MIMI JONES      
CO-FOUNDER

Mimi Jones, multi-talented bassist, vocalist, and composer, brings her beacon of musical light to the world while embracing a positive future with her inspiring messages. Mimi’s elegant sound is an eclectic mix of genres based on a strong jazz foundation that leave room for funky bass grooves, world beat rhythms, and gentle textures. Her inspiring debut release CD, “A New Day” is bursting with original compositions seamlessly melting from one song to another and caressed by the warmth of Mimi’s sultry voice. The title of the CD speaks of embracing a changing world with a positive point of view while maintaining the courage to move forward just as the new persona and alter ego, Mimi Jones, was transformed from “side man” Miriam Sullivan in order to more appropriately express her own messages of change and future progression.

Mimi Jones has shared the stage with such talents as the great Lionel Hampton, Roy Hargrove, Rachel Z, Sean Jones, Kenny Barron, Jesse Davis, Ingrid Jensen, Kevin Mahogany, Denis Charles, Tia Fuller and Onaje Allan Gumbs just to name a few. Besides receiving a Bachelor’s of Music Degree from the Manhattan School of Music she also studied, attended workshops or mentored with Lisle Atkinson, Barry Harris, Ron Carter, Milt Hinton, Dr. Billy Taylor, Yusef Latif, Max Roach, and Latin bass techniques with Guillermo Edgehill. The Mimi Jones Band has performed at the Jazz Standard, the Blue Note, and the Kennedy Center, Dizzy' s Coca Cola.

Mimi Jones has been a reoccurring face at the Kennedy Center since 2000, as part as annual the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival playing bass for the annual piano and saxophone competition. She has also performed in groups led by pianist Rachel Z, piano legend Joanne Brackeen, saxophonist Tia Fuller, and her own project the Mimi Jones Band which was featured premièring her debut release, “A New Day.” The Mimi Jones Band has also appeared at the The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Small's Jazz Club, Symphony Space, and the Zinc Bar. In the future Mimi Jones plans to incorporate multimedia in her performance and collaborations with other artists. She wants to find more diverse ways to reach out to the public by making her music accessible while maintaining the integrity of the music that has propelled her on her journey.

Recently Mimi Jones can be found playing on Terri Lyne Carrington's new release "The Mosaic Project", Tia Fuller's 2011 release "Decisive Steps", and Poet extraordinaire Samantha Thornhill's "Odelicious Poems". Earlier this year Mimi made a second trip to the magical isle of Haiti for the annual Haitian Jazz Festival. She was excited to perform with vocalist Pauline Jean and participate in the workshop series with Haitian students.

Although Mimi plays acoustic bass, baby bass, electric bass, and numerous styles of music including jazz, funk, hip hop, Cuban, free, folk, and pop. She remains open to learning new sounds. "I hope that this music sends a message of unconditional love and encouragement to let people know that we all experience the same things but in different ways. If we find the joy within eventually it will be all around us." For more about Mimi Jones visit at www.HotToneMusic.com and www.MimiJonesMusic.com   

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ARCOIRIS SANDOVAL
CO-FOUNDER

ArcoIris Sandoval is a jazz pianist, composer and Fulbright award recipient currently residing in
New York City and originally from Arizona. She obtained her Master's degree in jazz piano
performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and has won 2013 and 2015 ASCAP young jazz
composer awards as well as being a semifinalist at in the Montreux Solo Jazz Piano
competition, a participant in the Mary Lou Williams Festival, Betty Carter Jazz Ahead and the
Metropole Orkest Arrangers Workshop directed by Vince Mendoza featuring Richard Bona. One
of her arrangements was performed by the Metropole Orkest at the 2016 BBC Proms tribute to
Quincy Jones and again by Tammy McCann at Lincoln Center in 2017. She has also performed
at major festivals throughout the world including the Telluride Jazz Festival, the Tucson Jazz
Festival with Lonnie Plaxico opening for Tower of Power in 2017 as well in 2015 at the Tucson
Jazz Festival with Jimmy Cobb, the Vancouver Summer Festival, London Jazz Festival and many others throughout
China, Europe, India, South America, and Mexico.
She was recently a finalist at the inaugural Ellis Marsalis Jazz Piano Competition in summer
2018.
ArcoIris and bassist Mimi Jones are the Co-directors and composers for The D.O.M.E.
Experience which is an environmentally and socially motivated orchestra featuring
cinematography as well as dance and has a roster of acclaimed musicians including Jamie
Baum, Steve Wilson, Dayna Stephens, and many others. Arcoiris received the Puffin Foundation Grant on behalf of The D.O.M.E. Experience and The D.O.M.E. Experience is currently commissioned by The Bronx Museum for their CoLab residency 2018-2019. 
She is actively performing and touring
with several ensembles including with Allan Harris, Shirazette Tinnin, the Mimi Jones Band, and
her own Sonic Asylum trio and quintet project. She has recorded on Eugene Marlow’s album
“Obrigado Brasil” which made it to the first round of Grammy nominations in 2016, and WBGO
considered a Latin Jazz premium album in 2017. She released her debut Sonic Asylum Trio
album in summer 2018 with MEII Enterprises entitled “First Voyage” featuring Marty Kenney on
bass and Allan Mednard on drums which recently won a Global Music Award.​ 

For more information, please visit
www.arcoirissandoval.com

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​FRANCESCA HARPER, Dancer and Choreographer
Francesca Harper is a multi-faceted artist. After performing at The White House her
senior year in high school, she joined and performed soloist roles with The Dance
Theater of Harlem and later as a Principal Dancer in William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt.
Her Broadway credits include Fosse, The Producers, All Shook Up, The Frogs and The
Color Purple. Regional Tours include the Principal roles of Helene in Sweet Charity, and
Judith in Sophisticated Ladies. Her Off-Broadway credits include playing Sally in Anna
Deavere Smith's House Arrest, 50 Minutes with Harriett and Phillis, an original work in
collaboration with Pulitzer Prize Winning writer Margo Jefferson and DJ Spooky,
Amandla in The CA Lyons Project at The Alliance Theater, and Mrs. Poindexter in
Langston in Harlem. Harper was a featured performer in Robert Wilson, Bernice and
Toshi Reagon’s Opera, ‘‘Zinnias, a featured dancer and vocalist in Carrie Mae Weem's
'Grace Notes,' at The Kennedy Center, as well as as a vocalist in Ms. Weem’s production
of ‘Past Tense.” Harper was a featured Actor and Vocalist in Punchdrunk’s Sleep No
More for three years, and most recently played Billie Holiday in Jag Production’s, ‘Lady
Day at Emerson Bar and Grill.’
Her TV and film credits include, The David Letterman Show, Oprah Winfrey Show, The
Producers Movie Musical, and Ballet consultant for Darren Aronofsky’s feature film Black
Swan. Her original film ‘Black Swan, another point of View’ won Best Film at the International
Black Film Festival. Harper is getting ready to produce her first Feature Film with producing
Partner Susan Batson, based on her aunt Margo Jefferson’s award-winning novel, “Negroland”.
Harper has choreographed works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theater
of Harlem, Hubbard Street II, Balé da Cidade, and Dallas Black Dance Theater among
many others, including leading The Francesca Harper Project which has performed
nationally and Internationally. Harper is Artistic Director of FHP as well as The Movement
Invention Project in NYC. She was the recipient of a Fellowship at The Ballet Center at
NYU, a Pentacle Capacity Building Grant, and a Choreographic Fellowship from Urban
Bush Women’s Choreographic Center supported by both the Jerome and Mellon
Foundations. Most recently Harper served as Movement Director for Nick Cave’s, ‘The
Let Go,’ at the Park Avenue Armory.
Harper is an adjunct professor at New York University, and Fordham University, teaches
at Juilliard, was an Associate Professor at Barnard College, Princeton University, and a
Resident Artist at Harvard University.
Harper’s was awarded the Louis Vuitton Innovation and Technology Award, a
Videodance Award in Germany, was honored with the Living History Award during Black
History Month by Long Island University, and was named a Presidential Scholar in the
Arts.
Harper is thrilled to be working on ‘Refrigerated Dreams’ with the Legendary Nona
Hendryx, Carrie Mae Weems, and Niegel Smith, all artists known for their courage, risk
taking, and raising provocative questions.

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GOUSSY CELESTIN, Dancer, Composer and Choreographer

Goussy Célestin's personal mission is to stir up all her musical influences into a moving experience, incorporating Jazz elements, and dance influences.  She has studied/performed music and dance for the last two decades with such esteemed names as Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, C. Scoby Stroman, Max Roach, Donald Byrd, Barry Harris, and Sheila Jordan as a jazz pianist-vocalist, while studying with Pat Hall, Jean Leon Destiné, and Camille Yarbrough, as a dancer. 


