Toots Thielemans Explained

Toots Thielemans
Birth Name:Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor Thielemans
Birth Date:1922 4, df=yes
Birth Place:Brussels, Belgium
Death Place:Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium[1]
Genre:Jazz
Occupation:Musician, composer
Instrument:Chromatic harmonica, guitar, accordion
Years Active:1949–2014

Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans (in French pronounced as /tuts tiləmans/), was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for playing the chromatic harmonica, as well as his guitar and whistling skills, and composing. According to jazz historian Ted Gioia, his most important contribution was in "championing the humble harmonica", which Thielemans made into a "legitimate voice in jazz".[2] He eventually became the "preeminent" jazz harmonica player.[3]

His first professional performances were with Benny Goodman's band when they toured Europe in 1949 and 1950. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1951, becoming a citizen in 1957. From 1953 to 1959 he played with George Shearing, and then led his own groups on tours in the U.S. and Europe. In 1961 he recorded and performed live one of his own compositions, "Bluesette", which featured him playing guitar and whistling. In the 1970s and 1980s, he continued touring and recording, appearing with musicians such as Oscar Peterson, Elis Regina, Caetano Veloso, Ella Fitzgerald, Ivan Lins, Sarah Vaughan, Bill Evans, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Werner, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Mina Mazzini, Elis Regina, Quincy Jones, George Shearing, Natalie Cole, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, and Paquito D'Rivera.

Thielemans recorded the soundtracks for The Pawnbroker (1964), Midnight Cowboy (1969), The Getaway (1972), Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Sugarland Express (1974) and Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977). His harmonica theme song for the popular Sesame Street TV show was heard for 40 years. He often performed and recorded with Quincy Jones, who once called him "one of the greatest musicians of our time." In 2009 he was designated a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest honor for a jazz musician in the United States.

Early years

Thielemans was born in Brussels on 29 April 1922.[4] His parents owned a café. He began playing music at an early age, using a homemade accordion at age three. During the German occupation of Belgium beginning in 1940, he became attracted to jazz, but was then playing on a full-size accordion or a harmonica, which he taught himself to play in his teens.[5]

After being introduced to the music of Belgian-born jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, he became inspired to teach himself guitar, which he did by listening to Reinhardt's recordings. At the time he was a college student majoring in mathematics.[6] By the war's end in 1945, he considered himself a full-time musician. He said in 1950, "Django is still one of my main influences, I think, for lyricism. He can make me cry when I hear him."[7] During an interview in 1988, he recalled, "I guess I was born at the right time to live and adapt and be touched by the evolution in the jazz language."[5]

Career

1940s–1950s

In 1949 he joined a jam session in Paris with Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis,[8] Max Roach and others.[9] He first heard the faster bebop style of jazz from records by Parker and Dizzy Gillespie after they had reached Belgium after the war. They became his musical "prophets". As his small collection of jazz records grew, the music of Benny Goodman and Lester Young began to impress him the most.[7]

During a visit to the U.S. in 1948, an agent of Benny Goodman heard him play at a small New York music club. Not long after he returned to his home in Belgium, he received a letter inviting him to join Goodman's band while they toured in Europe. He readily accepted the invitation and joined their tours in 1949 and 1950. During the tour, Goodman was "shocked" when he learned that these tours were the first time Thielemans had earned money from his playing.[7] Although Thielemans was hired on as a guitarist, when Goodman's group debuted at the London Palladium, he played the harmonica due to union restrictions.[7]

During those years, he also made his first record with fellow band member, tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims. In 1951 he toured with singer-songwriter and compatriot Bobbejaan Schoepen, performing strictly as a guitarist.[10]

Thielemans moved to the United States in 1952 where he was a member of Charlie Parker's All-Stars and worked with Miles Davis and Dinah Washington. In 1957 he became a U.S. citizen.[11] From 1953 to 1959 he played guitar and harmonica with the George Shearing Quintet. With Shearing, he added whistling to his repertoire. While Thielemans was playing in Hamburg in 1960 on tour with Shearing, a young musician and observer —John Lennon— noticed that Thielemans played a Rickenbacker guitar.[12] Lennon was impressed, and felt he had to have an American guitar, on the principle that "if was good enough for Thielemans it was good enough for me." Lennon and the Beatles helped make Rickenbacker guitars world-famous.[13]

In 1955, Thielmans recorded his first album as a band leader, The Sound. During the 1950s, Thielemans had dominated the "miscellaneous instrument" category in Down Beat magazine's poll.[7] Jerry Murad, of Jerry Murad's Harmonicats recalls Thielemans's mastery:

From 1959 on he toured internationally with his small group along with intermittently recording in the studio. He recorded with singers and musicians including Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Stephane Grappelli, J.J. Johnson, Oscar Peterson, Shirley Horn, Joe Pass, and jazz pianist Bill Evans, among others. Thielemans says that his recording with Evans's trio, Affinity, (1979) was one of his favorites.

