Album Notes

This brief biographical article is meant to enlighten its readers about just who Doctor Jones is as well as address the what, when, where and why which are questions normally asked of artists such as himself. Indiana Jones he is affectionately called by his contemporaries, Doc by his patients and is lovingly known as Daddy by his children. This multi-faceted healer has deep roots tracing back to New Orleans and Jamaica. His mother, Joyce, was the first African American woman to be employed in the private secretaries pavilion at Johns Hopkins hospital in the early 50's. This was in an era where integration was the exception rather than the rule. The events that shaped her life were a major influence in young Ron's development. She, herself a deeply spiritually rooted woman possessed a then uncommon self-determined intellect which can be attributed to time spent in New Orleans at the house and home of her beloved Aunt Clara. The house doubled by day as a Lutheran schoolhouse serving children she took off the street. For this noble mission in life Aunt Clara was awarded the key to the city by its mayor and was known as Mother Clara to its citizens from then on. Miss Joyce being among her chosen charges enjoyed the benefits of an education unhampered by the ethnic trappings brought with the social climate of the day. Doctor Jones now looks back on this as being a contributing factor that shaped his character and ultimately his choices in life, one of which set him on the road to follow a dream to study medicine. To his surprise- At home one day he learned that he had been awarded the Vernon Lynch Scholarship to attend John's Hopkins University. Music was there from infancy - a part of his mother's church choir interests as well as fathers extraordinarily large appetite for music of every kind. Music was on the street corners in Baltimore, where he grew up,and ever present through out his University experience. The days of Motown and a special friendship with schoolmate Gil Scott Heron sparked Doctor Jones to examine the connections between music and his private passion for mathematics. Living in "pre" and "post" Martin Luther King days, influenced by Vietnam as well as dramatic social changes across America with respect to African-American issues inspired Doc to immerse himself in addressing the effects of various socio-cataclysmic developments facing all Americans of that era. Having research, statistical and historic information as well as the latest on political and social developments at hand he chose to take advantage of these academic opportunities in his spare time. This set the stage for yet another lifelong passion to emerge - at this time focusing on archaeological history tracing the African presence in Europe and elsewhere commonly unknown on the globe. The publication of his Encyclopaedia of notes on "Anacalypsis" - the 1836 work of an English scholar, Godfrey Higgins, led to his Harvard lecture on the subject and was followed by the formation of his not for profit organization, "People Against Racism". In 1994 his math - art project led to a Guggenheim fellowship nomination and this work was displayed at Audart Gallery, near Wall Street from then on. The summary on one of his articles on Integral Geometry and Mathematical Physics can be found on their web-site. In recent years more time was spent on the development of Music with respect to its influence on health, pain-management and the immune system as well as taking advantage of free hours found to dedicate to his passion for numbers. This desire to create an atmosphere where people can learn how to be free of racism, his love for math, music, medicine, archaeological history as well as art and an ever open scrutinizing eye for anything new and interesting is the most simple way to describe just who this 6'2 inch frame of a man donning a fedora might be.

Soon after being with Doc Jones one dazzling magnetic energy emanating from this man like surround-sound in his room. Every room ends up being "his room" eventually at least for a time! His love for humanity and everyone near him affords him to be generous and responsive to everyone the universe may bring who may be faced with challenges such as problems of health, heart, faith or fear related issues. There is usually one common end - People walk away feeling uplifted, cared about, inspired and maybe with music or a song in their heart. If music is not their thing, then books, history or playing with numbers in a new way may be their treat Should their faith be on a loose footing you can be sure that no Tarot reader can do what Doc Jones does with his inspirational magic that leaves one with newfound comfort. Isn't that what healing is about? "Healthy Music" is at the core of this and you can be certain of many more music projects to emerge from this truly Renaissance Man's soul.
Written by Regina Van Nostrand.
1997