The Art of Women

Featuring Mimi Jones, Shirazette Tinnin, & Arcoiris Sandoval

Join us for an evening of music and conversation with Mimi Jones.

For more than two decades she’s been on the scene, bassist/vocalist/producer/label owner
and now filmmaker Mimi Jones has reigned supreme, as a side woman to an impressive
coterie of musicians and as a leader with three original recording projects on her own Hot
Tone Music label.
The jazz world is happy that Mimi Jones is on the scene. Born Miriam Sullivan in New
York City on March 25, 1972, and was raised in the Bronx.
Jones studied classically under the tutelage of Linda McKnight and simultaneously studied
at the Jazz mobile school on Saturday mornings with bassist Lisle Atkinson. She also
studied with jazz masters such as Barry Harris, Ron Carter, Milt Hinton, Dr. Billy
Taylor, Yusef Lateef, Max Roach, Maria Schneider, and bassist Guillermo Edgehill.
As
a Jazz Ambassador, Mimi toured Africa, Europe, Russia, China, South and Central
America, and the Caribbean for the U.S. State Department. Her vast work as a sidewoman
includes gigs with Kenny Barron, Lizz Wright, Beyonce, Dianne Reeves, Tia Fuller,
Ingrid Jensen, Roy Hargrove, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Nona Hendricks, Marc Cary,
Rachel Z, Sean Jones, Jason Moran, Ravi Coltrane, Ralph Peterson, and Terri Lyne
Carrington’s Grammy Award winning Mosaic Project.
Jones launched her own record label, Hot Tone Music, in 2009 which now has produced
nine albums thus far.
In addition, Mimi Jones co-directs with ArcoIris Sandoval, The D.O.M.E. Experience, a
multimedia project that is meant to inspire its audience to become aware of environmental
and social issues, within the community and globally, by original compositions performed
by a 20 piece jazz orchestra, dance and cinematography. This project has been awarded the
following awards:
New Music USA Award, Bronx Council on the Arts Award
C.E.R.N. (Citizens Emergency Response Network) Award
The Bronx Museum Commission and Residency
Casita Maria for Arts and Education Commission and Residency Puffin Foundation Award
Pregones Theater Commission and Residency
Shape Shifter Commission and Residency
Bronx Heritage Center Commission and Residence
Mimi also created an original mini musical production about the great migration and
Harlem renaissance, with a cast of seven entitled “Next Stop Harlem”.
Mimi Jones was voted rising star by the DownBeat polls for 4 years straight, receiving
received #1 rising star award by the DownBeat Polls in 2018. Mimi’s article on beats and
rhythm was featured in the DownBeat Magazine as part of the “Woodshed” section of the
publication.
Pre-pandemic Jones began developing a fresh project called The Black Madonna, featuring
strings instruments, percussion, voice, with hopes of recording new music later in early
2023.
In Sept 2018, Mimi Jones began her tutelage at the Berklee School of Music in Boston,
MA, as a new professor.
Jones returned to Purchase University for the third year as part of the faculty for Carnegie
Hall Foundation, NYO summer 2020 program led by Joanna Massey and Sean Jones.
This prestigious program selects the best players in the nation, from 16-19 years of age to
experience a rigorous musical training, immediately followed by a performance at Carnegie
Hall and an extravagant tour throughout Europe.
Mimi Jones has recently recorded and performed with: The American Opera Project and
Between the World and Me HBO Special (Kamilah Forbes, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jason
Moran, Nate Smith, Ledisi, Common, Angela Bassett), The Leap Day Trio “Live at the
Bohemia Café” including renowned drummer Matt Wilson and musical Jeff Lederer on
sax and Nite bjuti which was signed by Whirlwind Recordings in October 2022. The music
industry was hit by storm in 2019 with the inception of Nite Bjuti an experimental music
trio feature Candice Hoyes on voice, Val Jeanty as sound chemist and Mimi Jones on bass.
The great drummer/producer/composer/innovator Terri Lyne Carrington published a
book labeled as New Standards 101 Lead Sheets by Women which includes one of Mimi’s
compositions entitled One 4 JB in October 2022.
Jones continues to host her infamous “inclusive”, weekly community jam session “The Lab
Session Jam and Jazz Party” every Sunday at “Room 623” in Harlem.
Four times per year, a recent creation of Ms. Jones called the Rising Stars series occurs where
Mimi mentor college students in best ways to have a successful gig, from, booking, choosing
music, creating a contract, pr/advertising, attire, speaking to your audience, etc. So far she has
chosen groups from Berklee College of Music to Peabody, Julliard, Manhattan School of Music
to participate and play a live gig in. NYC.

Parking is free after 6:00 pm in the adjacent parking lot and on the street.

This event was made possible with a grant from The Greater Hartford Arts Council