riveting take on George Gershwin's 'Summertime,' while singer and violinist Mimi Block later scatted and bowed her way through the blues classic 'I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water' while backed by the band. 'Our performances are a combination of planned songs and improv,' Higgins, who played with Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, told The Post. 'Sometimes we even take audience requests.' That spontaneity, paired with the parlor's plush ambience, creates a spellbinding effect — one that has been taking place for 16 years. Step into the parlor 9 Tucked inside a spruced-up brownstone at 107 Macon St., this Bed-Stuy jazz joint doubles as a stage and a black history museum. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post Born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, McClain grew up tickling the ivories and belting out ballads — performing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and singing with the All-City Schools Choir. BrownstoneJAZZ came to life in 2010 after McClain turned the family home into a bed and breakfast called Sankofa Aban. So it was no surprise when, a year after opening the B&B, she transformed the backyard of the home into a jazz haven, known as Jazz Under the Stars, to honor her and her family's love of the genre. 'Music has always been so important to our family, and so has this brownstone,' said McClain's brother, Arnold McDonald, who helps check tickets and greet guests at each show. McClain met her friend and co-owner, Lemons, when she hired him to play bass for those early backyard sets. 'He actually convinced me to bring the music into the parlor, and 16 years later, here we are,' she told The Post. Now called the BrownstoneJAZZ Weekend Concert Series, McClain and Lemons usually sell out four shows a weekend: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., and Sunday 'after-brunch' sets at 4 and 6 p.m. — with tickets priced at $55.30. 9 Dubbed the BrownstoneJAZZ Weekend Concert Series, McClain and Lemons pack the house every weekend. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post 9 It's been years of velvet chairs, vintage rugs and family portraits setting the mood — but it's the live jazz that keeps guests under its spell. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post It's 'dress-to-impress' but far from stuffy. The venue doesn't serve alcohol or food, so guests BYOBB — that's 'bring your own brown bag' — and sip discreetly while the band plays. What began as a modest open mic has grown into a tightly curated concert room — with McClain and Lemons now booking genre heavy-hitters on the regular, like Higgins, saxophonist and flutist James Spaulding, nine-time Grammy-nominated percussionist Bobby Sanabria, vocalist Carla Cook, and the late trombonist Kiane Zawadi. After a pandemic pause, BrownstoneJAZZ experienced a major resurgence in 2023, thanks to viral buzz and a growing Gen Z fanbase. 'Many of them aren't even huge jazz fans — they just saw a clip on social media and want to feel the energy and hear the music in person,' Lemons told The Post. And once they're inside, he makes sure they leave with more than just a great set. 'Real jazz' in Bed-Stuy 9 Lemons tells audience members about the history of jazz in Bed-Stuy. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post Each night, Lemons delivers a monologue full of jazz history and Bed-Stuy pride. He tells audiences how bebop was born right here, how Lena Horne lived on this street and how the borough rivaled Manhattan's jazz scene with 27 clubs in the '60s. Back then, Bed-Stuy boasted more than 20 bustling jazz joints, Lemons told The Post. Bed-Stuy's jazz roots run deep. The neighborhood once rivaled Harlem with its booming mid-century scene. Legendary jazz drummer Max Roach was raised in Bed-Stuy and helped pioneer the bebop style of jazz. 'They [music historians] always talk about Midtown and Harlem and Manhattan. If you were around in the '40s and wanted to hear real jazz, you'd come to Bed-Stuy.' Today, BrownstoneJAZZ is carrying that torch, being the only Bed-Stuy venue that plays classic 1940s and 1950s-style American jazz. For Lemons, jazz is more than music — it's an American art form, a cultural lifeline, and a story too few have heard. 9 Pierre (left), Lemons and Cox perform to an energetic audience. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post 'It's important,' he told The Post, 'because most people never learn about black excellence and contributions to music in school.' BrownstoneJAZZ, he said, is helping fix that. 'There are very few jazz venues that are still black-owned in New York City like ours is,' Lemons said. 'That tells us we have a lot of work to do in preserving history.' 'Being shared among generations' The work is paying off. Lemons said that 95% of their audience is made up of 'out-of-towners' — from Ohio to Poland to Switzerland — and many discover the venue through social media. 9 Audience members are captivated by the performance. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post 'I heard about BrownstoneJAZZ thanks to my algorithm on Facebook, and my daughter bought me a ticket for my birthday,' H. Bosh Jr., an audience member, told The Post. 'I drove four hours to get here, from just outside of Schenectady. I love jazz, and this was so worth it.' McClain sees it, too. 'This set is even younger than the last set,' she said as concertgoers trickled in for the 9:30 p.m. Saturday show. McClain and Lemons are proud of the show they put on — especially when they witness audience members absorbing the energy 'we've been feeling for years,' Lemons told The Post. 'When they actually listen, put their phones down and focus on our music, it's so special,' he said. 'Sometimes I'll see younger people in the audience return for more shows with their older family members, and that's so meaningful to me — to see jazz being shared among generations.'
