Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

playing, as well as his guitar and

whistling Whistling without the use of an artificial whistle is achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips, usually after applying moisture (licking one's lips or placing water upon them) and then blowing or sucking air through the space. The a ...

skills, and composing. According to jazz historian

Ted Gioia Ted Gioia (born October 21, 1957) is an American jazz critic and music historian. He is author of eleven books, including ''Music: A Subversive History'', '' The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire'', ''The History of Jazz'' and ''Delta Blu ...

, his most important contribution was in "championing the humble harmonica", which Thielemans made into a "legitimate voice in jazz".Gioia, Ted. ''The History of Jazz'', Oxford Univ. Press (2011) p. 382 He eventually became the "preeminent" jazz harmonica player.Morton, Brian, and Cook, Richard. ''The Penguin Jazz Guide: the History of the Music in the 1000 Best Albums'', Penguin UK, (2010) ebook. 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 Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 ...

, 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 Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

, Sarah Vaughan,

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

, Dizzy Gillespie,

Kenny Werner Kenny Werner (born November 19, 1951) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and author. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 19, 1951 and then growing up in Oceanside, Long Island, Werner began playing and performing at a young ...

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

Mina Mazzini Mina may refer to: Places Iran * Minaq, East Azerbaijan * Mina, Fars * Mineh, Lorestan Province * Mina, Razavi Khorasan * Mehneh, Razavi Khorasan Province United States * Mina, California * Mina, Nevada * Mina, New York * Mina, Ohio * M ...

Elis Regina Elis Regina Carvalho Costa (March 17, 1945 – January 19, 2002), known professionally as Elis Regina (), was a Brazilian singer of MPB and jazz music. She is also the mother of the singers Maria Rita and Pedro Mariano. She became national ...

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...

, Paul Simon and Paquito D'Rivera. Thielemans recorded the soundtracks for ''

The Pawnbroker ''The Pawnbroker'' (1961) is a novel by Edward Lewis Wallant which tells the story of Sol Nazerman, a concentration camp survivor who suffers flashbacks of his past Nazi imprisonment as he tries to cope with his daily life operating a pawn sh ...

'' (1964), ''

Midnight Cowboy ''Midnight Cowboy'' is a 1969 American drama film, based on the 1965 novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. The film was written by Waldo Salt, directed by John Schlesinger, and stars Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, with notable smaller ...

'' (1969), '' The Getaway'' (1972), ''

Cinderella Liberty ''Cinderella Liberty'' is a 1973 American drama film adapted by Daryl Ponicsan from his 1973 novel of the same title. The film tells the story of a sailor who falls in love with a prostitute and becomes a surrogate father for her 10-year-old mix ...

'' (1973), ''

The Sugarland Express ''The Sugarland Express'' is a 1974 American crime drama film directed by Steven Spielberg in his directorial debut. The film follows a woman (Goldie Hawn) and her husband (William Atherton) as they take a police officer ( Michael Sacks) hostage ...

'' (1974) and '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977). His harmonica theme song for the popular ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...

'' TV show was heard for 40 years. He often performed and recorded with

, 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 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, the highest honor for a jazz musician in the United States.

Early years

Thielemans was born in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

on 29 April 1922. 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. After being introduced to the music of Belgian-born jazz guitarist

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...

, 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.Carr, Ian; Fairweather, Digby. ''The Rough Guide to Jazz'', Rough Guides (2004) p. 788 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."Field, Kim. ''Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers: the Evolution of the People's Instrument'', Rowman & Littlefield (1993) pp. 253-255 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." He played in two Silverio Pisu stories: ''Giacomino passerotto vagabondo'' and ''Manolo gattino sognatore''.

Career

1940s–1950s

In 1949 he joined a jam session in Paris with

Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His erratic temp ...

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

,"Belgian jazz harmonica great Toots Thielemans passes away at 94"
, ''The Economic Times'', 23 August 2016

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...

and others. He first heard the faster

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...

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 Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most ...

began to impress him the most. 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. Although Thielemans was hired on as a guitarist, when Goodman's group debuted at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...

, he played the harmonica due to union restrictions. During those years, he also made his first record with fellow band member, tenor saxophonist

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

. In 1951 he toured with singer-songwriter and compatriot

Bobbejaan Schoepen Bobbejaan Schoepen (a pseudonym of Modest Schoepen; 16 May 1925 – 17 May 2010) was a Flemish pioneer in Belgian pop music, vaudeville, and European country music. Schoepen was a versatile entertainer, entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, guit ...

, performing strictly as a guitarist. Thielemans moved to the United States in 1952 where he was a member of Charlie Parker's All-Stars and worked with

and

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

. In 1957 he became a U.S. citizen."'Toots' Thielemans, master of the jazz harmonica, dies at 94"
''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', 22 August 2016 From 1953 to 1959 he played guitar and harmonica with the

Quintet. With Shearing, he added whistling to his repertoire. While playing in Hamburg in 1960 on tour with Shearing, a young musician and observer —

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

— noticed that Thielemans played a Rickenbacker guitar. 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. 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 ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' magazine's poll. Jerry Murad, of

Jerry Murad's Harmonicats Jerry Murad's Harmonicats were an American harmonica-based group. Background The band was founded in 1947. Originally they were named The Harmonica Madcaps and the group consisted of Jerry Murad ( chromatic lead harmonica), Bob Hadamik (bass h ...

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

Stephane Grappelli Stephane may refer to: * Stéphane, a French given name * Stephane (Ancient Greece), a vestment in ancient Greece * Stephane (Paphlagonia) Stephane ( grc, Στεφάνη) was a small port town on the coast of ancient Paphlagonia, according to Arr ...

J.J. Johnson J.J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop. Biography ...

Shirley Horn Shirley Valerie Horn (May 1, 1934 – October 20, 2005) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She collaborated with many jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and ot ...

Joe Pass Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua; January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. Pass is well known for his work stemming from numerous collaborations with pianist Oscar Peterson and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, an ...

, and jazz pianist

, 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, which he performed on harmonica or while playing the guitar and whistling in unison. 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 Norman Gimbel (November 16, 1927 – December 19, 2018) was an American lyricist of popular songs, television and movie themes. He wrote the lyrics for songs including " Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Ready to Take a Chance Again" (both wit ...

, the song became a major worldwide hit. It has since been covered by over one hundred artists. Toots also wrote the ballad "Lady Fingers," 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

. In the 1960s he performed on television with Peggy Lee. In 1969 he recorded " Honeysuckle Rose Aquarela Do Brasil" with singer

and performed with her on Swedish television special. During his career he performed on many film soundtracks, such as ''

'' (1964), ''

'' (1969), '' The Getaway'' (1972), ''

Turkish Delight Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often f ...

'' (1973), ''

'' (1974), ''

The Yakuza ''The Yakuza'' is a 1974 neo-noir crime drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Mitchum, Ken Takakura and Brian Keith. The screenplay by Paul Schrader and Robert Towne is from a story by Schrader's brother, Leonard Schrader. ...

'' (1974), '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977), ''

The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...

'' (1978), '' Jean de Florette'' (1986), and ''

French Kiss A French kiss, also known as cataglottism or a tongue kiss, is an amorous kiss in which the participants' tongues extend to touch each other's lips or tongue. A kiss with the tongue stimulates the partner's lips, tongue and mouth, which are sens ...

'' (1995). His closing theme to the popular ''

'' television show was heard for 40 years. His music was heard on the Belgian television series ''

Witse ''Witse'' is a Dutch language crime drama produced by Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, F ...

,'' and in the Netherlands, for the '' Baantjer'' program. He composed the music for the 1974 Swedish film ''

Dunderklumpen! ''Dunderklumpen!'' is a 1974 Swedish family film directed by Per Åhlin, which combines animation and live action. The story involves several musical numbers. It was released on 26 September 1974. At the 11th Guldbagge Awards, Åhlin won a Special ...

