For Mimi with love: Mimi Fariña and Tom Jans

In 1970 Joan introduced Mimi to an inspiring singer-sonngwriter named Tom Jans. Both had been writing songs and looking for a partner to perform with. They first experimented as a trio including Julie Payne, with whom Mimi had been performing. But Julie then decided to spend all her time acting, and Mimi and Tom struck out as a duo. As lucky would have it, they blended beautifully as musicians and singers.

As if the challenge of living up to Dick's larger-than-life persona were not daunting enough to begin with, Tom's partnership with Mimi also coincided with something of a Richard Fariña Revival. During 1971, the year of Mimi and Tom's debut, Vanguard released The Best of Mimi & Richard Fariña; Paramount released a film adaptation of Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up tTo Me; and a musical celebrating his life and art, Richard Fariña: Long Time Coming and Long Time Gone, ran in Boston and New York. Mimi herself was involved with the musical, collaborating with Joan, Judy Collins, and Richard's father. There were even plans for Mimi and Mr. Fariña to write a biography of Richard. Amid all this attention to a deceased legend, it's not surprising that Tom Jans felt the need to strike out on his own, lest the shadow that seemed to loom over Mimi should overtake him as well.

Tom released a solo album of thoughtfull rock music with A&M in 1974, and a few more albums followed on Columbia in a fairly sucessfull career.

Mimi, on the other hand, truggled against commercialism. She began to record a solo album with CBS Record, which reportedly cost $10,000 to make, but he was turned off by the bottom-line prioriies of the music industry. Her producer said to herm "Just tell me you want to have a hit and we can work together."

Mimi Fariña at the Boston Tea Party

Tom Jans and Mimi Fariña performing at the Big Sur Folk Fest. Monterey County Fairgrounds, October 1970.

Mimi Farina and Tom Jans at the University of Rhode Island.
Photo by Steve Sidoruk | (year?)

Tom Jans & Mimi Fariña, 1969, Photo by Jim Marshal | Source

Source

Chicago Tribune
Chicago, Illinois • Fri, Nov 20, 1970Page 71

1970 Big Sur Folk Festival with Mimi Farina
reviewed in Sing Out! July/August 1971, p. 9
text not available at present3rd October 1970 with Chris Etheridge

1970 The Black Hawk San Francisco
It was at a concert at The Black Hawk that Joan Baez heard Tom Jans.
Joan then introduced him to her sister Mimi.

22nd October 1970 The Ash Grove, LA
this concert is remembered by David Hartzeim writing at
http://www.richardandmimi.com/memoriesofmimi.htmlOct / Nov 1970 The Four Muses, San Clemente, CA

Oct-Nov 1970 In the Alley, Escondido, CA

Oct-Nov 1970 The Back Door, UC San Diego
(with guest appearances by Massive Ferguson,
Bruce Langhorne and Kris Kristofferson)

7th November 1970 Coffee House San Francisco

18th November 1970 The Quiet Knight Chicago
may have been a residence of a few days. Will Bartel opened

December 1970 The Boston Tea Party
with Doc Watson and The Incredible String Band
(date assumed to be December - data from Itzero who was there)28th December 1970 Gaslight NYC
with Steve Baron, Jef Lowell (on bass)

1971 UC Davis Ca
in 1971 or so, Tom and Mimi Farina played at the Coffee House on the U.C. Davis campus. Will Bartell and Tony Plescia were also on the bill.

March 1971 New York City
reviewed in Village Voice 11th March 1971
text not available at present

14th March 1971 Marshall Tavern, Marshall Ca

18-23 April 1971 The Boarding House San Francisco
(may have been April 1972)1971 Monterey Folk Festival
In a review in Sing Out, Herbert Wise remarks that
Mimi Farina and Tom Jans were "wonderful."May 1971 Los Angeles
with Joan Baez and Stoneground.

1st July 1971 Santa Monica Auditorium
research by karls confirms that Mimi and Tom opened for Cat Stevens at this concert. The rest of the US tour with Cat Stevens seems to have taken place in Oct / Nov 1971.

30 July 1971 Cambridge Folk Festival England
Mimi Farina and Tom Jans appeared on July 30 / 31
and also on 1st August.

from the Programme Notes:
Mimi Farina appears as she sounds. Each smile is a touch of summer, and her voice is as beautifully clear and direct as the expression in her eyes. Tom Jans's voice is soft and mellow, as yan to yin. They compose, play guitars and sing, and let you come with them into the refreshing beauty of their music. The songs they perform are written by themselves or by friends, or 'borrowed' from records. (They are also salted very occasionally with 50's rock-and-roll). Much of their harmony with their audience is due to a complete lack of affectation and self-consciousness; they need no 'hard-time' trappings or hip patter. Their music and themselves is enough..

