Toots Thielemans
Toots Thielemans virtually introduced the chromatic harmonica as a jazz instrument. In fact, beginning in the mid-'50s, he never had a close competitor. Thielemans simply played the harmonica with the dexterity of a saxophonist and even successfully traded off with the likes of Oscar Peterson.
Thielemans' first instrument was the accordion, which he started when he was three. Although he started playing the harmonica when he was 17, Thielemans' original reputation was made as a guitarist who was influenced by Django Reinhardt. Very much open to bop, Thielemans played in American GI clubs in Europe, visited the U.S. for the first time in 1947, and shared the bandstand with Charlie Parker at the Paris Jazz Festival of 1949. He toured Europe as a guitarist with the Benny Goodman Sextet in 1950, and the following year moved to the U.S. During 1953-1959, Toots was a member of the George Shearing Quintet (mostly as a guitarist) and freelanced for the remainder of his lengthy career in music.
He first recorded his big hit, "Bluesette" (which featured his expert whistling and guitar) in 1961, and was subsequently in great demand (particularly for his harmonica and his whistling) on pop records (including many dates with Quincy Jones) and as a jazz soloist. Toots' two-volume Brasil Project was popular in the 1990s and found him smoothly interacting on harmonica with top Brazilian musicians. Heard on numerous movie soundtracks (including Breakfast at Tiffany's and Midnight Cowboy) and also on the opening theme of television's Sesame Street, Thielemans received Jazz Master honors from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2009. He died in Belgium in August 2016 at the age of 94.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
Similar artists
-
-
Try a Little Tenderness (Stereo Version)
Jazz - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Four Classic Albums (Man Bites Harmonica / Blues Pour Flirter / Toots Thielemans / The Romantic Sounds of Toots Thielemans) [Remastered]
Jazz - Released by Avid Entertainment on 28 Oct 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
European Quartet Live
Jazz - Released by Baseline Jazz on 3 Sep 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Silver Collection
Jazz - Released by Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV on 1 Jan 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Man Bites Harmonica (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Avid Entertainment on 4 Nov 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Toots Thielemans (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Avid Entertainment on 1 Jan 1961
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
The Brasil Project
Jazz - Released by Private Music on 20 Jul 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
The Brasil Project Vol. II
Jazz - Released by Private Music on 2 Aug 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Aquarela Do Brasil
Jazz - Released by Universal International Music B.V. on 1 Jan 1969
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
One More For The Road
Jazz - Released by Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV on 1 Jan 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live In The Netherlands (live)
Toots Thielemans, Joe Pass, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on 13 Jul 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
1955-1978 Columbia Jazz
Jazz - Released by Sony Music Media on 29 Jul 1989
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Toots Thielemans & Kenny Werner
Kenny Werner, Toots Thielemans
Jazz - Released by Verve on 1 Jan 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Essentiel Jazz - Harmonica Jazz
Jazz - Released by Columbia on 29 Jul 1989
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Verve Jazz Masters '59: Toots Thielemans
Jazz - Released by Verve on 1 Jan 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo