I used to go to all of Toots' performances when he visited the San Francisco Bay Area. I would buy his latest C.D.s at the venues and get his autograph on each one, along with snapping selfies (before cell phones had cameras) and we would talk later about music, musicians and Jazz. I asked him if he had any understudy or protege waiting in the wings to take over when he "retired". He mentioned a few names, but nobody in particular. I told him that he is the original, and certainly the best. He always liked hearing that. And it is true. He was playing advanced Jazz harp long before anyone else, and he legitimized the harmonica sound into the world of orchestral music, as he also did for so many lush and deeply passionate movie score soundtracks. The melancholy voice of his instrument could melt your heart on ballads. He took the simplest folk musical instrument and made it sing like a Stradavari violin. He completely and successfully married the harmonica to sophisticated legitimate orchestral music in a way that presented aspects of both a wind instrument and the human voice. A sound that would break your heart on sad tunes and excite you with joy on up-tempo tunes. Toots was certainly a world class original artist whose contribution to the world of music and to audiences was unique and cherished.
Today I went to the Toots exposition in Brussels. Such a great experience because they are really telling the story but do it in between a laugh and a tear. A true homage to the late great ket from les marolles...rue haute 241 ... Salute! Side note: I cried like a small child during his rendition of ne me quitte pas with Kenny Werner at jazz middelheim so look that one up if you're reading this...
You could lose every other You Tube video that exists.. but not this one. I never saw anyone illustrate the past and bring it back to such passionate life. I salute the interviewer for his chemistry with Toots…
Mike Pattavina - i'M 86 and I first saw Toots when he played a gig in the old Laurier Club in Lowell Mass with the Shearing quartet. in 1950. He only played the guitar then.
Mr. Thielemans this week finally announced his retirement from performing, so to be able to see him here reminiscing about his extraordinary career makes a fan like me feel very fortunate. Many thanks for making this interview available to us all!
Love it! What a nice man Toots was! So sweet and straight as an arrow. Never said a bad word about anyone... Boy, what an inspiration this man was/is. R.I.P. Dear Toots!
Toots came over to my place since we are both Flemish - and showed us his newest wrinkle : he played guitar and harmonica simultaneously - I had to do the strumming. Unbelievable. 7 months later Columbia came out with an LP of this combination - double tracked of course. A real swinger, I think Tommy Flanagan on the piano. Charles
wonderful Toots....saw him a few times in the Hamptons in the early 80's. ALWAYS kind and friendly!!!! he used to drive around in a red Caddy convertible with his wife.....great stuff!
"among the greatest jazz harmonica players of the century." ?? Who the best never matters, but I don't think I'm alone to say that Toot's is the BEST in Jazz, period. Not to say that the others are not great (especially Tollak Ollestad, Philip Achille, and Gregoire Maret, but as incredible those players are.. and there are about 10 more top players).. there is no comparison, Toot's is the KING.
I used to go to all of Toots' performances when he visited the San Francisco Bay Area. I would buy his latest C.D.s at the venues and get his autograph on each one, along with snapping selfies (before cell phones had cameras) and we would talk later about music, musicians and Jazz. I asked him if he had any understudy or
protege waiting in the wings to take over when he "retired". He mentioned a few names, but nobody in particular. I told him that he is the original, and certainly the best. He always liked hearing that.
And it is true. He was playing advanced Jazz harp long before anyone else, and he legitimized the harmonica sound into the world of orchestral music, as he also did for so many lush and deeply passionate movie score soundtracks. The melancholy voice of his instrument could melt your heart on ballads. He took the simplest folk musical instrument and made it sing like a Stradavari violin.
He completely and successfully married the harmonica to sophisticated legitimate orchestral music in a way that presented aspects of both a wind instrument and the human voice. A sound that would break your heart on sad tunes and excite you with joy on up-tempo tunes.
Toots was certainly a world class original artist whose contribution to the world of music and to audiences was unique and cherished.
Today I went to the Toots exposition in Brussels. Such a great experience because they are really telling the story but do it in between a laugh and a tear. A true homage to the late great ket from les marolles...rue haute 241 ... Salute! Side note: I cried like a small child during his rendition of ne me quitte pas with Kenny Werner at jazz middelheim so look that one up if you're reading this...
You could lose every other You Tube video that exists.. but not this one. I never saw anyone illustrate the past and bring it back to such passionate life. I salute the interviewer for his chemistry with Toots…
I totally concur. A wonderful man.
What a Sweet man he was. RIP "MAESTRO TOOTS THIELEMANS."...
How good it has been to share this world with artists of this caliber.
Mike Pattavina - i'M 86 and I first saw Toots when he played a gig in the old Laurier Club in Lowell Mass with the Shearing quartet. in 1950. He only played the guitar then.
Mr. Thielemans this week finally announced his retirement from performing, so to be able to see him here reminiscing about his extraordinary career makes a fan like me feel very fortunate. Many thanks for making this interview available to us all!
Listen to Toots playing with Jaco. So beautiful.
Wow. Thank you so much for this amazing interview with Toots. What an incredible life he has lived. Absolutely amazing!
Love it! What a nice man Toots was! So sweet and straight as an arrow. Never said a bad word about anyone... Boy, what an inspiration this man was/is. R.I.P. Dear Toots!
Toots came over to my place since we are both Flemish - and showed us his newest wrinkle : he played guitar and harmonica simultaneously - I had to do the strumming. Unbelievable. 7 months later Columbia came out with an LP of this combination - double tracked of course. A real swinger, I think Tommy Flanagan on the piano.
Charles
wonderful Toots....saw him a few times in the Hamptons in the early 80's. ALWAYS kind and friendly!!!! he used to drive around in a red Caddy convertible with his wife.....great stuff!
Loved it! Such an inspiration. Thank you Toots for your wonderful music. What a life.
Fantastic interview !
Thank you soo very much !
An amazing man....the best.
RIP Jean, Toots whatever, the Kid from Brussels !
Thanks for everything...
Bob Chops 😂🤣
Great! Thank you for posting it!
Love you for ever Toots
Miss you muchly Toots!
Great!!
"among the greatest jazz harmonica players of the century." ?? Who the best never matters, but I don't think I'm alone to say that Toot's is the BEST in Jazz, period. Not to say that the others are not great (especially Tollak Ollestad, Philip Achille, and Gregoire Maret, but as incredible those players are.. and there are about 10 more top players).. there is no comparison, Toot's is the KING.
Toots Live in Belgium (youtube) with Jaco Pastorius is beautiful- Three Views Of A Secret
as an NYU grad, I will I was there...
There is NOW second like him ?
why I dream