Photos and set lists by Richard Lewis

Friday (July 30th) "Country Evening" Club Tent 5pm
including Gary Farr, Smiley, Joe Locker, Western Echoes, Pete Seeger, Bill Clifton, Mimi Farina & Tom Jans
carolina / reach out / you're sixteen / me and bobby mcgee / in the quiet morning / the praties are small / never ending song of love / letter to jesus / carry it on / pack up your sorrows

Saturday (July 30th) Main Tent 10.30pm
madman / me and bobby mcgee / in the quiet morning / you're sixteen / the praties / never ending song of love / instrumental

Sunday (August 1st) Open Air 4.20pm
including Anne Briggs, Jean Ritchie, Mr Fox, Mimi Farina & Tom Jans
carolina / me and bobby mcgee / children of darkness / letter to jesus / good god I'm feeling fine

Sunday (August 1st) Main Tent 11.55pm
never ending song of love / reach out / not known / not known / great white horse / in the quiet morning / mental revenge / no need to be lonely / good god I’m feeling fine

songwriters:
all songs mimi farina and/or tom jans except:
you're sixteen - Johnny Burnette
the praties are small - trad
never ending song of love - Delaney Bramlett
children of darkness - Richard Farina
great white horse - Buck Owens / L Scott
mental revenge - Mel Tillis

29th August 1971 Beat gæst (Danish Radio)
A Danish radio programme. May not have contained "live" songs. Usually the guest would play records and host the program, talking 'bout their lives, preferences etc.

1971 Newcastle England

1971 opened for Cat Stevens in Manchester England
exact date not known - 1971 presumed1971 Cousins London

Review by Jerry Gilbert

The appearance of Mimi Farina and Tom Jans at Cousins on Friday attracted an audience far in excess of the usual Friday night crowds, although the evening itself proved to be slightly disappointing. Martin Carthy, Tim Hart, Mike Cooper and Al Stewart were among those who had come along to see Tom and Mimi, whilst Andy Fernbach, John Altmon and an highly impressive guitarist, Johnson Field provided excellent support.

But Cousins appeared to be a mis-chosen venue for the American duo to wind up their tour. They seemed to lack confidence and cohesion. They opened with "Carolina's On My Mind" and followed with "Reach Out", "Me and Bobby McGee" and "The Praties..." all of which were fairly unimpressive and in a couple of instances the two guitars clashed terribly.

Then Tom went into his rock'n'roll routine and sang Johnny Burnette's "Sweet Sixteen" which opened the way beautifully for "Children of Darkness", an old Richard Farina number which Mimi and Tom have retained. On the night I enjoyed Andy a good deal more.

(reference for this cutting not available at present)
1971 Scandanavia
1971 Poland

1971 Paris France

Mimi & Tom (A&M publicity shot)1971 Fall Academy of Music in Philadelphia
Opened for a James Taylor-Carole King concert.
Reviewed in "The Distant Drummer."
(text not available at the present time)

A&M publicity photo
25 September 1971 8th Annual Big Sur Folk Festival.

11 Oct 1970 Berkeley Folk Festival 1970 *

22 Oct 1970 Ash Grove, Los Angeles, CA, USA *

25th Oct 1970 Ash Grove, Los Angeles, CA, USA *

14 October 1971 Freeborn Hall at UC Davis
opening for Gordon Lightfoot

On tour with Cat Stevens
October & November 1971 including Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in NY, Trinity University, San Antonio, Houston, The Dallas Memorial Auditorium, LA (two concerts), Denver, Berkeley, & San Jose.

21st October 1971 University of Waterloo Ontario Canada

23rd October 1971 Massey Hall Toronto Canada

24 October 1971 Philharmonic Hall NY

Review Variety 3rd Nov 1971 (p 43)
Cat Stevens scored at Philharmonic Hall, Oct 24, in two sold out performances, both times following a fine folk-style duo, Mimi Farina & Tom Jans. The two Ron Delsener productions grossed $30,500.
......
Mimi Farina & Tom Jans both played guitar. Both have good voices and while Miss Farina, sister of Joan Baez, frequently was deadpan, her comments were humorous. Their set included "Children of Darkness", which was written by Richard Farina, the performer's late husband.

