Theron Brown: The Ambassador of Akron Jazz

Theron Brown sits down for an oral history at Stone Cottage in 2023. NPS / Arrye Rosser

Theron Brown is an accomplished jazz pianist and a leader in arts community of Akron, Ohio. He founded the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival to cultivate the city’s unique sound and honor its jazz history. Theron is developing the next generation of musicians by teaching jazz as an assistant professor at The University of Akron. He has toured nationally and internationally, and also performs blues, gospel, and soul. Theron is a familiar face at Happy Days Lodge, regularly playing at Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park events.

In 2023, we conducted an oral history with Theron as part of the multi-partner Green Book Cleveland project. He shared his childhood inspirations, expansive career, and hopes for the future of Akron jazz. His insights into Northeast Ohio jazz history give context to the Cabin Club and Lake Glen, two jazz and blues clubs located in Cuyahoga Valley during the mid-1900s.

Growing Up With Music

Theron was born in 1986 to Terrence and Denise Brown. His parents met when Terrence moved from Youngstown, Ohio to Akron. Denise was already living in Akron, having come from Clayton, Alabama, as a teenager. When they married, Terrence and Denise settled in Zanesville, Ohio, where Theron grew up. Terrence is the pastor at the Greater Apostolic Church of Christ. As a young child, Theron was fascinated by the gospel music all around him.

A Preacher’s Kid

Theron Brown describes how his interest in playing music began at church as a young child.

Credit / Author:
NPS

Date created:
02/26/2024

My father’s a pastor and that’s where I first got my musical sensibility—was hearing music at church. My mother would sing at home. We had a piano at home as well. So, being a PK as they call them—a preacher’s kid, we were at church every day of the week, pretty much. And I would get bored sometimes and just mess around on instruments even from being a toddler.

Theron’s church launched his musical journey. There, he learned to play by ear, starting on drums at age five and moving to piano three years later. “And I was bold back then. If there was a keyboard or piano, I’m going up to it. . . Everyone would encourage me to.” By age eight, he was performing as part of the services. “We had really good musicians at church,” recalled Theron. Theron’s motivation increased when a seven-year-old Kenny Banks joined his congregation. “I remember hearing him. . . . I was like ‘there’s a kid my age that’s playing all these cool songs.’ I didn’t know it could be this fulfilling. . . . He’d show me some stuff and I’d bring my own thing to it. Man, Kenny Banks—now he’s big time! He’s playing all around the world.”

Meanwhile, Theron’s main instrument at school was the viola, which he studied from grades 4–12. He learned to play classical music and popular songs. During his senior year, a high school teacher changed Theron’s life by introducing him to the music of a jazz legend. Theron switched direction and spent the following summer learning the ways of jazz piano.

The Guiding Genius of Thelonius Monk

Theron Brown’s first jazz hero was the innovative pianist Thelonius Monk (1917-82).

Credit / Author:
NPS

Date created:
02/26/2024

Initially, I was going to go for viola. I got a scholarship to Ohio State but my senior year I had a teacher for what was called String Fling, which was a week camp that we did, and he heard me. I would play piano before rehearsals and he heard me. The second day he was like, “Hey, have you ever thought about getting into jazz? You’re playing some nice chords.” [I said] no way—that’s the devil’s music. I’m a church boy. But he ended up bringing me a book, which I still have to this day, and a CD. It was a Thelonius Monk book. It had all of his songs in it, written out with jazz cords and the melodies. And then the CD had a lot of the songs that he recorded, so I could listen to them. But the most important part was reading about Thelonius’ life, and I could relate to it. So, I started dabbling and next thing you know that summer I did my auditions on jazz piano.

First Breaks

Theron auditioned for The University of Akron’s jazz studies program and was accepted in 2005. He said, “The cool thing was that since I had my church background, I was able to play at churches up here. So that was instant employment for me. You know, it was like a circuit. . . I was like, ‘Dad, yeah, what churches can I play at’ and he gave me a few. Talked to the pastors and I had a gig. And that was key for me . . . first time me moving out of the house . . . I don’t know what I’m doing. The church like grounded me. . .” His church wanted to keep him in Akron over the summer. They got him an apartment and paid him a salary during his freshman, sophomore, and junior years. “So with that, I was still able to engulf myself in the scene. Be able to practice. Stay focused in the summer.”

A second break came during Theron’s early college years. An older student, Josh Rzepka, took him out one weekend to “meet all the cats here in Akron and Cleveland.” Theron sat in and played as he jumped between spots. The next thing he knew, people were calling him for gigs. “That’s when it exploded.” Theron played close to every night and sometimes two or three gigs in a day. It could be a private party, a wedding, or a country club. Theron explained, “There weren’t a lot of piano players, especially not young people. . . . The community was so surrounding . . . ‘That’s the next generation.’ They wanted you to have the support.” On his best nights, he could make up to $700 with tips. “As a 20-year-old, that was great!”