,'' in which he also provided the voice of the animated character Pellegnillot. His whistling and harmonica playing was heard on

Old Spice Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products encompassing aftershaves, deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, body washes, and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble. Old Spice was launched as Early American Old Spice by W ...

commercials in the 1960s. He played harmonica on "Night Game" on Paul Simon's 1975 album ''

Still Crazy After All These Years ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' is the fourth solo studio album by Paul Simon. Recorded and released in 1975, the album produced four U.S. Top 40 hits: " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (No. 1), " Gone at Last" (No. 23), " My Little Town" (No. ...

''.

1980s and later

During the early 1980s Thielemans was a guest a number of times on '' Late Night with David Letterman.'' He performed with the bassist

, and in 1983 he contributed to

's album ''

An Innocent Man ''An Innocent Man'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on August 8, 1983. The concept album is a tribute to the American popular music of Joel's adolescent years with Joel paying homage to a number of ...

,'' in the song, "Leave A Tender Moment Alone." (The two later collaborated on this selection in concert, and this was recorded o
video
) A year later, he appeared on the

Julian Lennon Julian Charles John Lennon (born John Charles Julian Lennon; 8 April 1963) is an English musician. He is the son of Beatles member John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia, and he is named after his paternal grandmother, Julia Lennon. Julian i ...

song " Too Late for Goodbyes" from the album ''

Valotte ''Valotte'' is the debut studio album by singer-songwriter Julian Lennon. The album was produced by Phil Ramone and recorded at several studios from February to August 1984. It was released in October 1984 on Charisma and Atlantic. The album was ...

.'' 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. 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 Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...

. Similarly, he recorded "Waltz for Sonny" as a tribute to saxophonist Sonny Rollins. In June 1998, at Germany's Jazzbaltica, he paid tribute to

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

who died a month earlier. And during the first Caspian Jazz and Blues Festival in

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

in 2002, he performed his recorded version of "Imagine," his tribute to its writer,

. 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.

Later life

He was nominated for the title of the Greatest Belgian in 2005. In the

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

version, he finished in 20th place, and in the Walloon version he came 44th. On 23 January 2009, he joined guitarist

Philip Catherine Philip Catherine (born 27 October 1942) is a Belgian jazz guitarist. Biography Philip Catherine was born in London, England, to an English mother and Belgian father, and was raised in Brussels, Belgium. His grandfather was a violinist in the ...

on stage at the Liberchies church (Belgium) in memory of the 100th anniversary of the birth of

. In 2012, the Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts in New York celebrated Thieleman's 90th birthday with, among others,

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias
BrowseBiography.com, 20 November 2011; retrieved 10 September 2014. is a Brazilian

. He performed for the occasion and left the stage standing among his friends. 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. His manager stated that Thielemans "wants to enjoy the rest he deserves." However, he did make one more stage appearance, unannounced, in August 2014, at the Jazz Middelheim Festival in Antwerp.

Death

Thielemans died in

Braine-l'Alleud Braine-l'Alleud (; nl, Eigenbrakel ; wa, Brinne-l'-Alou) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium, about south of Brussels. The municipality consists of the following districts: Braine-l'Alleud (includ ...

, Belgium, at the age of 94. After the announcement, the Netherlands-based jazz and pop orchestra Metropole Orkest, along with American musician

, performed at London's

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in Thielemans' honor."Toots Thielemans Saturday buried in Terhulpen"
''dS De Standard'', Belgium, 22 August 2016 Another concert was performed at the

Grand-Place The Grand-Place (French, ; "Grand Square"; also used in English) or Grote Markt (Dutch, ; "Big Market") is the central square of Brussels, Belgium. It is surrounded by opulent Baroque guildhalls of the former Guilds of Brussels and two larger ...