Goussy currently performs throughout the NYC-Tri state area as a musician and dancer. She is a member of ASE Dance Theater Collective, a neo-folklore ensemble dedicated to the traditional/contemporary arts of the African Diaspora filtered through Haitian music and dance. She is also a member of ¡Retumba!, an all-female multi-ethnic music-dance ensemble dedicated to the traditions of the Caribbean and Latin-America, in addition to serving as lead vocalist for Charanga Soleil. Goussy's wide range of interests and versatility, has led her to study classical piano, Jazz and Latin music. While in Cuba, Goussy had the honor of performing with members of the Buena Vista Social Club, as well as performing/mentoring with members of Grupo AfroCuba de Matanzas, Yoruba Andabo and Clave Y Guaguanco. She has performed at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, Del Terzo Studio at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, SOB's, the Knitting Factory, NJPAC, Tilles Center, Newark Symphony Space, Joe's Pub, as well as various jazz clubs in NYC. A highlight of Goussy's jazz career is a duo piano performance with renowned jazz pianist John Hicks. Her musical travels include Cuba, England, Wales, Japan, Haiti, as well as touring parts of the US.


Goussy's versatility has been valued by many, leading to tenures in many groups in New York City. With the hats of pianist/composer/arranger/vocalist/dancer interchangeably worn, Goussy has received favorable reviews in the NEW YORK TIMES, where she was called a "renaissance woman ". In addition to wearing the many hats of a performing artist, Goussy teaches music and dance in various programs in NYC.

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KRISTIN D. CARPENTER, Dancer and Choreographer
 
​ Kristin D. Carpenter (AEA*) - Credits include THEATRE: (CA) Since Africa*,  Old      Globe Theatre, Regional, (Movement Coordinator & The Nameless One); (NY/NJ)  Pitched, Actors' Playhouse, NYC Fringe Festival; Remembering WeSelves, NJPAC; (IL)  Elegba Crossings, Madame C. J. Walker Theatre.
​
 COMPANY/CONCERT: (NY) Harlem Praises! Dance Ensemble, Thelma Hill    Performing Arts Center, Purelements Dance Company, M'Zawa Danz Company; (OH)  Circle of Light Productions, Ohio Dance Festival. FILM: Before Dawn. AWARDS:  Harlem Community Arts Fund Grantee – Creator/Director, Harlem Praises! Dance Project; Brooklyn Arts Council's Teaching Artist of the Year. EDUCATION: BA, Black Studies, The City College of New York. krisdcarp@aol.com

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 Featured Artists throughout the years:
** Some of these musician are doubles

Dancers & Choreographers
Francesca Harper
Goussy Celestin
Mara Rivera
Kimani Fowlin

Conductors
Miho Hazama
Erica Seguine

Saxes
Steve Wilson
Dayna Stephens
Chris Hemingway
Wayne Escoffery
Remy Le Boeuf
Tia Fuller
Sharel Cassity
Patrick Bartley
Lauren Sevian
Claire Daly
Camille Thurman
Frank Fontaine

Woodwinds
Jamie Baum
​Bart Platteau
Brian Krock
Dottie Anita Taylor
David Kjar
Jim Ferraiuolo
 
French Horn
Bert Hill
Kyra Sims

Trumpets
Dave Scott
Alex Norris
Nadje Noordhuis
Matt Jodrell
Vitaly Golovnev

Trombone
Raynel Frazier
Jimmy OConnell
Scott Nimner
Dan Jordan

Tuba
Bob Stewart

Harp
Riza Printup

Piano
ArcoIris Sandoval

Electric Piano
Luis Perdomo

Vibraphone
Nikara Warren

Guitar
David Gilmore
Marvin Sewell
Alex Nolan

Drum Set
Shirazette  Tinnin
Allan Mednard
Camille Gainer Jones
Justin Faulkner

Violins
Frederika Krier
Ali Bello
Greg Hubner
Hsinwei Chiang
Leonor Falcon
Elektra Kurtis
Sarah Bernstein
Mazz Swift
Chern Hwei
Scott Tixier

Viola
Maryam Blacksher
Judith Insell
Brian Lindgren
Benni Von Gutzheit
Trevor Trees

Cello
Peter Pearson
Amy Kang
Rufus Cappadocia
Jennifer Vincent
Clerida Eltime

Contra Bass
Mimi Jones
Marty Kenney
Jennifer Vincent
Alex Spradling
Gwen Reed
Hans Glawischnig