Theron explained how he got a memorable gig playing Cleveland Cavaliers home games. It was when LeBron James was with the team. The job lasted two years. “I think that band was just up for another keyboard player. . . . I had played with every musician who plays in that band. They were like, “Oh, you’ve got to get Theron.’ That is literally how I get every gig. It’s through a connection. Somebody heard me. Somebody knows me. . . . Yeah, it’s just recommendation.”

Playing for LeBron’s Cavaliers

From about 2008–10, Theron joined a pop-rock band called Cat Walk Blue that performed at Cleveland Cavaliers home games. The opportunity ended when LeBron James left Cleveland to play for the Miami Heat.

Credit / Author:
NPS

Date created:
02/26/2024

I was in a band called . . . Cat Walk Blue. . . . and we got to play every home game. And that was amazing. That was when the Cavs were just—you know, it was popping up there. We played every home game and sometimes we played like a half-time show. But mostly it would be right before the game starts. . . . We’re playing songs getting people, like, hyped up and everything. We had a sax player, vocalist, bass, drums, guitar, and keys. I was on keyboards. And that was just the best because I could play that gig, and, if I wanted to, I could stay and watch the game. They had all this food set up for us that we had access to and drinks, of course. Or I could book another gig and make some more money. Because that gig would be over by like—tip off is usually around 7:30/8 o’clock. I could run and play something else in Cleveland. . . . But when LeBron left, that’s when that gig left.

As a young pianist, Theron learned a lot playing with an older generation of musicians in the Howard Street Blues Band. Band leader Howard “Sonny” Robertson (who passed away in 2016) became a mentor. “He was an important name in Akron. But he was hard on me. Some of those gigs would only pay like $25–75,” Theron remembered ruefully. The prominent Akron-based band was named after the city’s historic Black business district that included multiple jazz clubs during the 1940s–60s.

Having Mentors

Theron Brown recalled being in his early 20s and playing with seasoned local musicians such Howard “Sonny” Robinson.

Credit / Author:
NPS

Date created:
02/26/2024

My gosh, if I didn't have that time to experience and be mentored by older folks in the scene that’s been around. And just raw—ok do it. I’m learning at school, but also at night I’m in school again. That’s how I think my playing got better, faster.

Reflecting on what attracted him to jazz, Theron said, “Initially I thought, oh, you know I’m going to be a church player. I want to be the best gospel organist . . . If I get the jazz stuff, I can add this into my gospel playing. Which is why I always say I ended up staying in the dark side. Tasted the wine and couldn’t leave. . . . But honestly, I see it as all the same thing. What I ended up finding in jazz was expression. I fulfilled, like, that void.” Through jazz, he made friends and earned money. “It was a progression of just: ‘Wow! I love this, I love this, I love this.’”

Teaching, Touring, and Acting

While juggling college and performing, Theron also began to teach, starting in summer 2005. “At the time I could barely read music, so it was practice for me teaching these little kids how to play piano. So, I started at Firefly Music School. From there, I would start going up to other places . . . I started doing these little clinics at high schools and things. . . . I did Tri-C Jazz Camp—that’s when I really got hooked on teaching.”

Helping Students Find Their Voice

Theron Brown reflects on what he wants to accomplish as a music teacher. Over the years, he has taught in a variety of settings. These have included private lessons in his home, at schools, at summer camps, and at the university level.

Credit / Author:
NPS

Date created:
02/26/2024

. . . Seeing the students blossom into their own. Because I like to teach things, but I never want a student to sound like me. I want them to be able to find their voice. And when that happens—when it starts to happen which is from the beginning—that’s the part I love! . . . The biggest challenge is them having faith through the process. . . . If you’re being challenged that means you’re learning. You are never going to lose. You either win or you learn. With those two things, you are always going to get better. So don’t be afraid of what we think is failure.

As an upperclassman, Theron suddenly found himself between a rock and a hard place. He realized that he had earned too many credits at The University of Akron. He would need to pay out-of-pocket to graduate. At the same time, his beloved maternal grandmother died. Driving back from her funeral in Alabama, “I got the call that ‘hey yeah, you’ve been recommended for the Glen Miller Orchestra.’ Ok, well when does it start? ‘Ah, next week. Do you have a passport?’ No, but I think I want to do this.” He promised his parents that he’d go back and finish his degree at some point. Within about a week, his uncle took him to Detroit to get a passport. “They sent the music. I remember practicing in the car.” Theron’s dad dropped him off in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he joined the tour. The present Glen Miller Orchestra has been on the road since 1956. For a whirlwind year, from 2010–11, Theron toured the United States, Canada, and Japan as their youngest member. The famous big band performed their distinct jazz sound in a different city every day or two.