1960s–1970s

Toots Thielemans wrote "Bluesette", a jazz standard,[4] which he performed on harmonica[14] or while playing the guitar and whistling in unison.[15] He said, "If there's a piece of music that describes me, it's that song." First recorded by him in 1962, with lyrics added by Norman Gimbel, the song became a major worldwide hit. It has since been covered by over one hundred artists.[7] Toots also wrote the ballad "Ladyfingers", which appeared on Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass's album Whipped Cream and Other Delights.

He worked both as a bandleader and as a sideman, including many projects with composer/arranger Quincy Jones.[16] In the 1960s he performed on television with Peggy Lee.[17] In 1969 he recorded "Honeysuckle Rose Aquarela Do Brasil" with singer Elis Regina and performed with her on Swedish television special.[18]

During his career he performed on many film soundtracks, such as The Pawnbroker (1964), Midnight Cowboy (1969), The Getaway (1972), Turkish Delight (1973), Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Sugarland Express (1974), The Yakuza (1974), Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), The Wiz (1978), Jean de Florette (1986), and French Kiss (1995). His closing theme to the popular Sesame Street television show was heard for 40 years.[19] [20]

His music was heard on the Belgian television series Witse, and in the Netherlands, for the Baantjer program. He composed the music for the 1974 Swedish film Dunderklumpen!, in which he also provided the voice of the animated character Pellegnillot. His whistling and harmonica playing was heard on Old Spice commercials in the 1960s.[19] [21] He played harmonica on "Night Game" on Paul Simon's 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years.[22]

1980s and later

During the early 1980s Thielemans was a guest a number of times on Late Night with David Letterman.[23] He performed with the bassist Jaco Pastorius,[24] and in 1983 he contributed to Billy Joel's album An Innocent Man, in the song, "Leave A Tender Moment Alone".A year later, he appeared on the Julian Lennon song "Too Late for Goodbyes" from the album Valotte.[25]

In 1984, he recorded with Billy Eckstine on the singer's final album (I Am a Singer), featuring ballads and standards arranged and conducted by Angelo DiPippo. In the 1990s, Thielemans embarked on theme projects that included world music. In 1998 he released a French-flavoured album titled Chez Toots featuring guest singer Johnny Mathis.[26]

During those years, he often recorded songs as personal tributes to those who were influential during his career. On Chez Toots, for example, he included "Dance For Victor", which he dedicated to his sometimes keyboard accompanist, Victor Feldman.[27] Similarly, he recorded "Waltz for Sonny"[28] as a tribute to saxophonist Sonny Rollins.[29] In June 1998, at Germany's Jazzbaltica, he paid tribute to Frank Sinatra who died a month earlier.[30] And during the first Caspian Jazz and Blues Festival in Azerbaijan in 2002, he performed his recorded version of "Imagine", his tribute to its writer, John Lennon.[31]

Thielemans was well liked for his modesty and kind demeanor in his native Belgium, and was known for describing himself as a Brussels "ket", which means "street kid" in old Brussels slang.[32]

Later life

He was nominated for the title of the Greatest Belgian in 2005. In the Flemish version, he finished in 20th place, and in the Walloon version he came 44th.[33] On 23 January 2009, he joined guitarist Philip Catherine on stage at the Liberchies church (Belgium) in memory of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Django Reinhardt. In 2012, the Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts in New York celebrated Thieleman's 90th birthday with, among others, Herbie Hancock, Eliane Elias, and Kenny Werner. He performed for the occasion and left the stage standing among his friends.[34]

Because of health issues that led to show cancellations, Thielemans announced his retirement on 12 March 2014, cancelling all scheduled concerts. He was also hospitalized for a broken arm.[35] [36] His manager stated that Thielemans "wants to enjoy the rest he deserves."[37] However, he did make one more stage appearance, unannounced, in August 2014, at the Jazz Middelheim Festival in Antwerp.[38]

Death

Thielemans died in Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium, at the age of 94.[39]

After the announcement, the Netherlands-based jazz and pop orchestra Metropole Orkest, along with American musician Quincy Jones, performed at London's Royal Albert Hall in Thielemans' honor.[40] Another concert was performed at the Grand-Place, Brussels.

