Toots Thielemans - ProfilesArchive

About Me

(Toots - 86th. birthday present) Our sound engineer, Chris Weeda, prepared a short movie about life backstage...
On November 22, 2007 the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Antwerp opened his renewed Toots' bar and restaurant . Toots, who stays often in his "personal suite" in this hotel, was honored by the fact that he was used as a source of inspiration for the decoration and the menu...
YOU & TOOTS? Check our pics-wanted-blog... !
Toots' bio:
- Born: Brussels, Belgium 1922
- Immigrated: USA 1952
- Played accordion at age 3
- Started playing harmonica as a hobby
- First guitar won on a bet
- "Hooked" on Jazz during German occupation
- First idol: Django Reinhardt
- Early influence: Charlie Parker
- Nicknamed "Toots" after musicians Toots Mondello and Toots Camarata
- First international break through: Joining Benny Goodman on European concert tour in 1950
- Early US jobs: member of Charlie Parker's All Stars in Philadelphia; George Shearing Quintet; ...
- Composed "Bluesette", 1962
- Originated new sound: Whistling and guitar in unison
- Whistler for commercials: Best known "Old Spice"
- Harmonica soloist for film scores: Midnight Cowboy, The Getaway, Sugarland Express, Cinderella Liberty, Turks Fruit, Jean de Florette , ...
- Concerts and recordings with names like: George Shearing, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Jaco Pastorius, Natalie Cole, Pat Metheny, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, ...
- Harmonica Soloist - TV: Sesame Street
- Perennial winner of Down Beat readers and critics poll "miscellaneous instruments"
- Favorite compliment (from the late Clifford Brown): "Toots, the way you play the harmonica they should not call it a miscellaneous instrument"
- "I can say without hesitation that Toots is one of the greatest musicians of our time. On his instrument he ranks with the best that jazz has ever produced. He goes for the heart and makes you cry. We have worked together more times than I can count and he always keeps me coming back for more ..." from Quincy Jones' liner notes Q's Jook Joint, 1995
Quincy Jones congratulating Toots Thielemans with his birthday
* IMPORTANT *
Please CHECK, for upcoming CONCERT DATES,
discography, merchandising, biz questions,
the management (Uncle Jazz), and so on... :
www.TootsThielemans.com .
Thanks!
P.S. And, to avoid disappointments: direct PERSONAL messages CAN NOT be delivered through MySpace. We are sorry! Consult for all contact details the above mentioned www.TootsThielemans.com. But,
TOOTS tries to READ the below personal COMMENTS as much as possible!
Of course it's hard to reply to them all... Do keep your PERSONAL messages for Toots coming, okay? Great, thanks!!!
p.p. Toots' management Uncle Jazz, Dirk Godts ;-)

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 9/1/2007
Band Website: tootsthielemans.com
Band Members: ONLY here on MySpace you can enjoy three live recorded tracks:

Please listen to I'm Old Fashioned, a live recording mid June 2001 at the Biblo Jazz Club in Kalmthout (Belgium) with Kenny Werner (p) and Toots.

What a Wonderful World was recorded September, 27 - 2006 in Nieuwegein (The Netherlands) with Hein van de Geyn (db), Hans van Oosterhout (d) and Karel Boehlee (p).

The third exclusive song here on MySpace is No More Blues (Chega de Saudade) and that track was live recorded on September, 2 - 2005 in Tanglewood, Massachusetts (United States); together with Kenny Werner (p), Oscar Castro-Neves (g) and Airto Moreira (d).

Upcoming shows? Check: www.TootsThielemans.com for further details...

Influences: Django Reinhardt, Charlie Parker, Benny Goodman, George Shearing, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Jaco Pastorius, Natalie Cole, Pat Metheny, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Clifford Brown, ...
Sounds Like:
Record Label: Universal Music
Type of Label: Major

My Blog

Toots is coming to the US, November shows in California. Tickets available: October 1...

Anthology, 1337 India Street (between Ash & A Streets downtown near Little Italy), San Diego, California CA 92101Line-up: Toots Thielemans, harmonica; Joe Labarbara, drums; Tom Warrington, bass an...
Posted by Toots Thielemans on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:30:00 PST

Toots Thielemans becomes 2009 NEA JAZZ MASTER (press release)...

PRESS RELEASE PERSBERICHT - COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE 4/6/2008TOOTS THIELEMANS BECOMES 2009 NEA JAZZ MASTERThe highest American distinctionNational Endowment for the Arts announces the 2009 NEA Jazz Mast...
Posted by Toots Thielemans on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:56:00 PST

"Toots 86th." Our sound engineer, Chris Weeda, prepared a short movie about life backstage

Toots - 86th... Our sound engineer, Chris Weeda, prepared a short movie about life backstage. Toots grants his myspace friends a peek behind the curtain. Enjoy !!! Dirk Uncle Jazz Produc...
Posted by Toots Thielemans on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:15:00 PST

Toots has a HIT on MySpace, MySpace becomes TootsSpace! ...

* April 22, 2008, Press Bulletin of Uncle Jazz Productions (Toots Thielemans), Belgium *Toots has a HIT on MySpace,MySpace becomes TootsSpace!"That little space between a smile and a tear", where Toot...
Posted by Toots Thielemans on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:32:00 PST

Down Beat 2007....

Toots received his plaques for the Down Beat Critics and Readers Poll for 2007.He likes to thank all readers, critics and Downbeat for their support, and votes....
Posted by Toots Thielemans on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:59:00 PST

TOOTS Thielemans street in Brussels (Forest Vorst) . . .

On January 31 2008 Toots Thielemans was honoured in Vorst-Forest (part of Brussels) by naming a new (to be constructed) street after him.After the official inauguration in the Hall of Honor of the Tow...
Posted by Toots Thielemans on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 06:42:00 PST

YOU & TOOTS (pics wanted) . . .

We have a new idea! We are looking for pictures of YOU and TOOTS. We'll publish them here on the official Toots' MySpace! So, if you have a such photo of yourself and Toots, plea...
Posted by Toots Thielemans on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:33:00 PST

Crowne Plaza Hotel in Antwerp opened 22-11 his renewed Toots bar and restaurant . . .

On November 22, 2007 the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Antwerp opened his renewed bar and restaurant. Toots, who stays often in his "personal suite" in this hotel, was honored by the fact that he was used as ...
Posted by Toots Thielemans on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 07:18:00 PST

The portfolio - Toots 85th birthday by photographer Jos L. Knaepen

The portfolio - Toots' 85th birthday by photographer Jos L. KnaepenTo celebrate Toots' 85th birthday, a selection of 20 pictures by photographer Jos L. Knaepen has been compiled in a very luxurious po...
Posted by Toots Thielemans on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:34:00 PST

Official Jean TOOTS THIELEMANS MySpace launched 27/9/2007! Please add . . .

Please add Toots as your friend too: http://www.myspace.com/jeantootsthielemans It took some time, but yesterday Dirk Godts - finally - posted me three songs, exclusive for the one and only Jea...
Posted by Toots Thielemans on Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:24:00 PST