, Brussels. Thielemans was buried on 27 August 2016 in

La Hulpe La Hulpe (; nl, Terhulpen, ; wa, L’ Elpe) is a municipality of Wallonia in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, 20 km south-east of the centre of Brussels, but only about 3 km from the edge of the Brussels-Capital Region. On Janua ...

, just outside Brussels. Pianist

read a personal message from U.S. President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

for his widow, Huguette. 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."

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 The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) () is a Dutch and English-speaking research university located in Brussels, Belgium.The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is one of the five universities officially recognised by the Flemish government. listof all ...

, Belgium. In 2001, he was raised into the

Belgian nobility The Belgian nobility comprises Belgian individuals or families recognized as noble with or without a title of nobility in the Kingdom of Belgium. The Belgian constitution states that no specific privileges are attached to the nobility. History ...

by King Albert II and created ''

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

'' Thielemans for life, this in recognition of his contribution to music. Herewith, he chose the motto ''Be yourself, no more no less''.Etat présent de la noblesse belge, 4th series, 2003 /2014 In 2006, Thielemans was honoured by an all-star tribute concert for him at Carnegie Hall. Pianist

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 The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

. He was celebrated by a

Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...

on his 100th birthday, 29 April 2022.

Titles of Honour

* Created "Baron Thielemans" by Royal Order * Commander in the Belgian Order of Leopold * Knight in the Belgian

Order of Leopold II The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgi ...

* Knight in the French

Order of Arts and Letters The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

* Commander in the Brazilian

Order of Rio Branco The Order of Rio Branco (''Ordem de Rio Branco'') is an honorific order of Brazil instituted by decree 51.697 of February 5, 1963. It is named in honor of the Brazilian diplomat José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco. The President of Brazil serves ...

* Honorary doctorate of the universities ULB and VUB

Awards

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nomination for Best Instrumental Theme "Bluesette": 1964 * DownBeat winner Miscellaneous Instruments (harmonica): 1978->1996, 1999->2008, 2011, 2012 * Grammy Award nomination for

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album The Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album has been presented since 1961. From 1962 to 1971 and 1979 to 1991 the award title specified instrumental performances. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works ...

Affinity Affinity may refer to: Commerce, finance and law * Affinity (law), kinship by marriage * Affinity analysis, a market research and business management technique * Affinity Credit Union, a Saskatchewan-based credit union * Affinity Equity Par ...

": 1980 * Grammy Award nomination for

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo The Grammy Award for Best Improvised Jazz Solo has been awarded since 1959. Before 1979 the award title did not specify instrumental performances and was presented for instrumental or vocal performances. The award has had several minor name change ...

"Bluesette": 1992 * Zamu Music Lifetime Achievement Award: 1994 *

North Sea Jazz The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam. This is because the Statenhal where the festival w ...

Bird Award: 1995 *

Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical The Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1959. The award had several minor name changes: * In 1959, the award was known as Best Engineered Record – Non-Classical * In 1960, it was awarded as Best Engineeri ...

Q's Jook Joint ''Q's Jook Joint'' is an album by Quincy Jones, released in 1995 by Qwest Records. The album reached No. 1 on the '' Billboard'' jazz albums chart on December 30, 1995. ''Q's Jook Joint'' won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classi ...

": 1997 * Edison Jazz Career Award: 2001 * German Jazz Trophy: 2004 * Octaves de la Musique Album of the Year "One More for the Road": 2006 * Bronze Zinneke Award: 2006 * Klara Career Prize: 2007 * NEA Jazz Master Award: 2009 *

Concertgebouw The Royal Concertgebouw ( nl, Koninklijk Concertgebouw, ) is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" translates into English as "concert building". Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls in ...

Jazz Award: 2009 *

San Sebastian Jazz Festival Jazzaldia, more commonly known as the San Sebastian Jazz Festival, is a jazz festival in San Sebastian, Spain, held every year during the third week of July, and lasting for five days. The festival was founded in 1966, as the first jazz festiv ...

