John Jones Music

Finally the first track from the Meninos do Morumbi & Friends album is out on iTunes & CD Baby!

I Love Rock n Roll

I Love Rock N Roll Meninos do Morumbi

The track was a combination of efforts from some great superstar friends,

Stephen Ferrone

Steve Ferrone loving Rock N Roll

Chris Wyse

Chris Wyse on bass

Barnett O’Hara

Barnett O'Hara on Lead Vocal

Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson Rock N Rolling

and Meninos do Morumbi

Meninos do Morumbi on the Rock N Roll bus

The Music is Hope Foundation page has the story of the recording and a link to our cdbaby.com page.

Another old photograph of mine from a trip to Oxford in the 1980s.

Sir Thomas Bodley

Looking up the text on the plaque led me to the story of Sir Thomas Bodley, and his dedication to the opening of the Bodleian Library at Oxford in 1602.

Regarding his great work in restoring Duke Humfrey’s Library,  Sir Thomas said “that he felt well qualified to do this as he possessed four special attributes which would be advantageous: wide learning, wealth, many contacts (“a great store of honorable friends”) and plenty of free time.”

Sunday night, at the Newport Film Festival, we saw a new documentary about the Freedom Writers Diary, “a collection of journal entries written by 150 at-risk students from Long Beach, California, who were once considered ‘unteachable’. Encouraged by teacher, Erin Gruwall, and inspired by Anne Frank, the students discovered a new way of expression and began to care more about history, humanity, and perhaps, most importantly, their futures.”

This incredible story was helped to reality by our Music is Hope Foundation president John Tu.

JJ, composers Daniel Rojas & Andrew Raiher, executive producer John Tu, Erin Gruwall & MIHF's Richard Martinez

In my other life…

At the 112th SCGA Annual Meeting last Tuesday, Rancho Park GC was honored with the first-ever SCGA Foundation President’s Award for its outstanding dedication and commitment supporting junior golf.
John Jones of Rancho Park accepted the award from SCGA Foundation President Ed Holmes, pictured above.

It’s that time of year again in Los Angeles.

Our Rancho Park Golf Club fundraiser for junior golf in Los Angeles and Southern California comes up on October 24.

Click on George for more info about the 5th annual event.

George Von Elm (1901-1961)

A great time was had by all at the historic Asphaltum Springs on the Rancho La Brea on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles this past weekend.

Within footsteps of LACMA and the Page Museum, the many Brazilians in Los Angeles had a party in Hancock Park.

I hung out with my friend Sergio Mielniczenko, who hosts the Global Village Show on KPFK on Fridays (listen to last Fridays show for a new Meninos do Morumbi track I remixed for Music is Hope Foundation), and  the Brazilian Hour on PRSS on weekends.

Here are some photos of the day, including one of me with Carnaval Muse, Sonaria.

The stage, early on.

Great Brazilian food!

Dancers

John Jones, Sergio Mielniczenko & Consul-General Ambassador José Afredo Graça Lima of the Consolate General of Brazil Los Angeles

JJ and Sonaria, the Carnaval Muse.

What a great session with Robert Sarzo last week.

We worked on a new song for Music is Hope’s Meninos do Morumbi album.

Here’s Robert playing his Tyler guitar.

Funk Remix 2011

The second release for Meninos do Morumbi of Sao Paulo is my remix of their song Funk.

Aside from Flavio Pimenta and the students on drums and vocals, I’ve added Steve Ferrone on drum kit with yours truly on bass and keys.

This is the second official release from Music is Hope Foundation, with all proceeds going to fund Meninos do Morumbi in Sao Paulo. Since the school was started over 10 years ago Flavio has brought over 13,000 children, many of them from the Morumbi Favela, through the program.

Please support MIHF and Meninos by purchasing the single and the re-released album through iTunes or from CDbaby.

The first CD from the Music is Hope Foundation is the re-release of the 2006 Meninos Do Morumbi self titled album.

Proceeds from the sale of the CD go to help support the Meninos Do Morumbi school in Sao Paulo.

Over the past 13 years Flavio Pimenta and his Meninos Do Morumbi have educated and fed over 13,000 children, mostly from the Paraisopolis favela in Morumbi, Sao Paulo.

Los Angeles has a Jacaranda season.

This spring they are blooming late and out of sync in our area. It’s probably due to the cooler weather we’ve been having.

May 24, 2011 - Los Angeles California