Toots Thielemans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Toots Thielemans
|
|
|---|---|
Thielemans in 2006
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor Thielemans |
| Born | 29 April 1922 Brussels, Belgium |
| Died | 22 August 2016 (aged 94) Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Chromatic harmonica, guitar, accordion |
| Years active | 1949–2014 |
Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (born April 29, 1922 – died August 22, 2016), known as Toots Thielemans, was a famous jazz musician from Belgium. He was best known for playing the chromatic harmonica. He was also great at playing the guitar, whistling, and writing music.
A jazz expert named Ted Gioia said that Toots Thielemans made the harmonica a respected instrument in jazz music. Toots became the top jazz harmonica player in the world.
Toots first played professionally with Benny Goodman's band when they toured Europe in 1949 and 1950. He moved to the U.S. in 1951 and became a citizen in 1957. From 1953 to 1959, he played with George Shearing. After that, he led his own music groups on tours in the U.S. and Europe.
In 1961, he recorded his own song, "Bluesette". In this song, he played guitar and whistled at the same time. In the 1970s and 1980s, he kept touring and recording. He played with many famous musicians like Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Bill Evans, and Quincy Jones.
Toots Thielemans recorded music for many movies. These included The Pawnbroker (1964) and Midnight Cowboy (1969). His harmonica theme song for the popular Sesame Street TV show was played for 40 years! Quincy Jones often worked with Toots. He once called Toots "one of the greatest musicians of our time." In 2009, Toots was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts. This is the highest award for a jazz musician in the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Toots Thielemans was born in Brussels, Belgium, on April 29, 1922. His parents owned a café. He started playing music very young. At age three, he used a homemade accordion.
During World War II, starting in 1940, he became very interested in jazz music. He taught himself to play the harmonica and a full-size accordion when he was a teenager.
He discovered the music of a Belgian jazz guitarist named Django Reinhardt. This inspired him to teach himself guitar. He learned by listening to Reinhardt's recordings. At that time, Toots was studying mathematics in college. By the end of the war in 1945, he decided to be a full-time musician. He once said that Django Reinhardt still made him emotional when he heard his music.
Music Career Highlights
Starting Out in the 1940s and 1950s
_(cropped).jpg)
In 1949, Toots joined a jam session in Paris. He played with famous musicians like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. After the war, he heard the fast bebop style of jazz from records by Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. These musicians became his musical heroes. He also loved the music of Benny Goodman and Lester Young.
In 1948, Toots visited the U.S. An agent for Benny Goodman heard him play in a small New York music club. Soon after, Toots got a letter inviting him to join Goodman's band for their European tour. He happily accepted and toured with them in 1949 and 1950. Goodman was surprised to learn that Toots had never earned money from playing music before these tours.
During these years, Toots also made his first record with tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims. In 1951, he toured with singer Bobbejaan Schoepen, playing only the guitar.
Toots moved to the United States in 1952. He played with Charlie Parker's All-Stars and worked with Miles Davis. In 1957, he became a U.S. citizen. From 1953 to 1959, he played guitar and harmonica with the George Shearing Quintet. With Shearing, he also started whistling as part of his performance.
In 1960, while on tour with Shearing, a young musician named John Lennon saw Toots play. Lennon noticed that Toots played a Rickenbacker guitar. Lennon was so impressed that he felt he needed an American guitar too. Lennon and The Beatles later made Rickenbacker guitars very famous.
In 1955, Toots recorded his first album as a band leader, called "The Sound." Throughout the 1950s, he was often voted the best in the "miscellaneous instrument" category in Down Beat magazine's poll.
From 1959 onwards, he toured the world with his own small group. He also recorded with many singers and musicians. These included Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Metheny, Oscar Peterson, and jazz pianist Bill Evans. Toots said his recording with Bill Evans's trio, Affinity (1979), was one of his favorites.
Hits and Movie Music in the 1960s and 1970s
Toots Thielemans wrote "Bluesette," a very popular jazz song. He played it on harmonica or by playing guitar and whistling at the same time. He said, "If there's a piece of music that describes me, it's that song." He first recorded it in 1962. Later, words were added to the song, and it became a huge worldwide hit. Over one hundred artists have recorded their own versions of "Bluesette." Toots also wrote the song "Lady Fingers," which was on Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass's album "Whipped Cream and Other Delights."
He worked as a bandleader and also played with other musicians. He did many projects with composer Quincy Jones. In the 1960s, he performed on TV with Peggy Lee. In 1969, he recorded "Honeysuckle Rose Aquarela Do Brasil" with singer Elis Regina.