Premio Donostiako: 2011 * Honorary member of the Union of Performing Artists: 2011 * French

Académie Charles Cros The Académie Charles Cros (Charles Cros Academy) is an organization located in Chézy-sur-Marne, France, that acts as an intermediary between government cultural policy makers and professionals in music and the recording industry. The academy is ...

Career Award: 2012 *

Music Industry The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...

Lifetime Achievement Award: 2017 *

IFMCA The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) is a professional association for music journalism, online, print and radio journalists who specialize in writing about film score, original film and television music. History and purpose ...

Award nomination - Best Film Music Compilation Album “The Cinema of Quincy Jones”: 2017

Name references

* 2 Hohner harmonica types, Toots Mellow Tone and Toots Hard Bopper * The Toots Thielemans Jazz Awards in Brussels, from 2007 * Streets in Forrest, Brussels (Rue Toots Thielemans/Toots Thielemansstraat) and

Middelburg Middelburg may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Europe * Middelburg, Zeeland, the capital city of the province of Zeeland, southwestern Netherlands ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Middelburg, a former Catholic diocese with its see in the Zeeland ...

(Toots Thielemansstraat) * Schools in Brussels, E.F.A. A.R. Toots Thielemans, and Athénée Royal Toots Thielemans * A

Brussels metro The Brussels Metro (french: Métro de Bruxelles, nl, Brusselse metro) is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of four conventional metro lines and three ''premetro'' lines. The me ...

station Toots Thielemans * An asteroid (13079) Toots Thielemans was honorary citizen of Dinant,

Molenbeek ( French, ) or (Dutch, ), often simply called Molenbeek, is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, from which it is separated ...

Sint-Amands Sint-Amands () is a town and a former municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp, Belgium. The municipality comprises the towns of Lippelo, Oppuurs and Sint-Amands proper. In 2021, Sint-Amands had a total population of 8,524. The tot ...

and

Discography

As leader

* ''The Sound'' ( Columbia, 1955) * '' Man Bites Harmonica!' (

Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...

, 1958) * ''Time Out for Toots'' (

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

, 1958) * ''The Soul of Toots Thielemans'' with

Ray Bryant Raphael Homer "Ray" Bryant (December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 24, 1931. His mother was an ordained minister who had tau ...

(

Signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...

, 1960) * ''Blues for Flirter (aka Try a Little Tenderness)'' (

Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States ...

, 1961) * ''Road to Romance'' with Orchestra Directed by

Kurt Edelhagen Kurt Edelhagen (born 5 June 1920 – 8 February 1982) was a German big band leader. He was born in Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Edelhagen studied conducting and piano in Essen. In 1945, he started a trio, then a big band a year later. ...

(Polydor, 1961) * ''The Romantic Sounds of Toots Thielemans'' (

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

, 1962) * ''Jazz Workshop Concert - Ruhrfestspiele 1962'' with

Friedrich Gulda Friedrich Gulda (16 May 1930 – 27 January 2000) was an Austrian pianist and composer who worked in both the classical and jazz fields. Biography Early life and career Born in Vienna the son of a teacher, Gulda began learning to play the piano ...

Herb Geller Herbert Arnold Geller (November 2, 1928 – December 19, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger. He was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. Early life His mother, Frances ''(née'' Frances Mildred Fullman, al ...

Ack van Rooyen Ack van Rooyen (1 January 1930, The Hague – 18 November 2021) was a Dutch jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist. He was the brother of Jerry van Rooyen. Van Rooyen began playing with a military band as a teenager, touring bases in Indonesia. He the ...

and

Hans Koller Antonio Hans Cyrill Koller (12 February 1921 in Vienna – 21 December 2003 in Vienna) was an Austrian jazz tenor saxophonist and bandleader. Koller attended the University of Vienna from 1936 to 1939 and served in the armed forces from 1940 to 1 ...

(Columbia, 1962) * ''Toots Thielemans'' (Columbia, 1963) * ''The Whistler and His Guitar'' (

ABC-Paramount ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...