Thielemans was buried on 27 August 2016 in La Hulpe, just outside Brussels. Pianist Kenny Werner read a personal message from U.S. President Barack Obama for his widow, Huguette.[41] It read: "Dear Huguette. I was deeply saddened when I heard about your husband's passing. I hope that shared memories will soften your suffering. Lift faith from the support of friends and family. Know that you will be in my thoughts for the next days. May Toots' music lead you and offer you consolation. I'm sure it will do this for all of us."[42] [43] [44] [45]

Toots Thielemans Collection

In December 2016, the Music Division of the Royal Library of Belgium acquired the Toots Thielemans Collection. The collection consists of hundreds of sound recordings (78 rpm, vinyl records and CDs) and thousands of documents, such as photographs, press articles, scores, letters and concert programmes.

Honours and awards

Thielemans received a joint honorary doctorate from the Université libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. In 2001, he was raised into the Belgian nobility by King Albert II and created Baron Thielemans for life, this in recognition of his contribution to music.[46] Herewith, he chose the motto Be yourself, no more no less.[47]

In 2006, Thielemans was honoured by an all-star tribute concert for him at Carnegie Hall. Pianist Herbie Hancock and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera were among the performers. In 2009, he was awarded the highest U.S. honour that can be accorded to a jazz musician, the distinction of "Jazz Master", by The National Endowment for the Arts.[48] He was celebrated by a Google Doodle on his 100th birthday, 29 April 2022.[49] [50]

In 2020, the Brussels public transport authority began work on the Toots Thielemans Metro station. It will form part of the extension of Metro Line 3 and is expected to come into service in 2025. [51] [52]

Titles of Honour[53]