Toots played on the soundtracks for many movies. These included The Pawnbroker (1964), Midnight Cowboy (1969), and The Getaway (1972). His famous closing theme for the TV show Sesame Street was heard for 40 years.
His music was also used in Belgian and Dutch TV shows. He wrote music for a Swedish film in 1974. His whistling and harmonica playing were heard in Old Spice commercials in the 1960s. He played harmonica on a song for Paul Simon's 1975 album, Still Crazy After All These Years.
Later Career in the 1980s and Beyond
In the early 1980s, Toots appeared several times on Late Night with David Letterman. He performed with bassist Jaco Pastorius. In 1983, he played on Billy Joel's album An Innocent Man, on the song "Leave A Tender Moment Alone." A year later, he played on Julian Lennon's song "Too Late for Goodbyes" from the album Valotte.
In the 1990s, Toots worked on projects that included world music. In 1998, he released a French-style album called Chez Toots. It featured guest singer Johnny Mathis.
Toots often recorded songs as tributes to musicians who influenced him. On Chez Toots, he included "Dance For Victor," for his keyboard player, Victor Feldman. He also recorded "Waltz for Sonny" for saxophonist Sonny Rollins. In 2002, he performed his version of "Imagine," a tribute to John Lennon.
Toots was well-liked in Belgium for being humble and kind. He often called himself a Brussels "ket," which means "street kid" in old Brussels slang.
Later Life and Retirement
In 2005, Toots was nominated for the title of the Greatest Belgian. He finished 20th in the Flemish version and 44th in the Walloon version. In 2009, he played with guitarist Philip Catherine to celebrate 100 years since Django Reinhardt's birth. In 2012, Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York celebrated Toots' 90th birthday. Famous musicians like Herbie Hancock performed. Toots also played for the event.
Because of health problems, Toots announced his retirement on March 12, 2014. He canceled all his planned concerts. He was also in the hospital for a broken arm. His manager said Toots "wants to enjoy the rest he deserves." However, he made one more surprise appearance in August 2014 at a jazz festival in Antwerp.
Death and Legacy
Toots Thielemans passed away in Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium, at the age of 94.
After his death, the Metropole Orkest and Quincy Jones performed in London to honor him. Another concert was held in Brussels.
Toots Thielemans was buried on August 27, 2016, near Brussels. Pianist Kenny Werner read a special message from U.S. President Barack Obama to Toots' wife, Huguette. Obama's message said that Toots' music would bring comfort to everyone.
Toots Thielemans Collection
In December 2016, the Royal Library of Belgium received the Toots Thielemans Collection. This collection includes hundreds of recordings and thousands of documents. There are photos, newspaper articles, music scores, letters, and concert programs.
Honors and Awards
Toots Thielemans received an honorary doctorate from two universities in Belgium. In 2001, King Albert II made him a Baron for life. This was to recognize his amazing contribution to music. His motto became: Be yourself, no more no less.
In 2006, a special concert was held for him at Carnegie Hall. Herbie Hancock and Paquito D'Rivera were among the performers. In 2009, he received the "Jazz Master" award from The National Endowment for the Arts. This is the highest jazz honor in the U.S. On April 29, 2022, Google celebrated Toots Thielemans' 100th birthday with a special Google Doodle.
- He was made a Commander in the Belgian Order of Leopold.
- He was made a Knight in the French Order of Arts and Letters.
- He received honorary doctorates from ULB and VUB universities.
- He was an honorary citizen of several Belgian towns.
Other Tributes
- Two types of Hohner harmonicas are named after him: Toots Mellow Tone and Toots Hard Bopper.
- A music studio in Brussels, Studio Toots, opened in 1999.
- The Toots Thielemans Jazz Awards started in Brussels in 2007.
- Streets in Forrest, Brussels and Middelburg are named after him.
- Schools in Brussels are named E.F.A. A.R. Toots Thielemans and Athénée Royal Toots Thielemans.
- A Brussels metro station is named Toots Thielemans.
- An asteroid, (13079) Toots, is named after him.
- Statues of Toots Thielemans can be found in Lissewege (2011) and La Hulpe (2018).
- The Toots Sessies are music sessions by different artists organized by VRT since 2020.
Images for kids
-
Toots Thielemans (left) and Joe Marsala (right), around 1947
-
Thielemans at La Brasserie, 1975
See also
In Spanish: Toots Thielemans para niños
