About
Mimi’s love of intricate rhythms, melody, harmony and spontaneity holds her heart steadfastly in the creative and passionate energy of jazz. Her group performances feature all of these elements.
Live vocal jazz performance experience has included vocals doubling on percussion as follows:
Vancouver International Jazz Festivals in each of 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 promoting debut vocal jazz CD "Thank you, Merci" celebrating the musicians of New Orleans. Mimi has also performed in jazz clubs in both Toronto (Rex Hotel, Montreal Bistro, Gate 403, 120 Diner) and Vancouver (Rossini's Gastown and Rossini's Kitsilano, Cottage Bistro and Oct 9th, 2025 Frankie's Jazz Club).
Worked with the following people on various projects in live performances or recordings:
Mimmie Adams, Chris Banks, Russ Botten, Colin Campbell, Guiomar Campbell, Carla Gonzalez-Casanova, Morgan Childs, Bryant Didier, Liane Fainsinger, Tony Foster, Frank Hayashi, Nathan Hiltz, Ron Johnston (pianist), Rick Shadrach Lazar, Paco Luviano, Anthony Michelli, Bob Murphy, Patrick Parson (Ballet Creole), Raúl Abreu Piñeda, Joe Poole, David Restivo, Artie Roth, David Say, Jennifer Scott, Bernie Senensky, Randolf Stoll, Amanda Tosoff, Nancy Walker, Rene Worst.
Performances with other groups have included:
the Governor General Awards in Ottawa with Rick Lazar's Samba Squad (SSQ) on percussion accompanying Jesse Cooke, as well as accompanying SSQ in many Toronto Festivals (Salsa on St Clair, Beaches Jazz Festival to name a few); Premier Dance Theatre (now Fleck Dance Theatre) accompanying Ballet Creole (voice and some percussion) and playing djembe for dance classes; performing at Toronto's DuMaurier Theatre (percussion), and other Toronto Harbourfront performance platforms (voice and percussion); performing in a trio with voice doubling on percussion accompanied by Brian Katz for “Israel at 50;" Kitsilano Showboat Theatre, Vancouver (Paul Snider originals) and the Vancouver Fringe Festival (Paul Snider's "Music of Junk") accompanying with voice doubling on percussion; performing at Toronto Fringe Festival accompanying storytellers including Dr. George Blake and his Kalalu Folklore Theatre (vocalist and percussionist) including djembe in many festivals.
Training in the expressive arts:
private lessons in voice, jazz theory, percussion, piano, guitar, clarinet (Brian Katz, Mark Kieswetter, Liane Fainsinger, Rick Shadrach Lazar, Jillian Lebeck, Bob Mover, Patrick Parson (Ballet Creole), Raúl Abreu Piñeda, Jodi Proznick, Jennifer Scott, Diane Spears, Kate Hammet-Vaughan, Rubén Vasquez to name a few ), Royal Conservatory courses in theory, harmony, voice, basic piano and how to teach Kodaly, and group workshops with several performing artists including Sheila Jordan, Nancy King, Bob Mover, Ballet Creole (drum and dance masters from West Africa), Fred Kwasi Dunyo (drum and dance master from Ghana), and other guest artists from West Africa, Brazil, and Cuba; studies in theatre arts (scene study, improvisation, theatre for social action, and community musical theatre performer as chorus dancer and vocalist), dance/movement training (many styles including ballet bar, tap, modern, West African and Trinidadian); poetry writing (one year one-on-one mentorship program at University of British Columbia) and five years clarinet training, including private lessons during high school years to perform in a small chamber orchestra for Gilbert & Sullivan school productions as solo clarinetist (Bb and Eb), as well as a small high school ensemble that toured public city venues, in school concerts and big bands. As well, I earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (visual and performing arts and their connection to literacy and culture).