Awards

Other

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With George Shearing

With George Shearing and Dakota Staton

With Peggy Lee

With Quincy Jones

With Brook Benton

With Melanie

With John Denver

With Paul Simon

With Oscar Peterson

With Urbie Green

With Jay Berliner, Gene Bertoncini and Richard Resnicoff

With Bill Evans

With Dizzy Gillespie

With Sarah Vaughan

With Jaco Pastorius

With Philip Catherine

With Billy Joel

With Michael Franks

With Julian Lennon

With Sivuca

With Eliane Elias

With Sheena Easton

With James Last

With Pat Metheny

With Diane Schuur

With Jay Anderson

With Richard Galliano

With Natalie Cole

With Aziza Mustafa Zadeh

With Shirley Horn

With Fumio Karashima

With Joe Lovano

With James Taylor

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Newsflash - Final bar : Toots Thielemans . Jazzinbelgium.com . 22 August 2016 . 27 August 2016.
  2. Gioia, Ted. The History of Jazz, Oxford Univ. Press (2011) p. 382
  3. Morton, Brian, and Cook, Richard. The Penguin Jazz Guide: the History of the Music in the 1000 Best Albums, Penguin UK, (2010) ebook.
  4. Book: The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Colin Larkin. Colin Larkin (writer). Virgin Books. 1997. Concise. 1-85227-745-9. 1173/4.
  5. Web site: TOOTS THIELEMANS IN NEW ORLEANS - 1988. 11 November 2013 . YouTube.
  6. Carr, Ian; Fairweather, Digby. The Rough Guide to Jazz, Rough Guides (2004) p. 788
  7. Field, Kim. Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers: the Evolution of the People's Instrument, Rowman & Littlefield (1993) pp. 253-255
  8. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/belgian-jazz-harmonica-great-toots-thielemans-passes-away-at-94/articleshow/53824162.cms "Belgian jazz harmonica great Toots Thielemans passes away at 94"
  9. Web site: Festival International De Jazz All Stars in the Charlie Parker discography . Jazzdisco.org . 25 June 2012.
  10. News: Jazz Monthly - Toots Thielemans Feature Story . en . 3 May 2022 . 16 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220816091611/https://www.jazzmonthly.com/jazz_interviews/jazz_artists/q_z/toots_thielemans/jazz_cover_story/thielemans_pg2.html . dead .
  11. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/toots-thielemans-master-of-the-jazz-harmonica-dies-at-94/2016/08/22/d095d09e-6857-11e6-8225-fbb8a6fc65bc_story.html "'Toots' Thielemans, master of the jazz harmonica, dies at 94"
  12. The Beatles: Tune In: Extended Special Edition (2013), by Mark Lewisohn, p. 716
  13. News: Inside Toots Thielemans Jazz Career as Google Doodle Honours Harmonica Legend . en .
  14. Web site: Toots Thielemans - "Bluesette". Night of the Proms (Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2009). 24 December 2009 . YouTube.
  15. Web site: Toots Thielemans - Bluesette (1964). 4 April 2011 . YouTube.
  16. Web site: Toots Thielemans and WDR Big Band, directed by Quincy Jones at Montreux Jazz Festival . . 15 June 2016 . 25 August 2016.
  17. Web site: Toots Thielemans and Peggy Lee - 'Makin Whoopee' . . 4 July 2010 . 25 August 2016.
  18. video: Toots Thielemans performs "Together" live, with Elis Regina, 3 min. Swedish Broadcasting Corp., 1969
  19. Web site: Harmonica Giant Toots Thielemans of 'Sesame Street' Fame Dies . NBC Chicago . 23 August 2016.
  20. Web site: Sesame Street Original Closing Theme on harmonica . . 26 December 2014 . 25 August 2016.
  21. Web site: Toots Thielemans, Jazz Harmonica Baron, Dies At 94 . Cole . Tom . 22 August 2016 . . 17 February 2020.
  22. On his career through to the late 1970s see Roger Cotterrell, 'Toots Thielemans: A Traveling Man' Jazz Forum 55 (Sept 1978), 33-35.
  23. Web site: Toots Thielemans Collection on Late Night, 1982-85. 23 August 2016 . YouTube.
  24. Web site: Mars Jazz, Excerpted from Windham Hill promo material for Chez Toots . Marsjazz.com . 25 June 2012 . dead . http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091015125203/http://www.marsjazz.com/tootstbio.html . 15 October 2009 .
  25. Valotte . Lennon . Julian. Julian Lennon. . 1984 . Inner sleeve . . JLLP 1.
  26. Web site: Original versions of Les moulins de mon cœur (The Windmills of Your Mind) by Toots Thielemans & Johnny Mathis . SecondHandSongs . 25 August 2016.
  27. Web site: Dance For Victor (Dedicated To Victor Feldman). YouTube.
  28. Web site: YouTube. 4 June 2016 . YouTube.
  29. Web site: 90 yrs. (1CD 1DVD). Challenge Records. International. Challenge Records International. 29 September 2019. 17 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220117010120/https://www.challengerecords.com/product/1290155303/. dead.
  30. Web site: YouTube. YouTube.
  31. Web site: Toots Thielemans Imagine John Lennon.wmv. 11 August 2011 . YouTube.
  32. Web site: Jazz Icon Toots Thielemans: The Kid From Brussels . Theculturetrip.com . 19 December 2012 . 25 August 2016.
  33. Web site: Toots Thielemans On Piano Jazz . NPR . 30 September 2011 . 16 January 2015.