25 October 1971 Keaney Gym, Kingston RI
Opening for Cat Stevens - source only notes Mimi as performer
info from Rhode Island Rocks

The following dates are from the The Cat Stevens Tour.
Mimi Farina and Tom Jans were the opening act , but I have not seen written evidence that Mimi and Tom appeared at all the shows in November.

26th October 1971 The Music Hall, Boston MA *

27th October 1971 Bucknell University Lewisburg PA

30th October 1971 Kleinhans Music Hall Buffalo New York
Two shows - both sold out.

31st October The War Memorial Syracuse New York
(Mimi and Tom did not appear)

4th November 1971 Auditorium Theatre Chicago Illinois

6th November 1971 Kennedy Center, Washington DC

7th November 1971 The Mosque, Richmond, VA

10th November 1971 Municipal Auditorium Atlanta Georgia12th November 1971 Curtis Hall Tampa Florida

13th November 1971 Miami Beach

15th November 1971 Jackson Mississippi - (not confirmed)

16th November 1971 Baton Rouge LA

17th November 1971 Tad Smith Coliseum University of MS

19th November 1971 Trinity University San Antonio TX

21st November 1971 Dallas Memorial Auditorium Dallas

23rd November 1971 Denver Coliseum Denver Colorado

24th November 1971 Berkeley Community Theatre

26th Nov 1971 Santa Clara Fairgrounds San Jose Ca

poster artist (probably): Randy Tuten27th / 28th November 1971 Greek Theatre Los Angeles

Review Billboard 18th December 1971by Nat Freedland
.....The bill was opened by Tom Jans and Mimi Farina with some pleasantly harmonised morality songs.

December 1971 ? Gaslight II
with David Buskinlate 1971 Gaslight NYC (unconfirmed)1971 or 1972 Drinking Gourd San Francisco

09-12 March 1972 Stonehenge Club Ipswich Mass

15th March 1972 Blue Wall Cafe Amherst MA *
April 72 Cornell University

08th April 1972 Case Western University Cleveland Oh
Tom and Mimi opened for Dave van Ronk. Broadcast by WNCR-FM

Set list
in the quiet morning / mama tried / reach out/ you're sixteen /
children of darkness/ loving arms / letter to jesus/ madman /
great white horse / carolina / good god I'm feelin' fine / carry it on

12 April 1972 Bitter End NYC
supported by Chris Smither

Review: Variety 26 April 1972
Mimi Fariña, sister of Joan Baez, and Tom Jans are a smooth folk-singing duo with easy audience communication, good material and good vocal and guitar form. Miss Fariña is the widow of Richard Fariña, writer-performer, who died a couple of years ago.

Their Bitter End gig is unusual since they've usually headlined Gaslight II in previous visits to Greenwich Village. Their friendliness, natural humor and tunes carry easily in both rooms. They open their set as they open their A&M album, with Jans' "Carolina," sung by Jans with Miss Fariña supplying humming harmony.

Most of the other numbers, regardless of who starts, wind up as duets and their voices blend perfectly, even though they've been performing together for only a bit more than a year. Although most of their material are originals, they also score with Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried," a country tune turning up more in other areas these days, and "You're 16," a rocker from the '50s, which is a fun selection.

Miss Fariña and Jans both play six-string acoustic guitars. In their encore, however, they go to grand piano. Their being seated at the piano stool prompts a good example of their effective dry humor as Miss Fariña says, "It feels strange over here. That's because I don't play the piano." Jans plays for the encore, another duet. This is an engaging folk team.

Review: Billboard 29 April 1972
Mimi Fariña and Tom Jans, of A&M Records, performed on April 12 in an attenuated folk style which was largely devoid of energy and substance. Although they generated some heat with Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried," Fariña and Jans were generally listless and unexciting.

Accompanying themselves on acoustic guitars, Fariña and Jans sang "You're 16," poking self-conscious fun at the Ozzie and Harriet-type TV family situation comedy, rendered Fariña's composition, "Reach Out," about a suicide whom she said was right to do away with himself (life is so awful, but try to hang on anyway, she advised to the audience), and "Letter to Jesus," probably Fariña's best composition. (DAN BOTTSTEIN)

-----------

https://dc.library.northwestern.edu/items/da67e5d4-1fd6-48f8-8ab8-556d43bc5fc9