Afterward, Theron spent a year based in New York and working as the musical director on a steamboat that cruised the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. They produced themed shows that told the story of the towns they visited. American author and humorist Mark Twain was a popular inspiration.

Theron returned to Akron in 2012 to settle down with his fiancé (now his wife) and finish his degree. He earned a bachelor of music in jazz studies that year. Now Theron has developed a multi-faceted career. In 2022, Theron earned a master of music in piano performance. That same year, he and saxophonist Chris Coles were hired as professors to rejuvenate the music school’s jazz program. He also serves as the artist coordinator for the I Promise School, an innovative Akron public school supported by the LeBron James Family Foundation. Their artist residency program is managed by Curated Storefront. The school serves children who are most at risk for dropping out. Theron continues to perform with a wide array of ensembles. These have included the Cleveland Orchestra, the Akron Symphony, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Hollywood Calls

Theron Brown describes how he came to be cast as a young Herbie Hancock in the 2016 Miles Davis biopic, Miles Ahead.

Credit / Author:
NPS

Date created:
02/26/2024

Again, I’m still trying to figure it out, but it was just a recommendation. I thought it was fake at first. I was on a gig with Peter White who’s a smooth jazz guitarist. It was an all-day sound check and long gig. So, I took the break during the day and went out, checked my phone, and it was this producer saying that I’d been recommended to play Herbie Hancock in a movie and could you give me a call back. We want to set up an audition with you. I was like—which one of my buddies is messing with me right now? But it was an LA number . . . I called and sure enough, it was legit. But they needed me to audition like the next week. I was going on vacation with my family to Myrtle Beach . . . I called the guy back and was like, ‘ok obviously you guys looked me up and stuff. Is there like a chance that I’ll get this cause I’m going on vacation with my girlfriend?’ ‘Dude, this is a Don Cheadle movie! You should audition. You have a really good chance.’ I was like—ok, I’m going to do this. So, cut our vacation short, went to Cincinnati. Had to play a couple songs and like read a couple lines from a script. And yeah, they called me back and said I got the part. . . . So, it was totally random. I have no clue how I got the gig, but I’m super grateful.

Founding the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival

For Theron, there is one accomplishment that gives him the most pride. Its seed was planted in 2013–14. That was when the Knight Foundation began including Theron in their initiative to strengthen Akron arts and culture. Theron and other community leaders took trips to other Knight Arts Challenge cities. He was impressed by the scale and impact of the Detroit Jazz Festival and Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival. This inspired Theron to start Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival in 2015 with funding from the Knight Foundation. For him, preserving Akron’s rich jazz history is not merely nostalgia. It is about acknowledging the cultural significance and the artistic contributions that still exist in the city. The festival creates opportunities for emerging as well as seasoned musicians to perform. He wants to launch careers. Theron articulated this message to community leaders in an inspiring 2023 Akron Roundtable talk.

A Vision for the Future

Theron Brown describes how the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival is defining Akron’s place within the national jazz scene.

Credit / Author:
NPS

Date created:
02/26/2024

Telling the story of here, of Akron and its musicians, so always putting them at the forefront. But also, the festival having its own flavor which I think it has that because of the people involved. It’s ran by musicians here. It’s attended by people here that love this jazz community. And as long as we keep that spirit of it being unique—I like how Howard Parr says it: ‘Authenticity matters.’ That’s my dream, is for that to just morph to where it’s so different from Pittsburgh or Detroit or Newport or New Orleans. You know, it’s Akron, super Midwest. What is that? So that’s my dream—also the other dream is probably for me to be able to take a step back and let the engine run bigger than what my imagination has for it. So, I’m hoping we can set it up for some young folks to take it over and really come up with some cool ideas.

Learn More

Theron Brown’s maternal grandfather, Monroe Friar, was from Alabama. He would go to bars and sit in, playing the blues. Theron never met Monroe and doesn't know what he sounded like. Nevertheless, Theron carries on this family legacy through his own music.

Explore how the roots of African American music in the South have had a profound impact on American music as a whole.

Watch a video of Theron Brown playing as the featured guest on Applause Performances, recorded in 2019 by Ideastream Public Media.

Check the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival website for current dates.

Theron reaches underserved school and community audiences through Open Tone Music, an Akron nonprofit.

“Jazz Arrives in Northeast Ohio” provides an overview of our region’s jazz history, including Black night clubs in Cuyahoga Valley. Visit Green Book Cleveland to explore research on additional venues. We also recommend Cleveland Jazz History by Joe Mosbrook. A free digital format is available on Cleveland State University’s website.

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