  34. Web site: Musician friends celebrate Thielemans' 90 years . Yahoo News . 29 September 2012 . 19 August 2014.
  35. News: Harvey Phillips, a Titan of the Tuba, Dies at 80. The New York Times. 24 October 2010. Wakin. Daniel J..
  36. News: Anouk . van Kampen . Toots Thielemans stopt ermee en annuleert alle concerten . NRC Handelsblad . 12 March 2014 . 16 January 2015.
  37. Web site: Kevin . Calluy . Alexander . Verstraete . Frederik . Defossez . Toots Thielemans beëindigt muzikale carrière . De Redactie . 12 March 2014 . 19 August 2014.
  38. Web site: Jazz Middelheim ook zonder Toots publiekstrekker . Nieuwsblad . 16 August 2014 . 16 January 2015.
  39. News: Toots Thielemans, Jazz Harmonica Player, Is Dead at 94 . Peter . Keepnews . . A20 . 22 August 2016.
  40. http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20160822_02434608 "Toots Thielemans Saturday buried in Terhulpen"
  41. Web site: VRT NWS | Flanders Today. Flanderstoday.eu. 28 August 2016. 18 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210118065949/http://www.flanderstoday.eu/video/1.2753523. dead.
  42. Web site: Persoonlijke boodschap van Obama voor weduwe Toots Thielemans . https://web.archive.org/web/20160828134701/http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/944/Celebrities/article/detail/2841508/2016/08/27/Persoonlijke-boodschap-van-Obama-voor-weduwe-Toots-Thielemans.dhtml. 28 August 2016. HLN.BE.
  43. Web site: Uitvaart Toots Thielemans: Woorden van troost van Barack Obama. 27 August 2016. Site-KnackFocus-NL.
  44. Web site: Emotion aux funérailles de Toots Thielemans en présence d'un public nombreux et de plusieurs personnalités: même Barack Obama a tenu à rendre hommage au musicien belge (vidéo). sudinfo.be. 27 August 2016 .
  45. News: Plus de 2.000 personnes et un hommage d'Obama pour les funérailles de Toots Thielemans. Le Soir.
  46. Web site: Moniteur Belge - Belgisch Staatsblad . 29 September 2019 . Ejustice.just.fgov.be.
  47. Etat présent de la noblesse belge, 4th series, 2003 /2014
  48. Web site: 24 January 2013 . Jean-Baptiste "Toots" Thielemans . 29 September 2019 . Arts.gov.
  49. Web site: Musil . Steven . Google Doodle Celebrates Harmonica Legend Toots Thielemans' 100th Birthday . 2022-04-29 . CNET . en.
  50. Web site: Bradshaw . Kyle . 2022-04-28 . Google Doodle honors Toots Thielemans, harmonica legend . 2022-04-29 . . en-US.
  51. Web site: Brussels metro station construction begins . 6 November 2020 .
  52. Web site: Suivez l'évolution du chantier Toots Thielemans | Metro 3 .
  53. Web site: Jazz Hot Actualités - Toots Thielemans . fr.
  54. Web site: BELGIE(N) - BELGIQUE. 25/06 Marka à la fête de la musique. au château du karreveld CULTURELE . fr.
  55. News: Virtueel Museum Grimbergen - Toots Thielemans . nl .
  56. Web site: Persoonlijke brief van president Obama voor Huguette, weduwe van Toots, tijdens uitvaart . 27 August 2016 . nl.
  57. News: Angèle reçoit un "Zinneke de bronze" pour son rôle d'ambassadrice de Bruxelles . fr .
  58. Web site: Home: Grammy Awards: Grammy Awards 1964 . en.
  59. Web site: Harmonica Virtuoso Toots Thielemans Dies at 94 . 31 August 2016 . en.
  60. Web site: Home: Grammy Awards: Grammy Awards 1980 . en.
  61. News: Northseajazz.com - Paul Acket Award . en .
  62. News: Manneken Pis krijgt een Toots Thielemans-kostuum . nl .
  63. News: Jean Toots Thielemans·German Jazz Trophy Preisträger 2004 . de .
  64. News: Les "Octaves" consacrent Saule artiste de l'année . fr .
  65. News: Toots Thielemans bekroond voor carrière . nl .
  66. News: Arts.gov - Jean-Baptiste "Toots" Thielemans . en .
  67. News: Artiesten - Toots Thielemans . nl .
  68. News: Toots Thielemans membre d'honneur de l'Union des Artistes du Spectacle . fr .
  69. News: Toots Thielemans range son harmonica . fr .
  70. News: MIA's geven Toots Thielemans postuum Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 . nl .
  71. News: 'Arrival,' 'La La Land' Among Film Music Critics Nominees . en .
  72. News: Hohner Signature Series - Toots Mellow Tone . en .
  73. News: Hohner Signature Series - Toots Hard Bopper . en .
  74. Web site: 26 April 1999 . VRT opent Studio Toots . . nl.
  75. Web site: Toots Thielemans Jazz Award 12e & 13e editie . 9 July 2021 . nl.
  76. Web site: Vorst heeft Toots Thielemansstraat . nl.
  77. Web site: E.F.A. A.R. Toots Thielemans - Prospérité . fr.
  78. Web site: A.R. Toots Thielemans . fr.
  79. Web site: Metro 3 - TOOTS THIELEMANS . fr.
  80. News: 5 choses que vous ne saviez pas sur le jazzman bruxellois Toots Thielemans . fr .
  81. Web site: 15 December 2017 . België 20 Euro 2017 Toots Thielemans . eurocoinhouse.com . nl.
  82. Web site: 25 August 2016 . Toots herdacht aan standbeeld . . nl.
  83. Web site: 16 November 2020 . VRT geeft Vlaamse artiesten een podium in De Toots Sessies . communicatie.canvas.be . nl.
  84. Web site: 29 April 2022 . Toots Thielemans' 100th Birthday . Google.

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