Sharjah 24
16-07-2025
- Business
- Sharjah 24
SCCI finalises preparations for 9th Al Dhaid Date Festival
To feature extensive participation from palm farmers and date producers from across the UAE This year's edition will feature extensive participation from palm farmers and date producers from across the UAE, alongside government entities, private agricultural organisations, and home-based businesses. One of the most important economic, heritage-themed, and agricultural events annually Al Dhaid Date Festival is one of the most important economic, heritage-themed, and agricultural events annually organised by the Sharjah Chamber. It focuses on promoting palm cultivation by encouraging farmers to implement advanced agricultural practices to enhance palm tree protection and date quality, thereby contributing to the UAE's food security and sustainable agricultural growth. Multiple competitions This year's festival will feature multiple competitions with substantial prizes allocated to winners, categorised into major segments, including 'Ratb (Date) Beauty' Contest, 'Best Lemons', 'Fig Contest', 'Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty' Contest for children, and a homegrown date competition (only for women). The festival will host a variety of cultural and heritage-themed activities Furthermore, the festival will host a variety of cultural and heritage-themed activities, as well as a series of workshops focused on modern agricultural methods and palm tree care. These events aim to foster agricultural innovation and drive the adoption of advanced agricultural techniques to increase productivity and improve product quality. Aligns with Sharjah's strategic vision In his remarks, His Excellency Mohammad Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI, emphasised that the festival aligns with Sharjah's strategic vision of promoting sustainable food security through agriculture that combines inherited traditions with modern technologies. A vital platform to support agricultural growth in Sharjah 'Al Dhaid Date Festival serves as a vital platform to support agricultural growth in Sharjah, enabling hundreds of farmers to adopt best practices, innovate, and engage in knowledge-sharing with investors and young entrepreneurs. This contributes to economic empowerment, promotes palm cultivation as a strategic crop, and strengthens Al Dhaid's position as a leading agricultural and tourism destination,' he added. The festival will commence on July 23 with the 'Best Lemons', 'Fig Contest' and 'Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty' competitions, to be followed by the 'Khneizi Dates Beauty Contest' on July 24 and 'Al-Khalas Dates Beauty Contest' on Friday, July 25. On Saturday, July 26, the festival will host the 'Shishi Dates' competition, while the festival's concluding day (Sunday, July 27), will announce the winners of both the 'General Dhaid Elite Dates' and the 'Northern Emirates Dhaid Elite Dates' competitions. The Organising Committee of Al Dhaid Date Festival has set a few general conditions and specific terms for participation in dates competitions of this year's edition. These include using locally produced dates for the 2025 season that are only grown in the participants' own farms. Participants must also present dates that are at an optimal ripeness stage. The dates should be free from insect infestations, dead insects, or any apparent defects, weigh 4kg, and be presented in a traditional basket, with specific conditions applying to elite categories and the lemon and fig contests. Participation in the home-grown dates competition is limited to women from the Northern Emirates, while the children competition is restricted to participants from Sharjah's Central Region, to maximize community engagement and promote inclusivity.
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Pastor stole $200,000 from church as its leader was ‘near death,' CA officials say
A pastor stole $200,000 from his church as its leader was dying and spent it on personal expenses, California prosecutors say. Now, Curtis Frank Lemons, 68, has been sentenced to two years in prison, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said in a June 27 news release. In a June 30 email to McClatchy News, Lemons' attorney, Amber Gordon, declined to comment about his sentencing. While Lemons served as an assistant pastor with a Christian Baptist church in Oxnard, he wrote himself a cashier's check for $200,000 from the church's bank account in December 2020, prosecutors said. At the time, 'the patriarch of the Church was near death,' and the COVID-19 pandemic had started just months earlier, Senior Deputy District Attorney Howard Wise said in the release. Over the next four months, Lemons spent the money on personal expenses, 'including dental work, airline tickets, a vehicle, a new cell phone, and property in Tennessee,' prosecutors said. When Oxnard police detectives later spoke to Lemons about the church's missing funds, he said 'he gave the money to charity,' according to prosecutors. This, however, was determined to be untrue, prosecutors said. Lemons' sentence comes after he pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including grand theft and money laundering, prosecutors said. 'This is a sad case. Mr. Lemons stole from a vulnerable victim at a vulnerable time …' Wise said, adding that Lemons 'made a terrible decision but has accepted responsibility for his significant theft.' In addition to prison, 'Lemons was ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution to the church,' prosecutors said. Oxnard is about a 60-mile drive northwest from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Military statue in Paramount vandalized days before Memorial Day
LOS ANGELES - Just days before Memorial Day, a military statue in Paramount was vandalized. What we know Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons said items were stolen from the 'Battlefield Cross and Soldier' display at the Paramount Armed Forces Memorial in the Civic Center. She told FOX 11 that she and her granddaughter were walking in the area when she noticed the vandalized statue. The life-size memorial shows a soldier kneeling, paying tribute to a fallen soldier. A gun and the fallen soldier's hat make up the cross. Lemons said the suspect(s) took the gun and hat. She also said an old vacuum was left behind. With Memorial Day around the corner, this act of crime hits specifically hard for the military community. "This was a very thoughtless, cruel, disrespectful thing to do to the military families in this community," Lemons said. "If you realized what you've done and how many people you've hurt, how many families are taking this personally that you would be so disrespectful of the men and women who literally laid down their lives for your freedom, then bring it back, leave it here. Call us and let us know it's here." Lemons said the city plans to repair the statue, but unfortunately, it won't be ready in time for the planned Memorial Day service. "They are a little bit broken-hearted. I have made pleas, always in these situations, someone knows something. And so I have asked the community, if you know anything, you can reach out on our social media, call the sheriff's department and leave an anonymous tip," Lemons added. The statue was recently installed in November 2024. What we don't know No description of the suspect(s) was given. Lemons believes whoever stole the items might sell or melt the metal for money. What you can do Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the LASD Lakewood Station at (562) 623-3500.
CBC
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
This deepsea diver was cut off from his air supply for half an hour. He survived
Chris Lemons says the day of the accident that would nearly claim his life started like any other. "It was very much a normal day at the office," Lemons told The Current 's Matt Galloway. For him, "the office" was the ocean floor, where he spent six hours each day working as a saturation diver servicing offshore oil rigs. Saturation divers live for days to weeks at a time in pressurized chambers in order to stay at the same, very extreme pressure that exists at the bottom of the ocean. This particular job found him in the middle of the North Sea, working on a large structure called an oil manifold to remove a section of pipeline some 100 metres below the surface. Lemons was inside the manifold when alarms started blaring over his communication line to the main ship. The supervisor in command of the three-person dive team told Lemons and his colleagues to get back immediately to the diving bell — a piece of equipment attached to the ship that transports the crew between the boat and the ocean floor. "You could just tell from the tone of his voice that this was something fairly … serious," Lemons said. "I don't remember really calculating what was going on, but you could tell something was afoot." Topside, a malfunction in the ship's computer system had caused the captains to lose control of the vessel. Massive waves and winds blew the vessel off course, effectively dragging the dive bell and the divers, who are attached to the bell by a 45-metre "umbilical cord" that supplies them life-giving heat and breathable air. In the chaotic moments that came next, Lemons' umbilical cord snapped, leaving