Lotus Crush Mastering

April 28th, 2010 § 0 comments § permalink

We just finished mastering tracks for the upcoming Lotus Crush EP at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood.

After a chat with Bernie about the history of musician’s getting the short end of the stick from record and film companies over the decades, I spent the rest of the evening working with Larry and Jimmy on Lotus Crush.

JJ, Jimmy and Larry - Lotus Crush mastering

A bit later we popped into another studio and I finally got my picture taken with Mike Bozzi, who mastered my black n white album with Jimmy last year!

JJ, Mike Bozzi and Jimmy

What a great studio!

I had to have my photo taken in front of the hit record wall!

JJ has a lot of hits behind him (quoted from "How to pun your way to success")

Steve Ferrone’s 60th Birthday!

April 27th, 2010 § 0 comments § permalink

What an amazing time we all had in old Pasadena thanks to Jason and Alan and Becky and everyone who helped to get so many great friends from all over the world together to celebrate Stephen’s 60th birthday.

Steve and the Band

The list of friends who came to play included Nathan East, Greg Phillinganes, David Pack, Brian Auger, Alex Ligertwood, Benmont Tench, David Garfield, Malik Pointer, Steve Postell, Danny Halperin, Tim Scott and many others.

Brian Auger and John Jones

Songs included Josie and the Biggest Part of Me and some very serious funk!

David Pack, Nathan, Steve & the band

I managed to commandeer the piano in the sitting room for the gentle after hours show. After a few Beatles and Beach Boys numbers we floated back to earth. Happy Birthday Steve!

Becky and Steve

2010 ASCAP Expo, Hollywood, CA

April 23rd, 2010 § 0 comments § permalink

The signage.

Frank Oglethorpe (Prism Media), Maurice Patist (PMC Speakers) & John Jones

Casey Young, Tommy Vicari, Frank, Maurice, David Isaac and John Jones

Palm Springs & Liberace

April 15th, 2010 § 0 comments § permalink

Where else in the world can you bask in 80 degree weather while looking up at snow on the mountains?

While walking around old Palm Springs (replica of El Mirador tower above) looking at the old mansions of the 1950’s we came across the former home of super star entertainer Liberace

Here in the former monastery where Liberace died in 1987, his room mate has finally sold the house and last weekend it was time to sell much of what was left of the contents in an estate sale.

Below shows the back courtyard surrounded by small rooms for the Nun’s.

The piano shaped pool was in Encino, not here.

Here is a video tour of the house from youtube:

I Cried all night! McCartney at the Bowl

April 2nd, 2010 § 0 comments § permalink

We saw Paul McCartney and his band at the Hollywood Bowl a few nights ago thanks to our friends’ Julia and Brian Ray (who plays guitar & bass in the band). We had fantastic seats and ‘meet the band passes’, but we arrived a bit too late to enjoy them. Hollywood crawls to a halt when there’s a big show at the bowl and it took us over an hour to get there from our apartment which is less than 4 miles away!

But it was magic! And Paul played for three hours! I don’t know how he or anyone can sing for that long. He must have sung 25 or 30 songs! He was outstanding! It was so inspiring. He is a fantastic musician and singer on top of the wonderful song writer arranger and producer that he’s been for almost 50 years!

I dedicate my song Awesome to him in perpetuity!

Here is an iPhone shot of the fireworks during Live and Let Die! I was afraid to bring my camera (git)!

It’s times like this that I remember how much music means to me. Thanks Paul!

My favorite song of the night? Something. He played it on a ukulele that George gave to him years ago. How emotional can it get. And George died in Paul’s house, which is only a couple of miles from the bowl.

PJ Flanders II fundraiser at Malibu Country Club

March 28th, 2010 § 0 comments § permalink

What a great week in Los Angeles. We’ve had unbelieveable weather. 70’s for days. Everything is green. The Jasmine is out. The Sycamores are two weeks into leafing. The air smells sweet. What more can you ask?

This past Friday, the 8th Annual Patrick J. Flanders II memorial charity golf tournament was played at Malibu Country Club. Raising awareness of the problem of Driving Under the Influence the event honors Patrick junior and all of our families and friends who have suffered the tragedy that drinking and driving causes.

After the tournament I performed Jealous Guy and Norwegian Wood with Herman on acoustic guitar and harmonies. We were followed by our AWAKE Community team leader, the brilliant Emily Richards on piano & vocal. Emily was wearing a neck brace covered by a scarf due to some overzealous head stands on the beach in La Jolla recently!

The 2010 Awake Community golf team – J.B. Jones, Dale Richards, Bob Jones & Mike Folkerds

The flowers at the back of the second green were beautiful. The camera cannot do it justice.

ESP was Awesome!

March 23rd, 2010 § 0 comments § permalink

Woodbine & 16th, ESP Studios 1981

Click the photo to go to a page I put up some years ago of ESP Studios in Buttonville, Canada.

Along with Dee Long, Frank Watt, Noel, John Clarke, our families and many friends, we we managed to record and produce a lot of music between 1979 and 1985 in the old blacksmith shop, and when interest rates were over 20 percent, and the only game in town was Capitol Records of Canada.

The Rational Youth album Heredity that Dee produced with Tracy Howe, and a little help from me, was a beautiful and classic album, and still one of my favorites which I guess Tracy doesn’t like, and after which Dee and I moved to London, United Kingdom, and joined George Martin’s AIR Studios on Oxford Street.

Special Day in LA

March 20th, 2010 § 0 comments § permalink

The Pepall’s were in town last week from Toronto and Jack and I played golf with Bobby Jones at Los Angeles Country Club. The more famous and difficult North course is under renovation so we walked the beautiful South course. Both courses were designed by Herbert Fowler in 1920 with later modifications by George Thomas and Billy Bell.

Jones, Jones and Pepall with Century City behind

john jones home jjsongsalon home

Nick Wood & Simon Lebon

March 12th, 2010 § 0 comments § permalink

This is a screen shot photo from a nice chat I had with Nick and Simon from Tokyo the other day. They were together at Syn Studios creating music and looking forward to a drive in the country in an Audi R8 V10.

I’m still working on a little documentary of my trip to Tokyo last year…

Jarrell guitars

March 7th, 2010 § 0 comments § permalink

Your’s truly with guitar creator Phillip Jarrell and guitar maestro Steve Postell at jjsongsalon #103

john jones home

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