“Airline to Heaven”

Attendees at the Todos Santos Festival on Jan. 16 received an extra surprise treat when John Paul Jones showed up to lend his mandolin skills to performances by a musical collective featuring members of Wilco, R.E.M., and Sleater-Kinney.

The festival, which took place at the Hotel California in Baja, Mexico, was founded by R.E.M. vet Peter Buck in 2011. “It started off completely amateur,” said Buck of the festival, which raises money for “educational opportunities, medical care and other assistance” for local families. “It was really an excuse for me to play music in winter months.”

This year’s Todos Santos boasted appearances by an assortment of artists that included Death Cab for Cutie and the Jayhawks, as well as the debut of Filthy Friends, a collaboration between Buck and Sleater-Kinney singer/guitarist Corin Tucker. You can check out Jones’ contributions to a cover of David Bowie‘s “The Jean Genie,” embedded above, and a rendition of the Wilco/Billy Bragg/Woody Guthrie number “Airline to Heaven,” embedded below.

“The Todos Santos Music Festival has grown from a few friends playing for a few people into an incredible event featuring well-known bands and bigger crowds, without losing the intimacy or impromptu spirit,” enthused Buck in a press release. “The opportunity to bring artists together to support the Palapa Society’s educational mission, along with other worthy local charities, is extremely gratifying for all of us. I’m looking forward to the festival’s fifth installment.”

Jones’ Todos Santos appearance served as his second festival performance with Buck in recent weeks. In November, he joined a crowd that also included Buck’s fellow R.E.M. vet Mike Mills for a performance at the Ice Station Festival in Vadsø, Norway.

Read More: Watch John Paul Jones Join Members of R.E.M., Wilco, and Sleater-Kinney On Stage | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/john-paul-jones-r-e-m-wilco-sleater-kinney-on-stage/?trackback=tsmclip