him stranded without air. He eventually lost consciousness and was without oxygen for about half an hour — yet by a confluence of lucky breaks, good training and science, he walked away unscathed. The dramatic tale has since been turned into a documentary and, most recently, a feature film called Last Breath, starring Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole and Cliff Curtis. Running out of air on the ocean floor Lemons was working underwater with his colleague, David Yuasa, at the time the alarms sounded. Both men were able to swim out of the manifold, but Lemons quickly realized his cord had snagged on a section of the manifold and he was unable to get free. The stuck diver felt the tension on his cable grow and grow as the ship continued to drift in the rough swell above him. "All of a sudden … I'd become an anchor, basically, to an 8,000 tonne vessel," Lemons said. "And obviously there's only going to be one winner in that situation." Yuasa saw Lemons struggling and tried to swim back toward him. But Yuasa reached the end of his cable just short of Lemons. The two divers shared one final look before the still out-of-control boat yanked Yuasa away from his colleague and into the darkness of the deep sea water. Alone, Lemons says his ever-stretching umbilical cord started giving out. He opened the valve to a spare air tank carried on his back. The reserve would help Lemons breathe for an additional eight or nine minutes, he says, though he knew he'd be in trouble after that. Lemons' umbilical cord finally snapped under the pressure like "a shotgun going off," he recalls. The force sent him tumbling off the top of the manifold, a few metres down to the very bottom of the ocean floor. He says he knew his life was "on a clock" at that point. Consumed by panic, the lone diver climbed back up on top of the oil structure in the pitch dark and scoured the surface for <> the boat. It was nowhere to be seen. In that seminal moment, Lemons says he realized nobody was around to save him — and saving himself wasn't an option. "That had a strangely calming effect, I think, knowing that I couldn't do much to help myself," Lemons said. "I resigned myself quite quickly to the fact that this was probably going to be … the place that I die." Lemons lay down in the fetal position on top of the structure, where he knew he had the best odds of being found by Yuasa should they circle back for him. In what he thought would be his final moments, he reflected on his short 32 years of life and all of the things he'd never do — like travel, own a house, or have children. He imagined his parents being informed of his death, and how strange it would be to die in such an alien environment. "I grew up in a sort of middle class family in Cambridge, you know; how've I ended up dying in this dark, lonely place?" Lemons remembers thinking. His breathing became difficult and shortly after, Lemons lost consciousness. By the time the crew was able to regain control of the vessel, circle back to the dive site, send a driverless submarine with a camera called a ROV down to locate Lemons and then have Yuasa perform the rescue, the diver had been severed from his umbilical for about half an hour. That's more than enough time to cause lasting brain damage, if not death — both of which can happen in a matter of minutes. Lemons isn't much of a believer in luck or miracles, he says, but this case might fit the bill. "I use the word [luck] quite casually, I think, but yeah, it's hard to deny that," Lemons said. "I certainly feel lucky." Science and precision, not luck Jochen Schipke, a now-retired professor of physiology in Germany who co-authored a case report on how Lemons survived the ordeal, doesn't use the word luck. He says it was a matter of "perfection." Lemons would have used more of his available air right after his cable was severed, when he was feeling panicked and had to climb back on top of the manifold, according to Schipke. But once Lemons resigned himself to dying, Schipke says his breathing would have been very calm, allowing the trapped diver to extend his supply. The divers were also breathing a mixture of helium and oxygen called heliox, which allows them to maintain proper pressure on the ocean floor. Schipke says helium cools the body, and its use is why Lemons' body temperature had dropped to about 27 degrees Celsius by the time he was back in the bell. The body uses less oxygen at colder temperatures, according to Schipke, so this factor would have helped stretch Lemons' limited reserves even further. The crew's training was important, too, according to the researcher. Lemons was in fantastic physical shape and had 10 years of experience under his belt, while Yuasa, the ROV operator and other crew members all acted quickly and with precision to rescue Lemons. "This was close to perfection. Not so much luck," Schipke said. "This was training. This was knowledge. This was experience." Be it by luck, science, perfection or any other factor, Lemons says he is simply glad to be alive. No great epiphanies or life changes came from the incident, he says — aside from maybe a "more acute awareness" of death. "I've found that life takes over, really," Lemons said. "Things are quickly forgotten and you move on and the … banalities of existence suddenly take over." Within three weeks of the accident, he was back to work as a diver — a job he went on to do for 10 more years. These days, Lemons gives talks about his story at conferences. He also still works in the industry, but as a dive supervisor instead.
