An Elite Jeweler and Jazz Musician’s Joined forces To Make Arizona the Setting For One of Southwest’s Largest Jazz Festival
Jazz can bring people together from all walks of life, and the spread of Jazz throughout the United States has taught countless individuals lessons of peace, freedom, and solidarity through music. This is exactly what Doc Jones and Alfredo Molina have also aimed to achieve, with their collaborative efforts to unite the state of Arizona through the International Jazz Day festival.
Doc and Alfredo ( better known as Al) have crossed path a few times, as both are well known in Arizona, and would often run into each other at special events. However, their busy schedules made it near impossible to stay in touch, as both were busy with their endeavors. However, Doc never gave up, and after a short period of time, he happened to pass by the Molina Fine Jewelers in Phoenix when he noticed Al’s Rolls-Royce parked outside.
Mr. Molina owns one of the most respected jewelers in the country, coming from a long line of jewelers that can be traced back to the 1600s. The Molina family settled in Cuba generations ago, but with the rise of Fidel Castro in the early 1900s they knew they would not be able to maintain their successful and prosperous business under the communist regime, so left for the United States when Alfredo was just a boy. The family arrived in Chicago in 1967 with nothing but the clothes on their backs, but Alfredo was determined to continue his family’s legacy, ultimately opening Molina Fine Jewelers in 1987, just nine days before the 1987 stock market crash and with just $1500 in the bank. Despite this, Molina Fine Jewelers flourished, generating unprecedented success and becoming one of the nations most prestigious jewelers. Over the years, the Molina family has continued to grow their business, and with their profits, they have supported nearly 300 different charitable organizations across the United States. However, the businesses success also meant that the Molina Fine Jewelers was one of the most exclusive jewelers in the country, and the building is only accessible by appointment.
However, this did not stop Doc Jones, and he decided to try his luck and request an audience with Mr. Molina anyway. To his surprise, the security guards let Doc right through, and that’s when Doc and Mr. Molina managed to finally share their stories and business ventures. Like the Molina family, Doc Jones moved to Arizona in the late 1980s also from from Chicago to pursue his passion. Doc has been able to make a living from his devotion to Jazz music, and entrepreneurship since he first moved to Arizona, and nowadays he is working tirelessly to unite the state of Arizona around UNESCO and Herbie Hancock International Jazz Day, as the Director of International Jazz Day AZ Foundation.
Doc and Al bonded over their shared commitment to giving back to the community. Molina’s fine jewelers have donated more than $30 million in the past 24 years, and Doc Jones has dedicated his life to music and education. Doc have taught more than 10,000 youth at risk at no charge in the last two decades. After that fateful conversation, Doc and Mr. Molina decided to combine their resources and passion to give back to the community by bringing attention to the importance of arts in education and affordable housing for creative artists.
This dynamic duo is coming together to produce a signature Jazz Festival for Scottsdale, Arizona. The festival will catapult Arizona into the global limelight, and celebrate the genre of Jazz, and learn about its musical roots.
International Jazz Day has been an annual event celebrated on April 30th, ever since it was declared by UNESCO in 2011. For the past decade, International Jazz Day has been dedicated to celebrating uniting people through music, and the event has successfully commemorated the sweeping impact Jazz has had upon the world. Jazz is an art form that bonds individuals, regardless of race, gender, or creed, and last year over 196 countries hosted some kind of Jazz Day event.
Doc and Al have been working tirelessly to bring this celebration to Scottsdale Arizona, and hope that the festival will become a major tourist attraction within 5 years time. The two have appealed to other major company owners within Arizona and New Orleans and grabbed the attention of a few owners who understand the value that a Jazz festival will bring to the city.
With their partnership, Doc Jones and Alfred Molina are hoping to make the International Jazz Day Festival one of the largest jazz festivals in the South West. With the help and support of other Jazz enthusiasts within the country, the festival is guaranteed to be a resounding success.
The past year has seen a lot of upset and unrest throughout America, and, although the Jazz Day AZ Festival was forced to be postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Doc and Al and a group of partners have decided to produce a series of smaller concerts this year, and move the major Scottsdale Jazz Festival to April 2022.
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