, 1964) * ''Too Much! Toots!'' (

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...

, 1965) * ''Contrasts'' (

Command Command may refer to: Computing * Command (computing), a statement in a computer language * COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS * Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards * ...

, 1966) * ''Toots'' (Command, 1968) * ''Toots on Tour'' (Philips, 1968) * '' Honeysuckle Rose Aquarela Do Brasil'' (aka Elis & Toots) with

(Phillips, 1969) * ''Toots in Holland'' (Philips, 1970) * ''A Taste of Toots'' (Philips, 1970) * ''Yesterday and Today'' with

Svend Asmussen Svend Asmussen (28 February 1916 – 7 February 2017) was a Danish jazz violinist, known as "The Fiddling Viking". A Swing style virtuoso, he played and recorded with many of the other jazz musicians, including Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and S ...

( A&M, 1973) * ''Captured Alive'' (Choice, 1974) * ''Toots Thielemans/Philip Catherine & Friends'' ( Keytone, 1974) Limetree,_1996).html"_;"title="Timeless_Records.html"_;"title="eissued_with_2_bonus_tracks_as_Two_Generations_(Timeless_Records">Limetree,_1996)">Timeless_Records.html"_;"title="eissued_with_2_bonus_tracks_as_Two_Generations_(Timeless_Records">Limetree,_1996)*_''Old_Friend''_(Polydor,_1974) *_''Sweet_&_Lovely''_(ABC,_1975) *_''Sherlock_Jones_Original_Soundtrack''_(Polydor,_1974) *_''Toots_Möter_Taube''_(Sonet_Records.html" "title="Timeless_Records">Limetree,_1996).html" ;"title="Timeless_Records.html" ;"title="eissued with 2 bonus tracks as Two Generations (Timeless Records">Limetree, 1996)">Timeless_Records.html" ;"title="eissued with 2 bonus tracks as Two Generations (Timeless Records">Limetree, 1996)* ''Old Friend'' (Polydor, 1974) * ''Sweet & Lovely'' (ABC, 1975) * ''Sherlock Jones Original Soundtrack'' (Polydor, 1974) * ''Toots Möter Taube'' (Sonet Records">Sonet Synchronous optical networking (SONET) and synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) are standardized protocols that transfer multiple digital bit streams synchronously over optical fiber using lasers or highly coherent light from light-emitting diode ...

, 1978) * ''Höresund'' with Östen Warnerbring (Frituna Sweden, 1979) * ''Johnny Larsen'' with C.V. Jørgensen (Metronome Denmark, 1979) * ''When I See You'' with Bill Ramsey (singer), Bill Ramsey (Erus Technik Gmbh, 1980) * ''Collage'' (

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

, 1980) * ''Swing on Birdland Vol.4'' with Yuzuru Sera (Canyon, 1980) * ''The Guitar Session'' with

Gene Bertoncini Gene J. Bertoncini (born 6 April 1937) is an American jazz guitarist. Biography Bertoncini was born in New York City, where he was raised in a musical family. His father, Mario Bertoncini (1901–1978), played guitar and harmonica. Gene began pl ...

(

Inner City The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...

, 1981) * ''Slow Motion'' ( Jazz Man, 1981) * ''Toots & Louis '' with

Louis Van Dijk Louis van Dijk, also spelled Louis van Dyke (27 November 1941 – 12 April 2020), was a beloved Dutch pianist. Born as Arnold Ludwig van Dijk in Amsterdam, he studied solo piano at the Amsterdam Conservatorium. Louis van Dijk became well-known fo ...

(Polydor, 1982) * ''Live'' (Inner City, 1982) * ''Live 2'' (Inner City, 1982) * ''Live 3'' (Inner City, 1982) * ''Live in the Netherlands'' (

Pablo Pablo is a Spanish form of the name Paul. People *Pablo Alborán, Spanish singer *Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer * Pablo Armero, Colombian footballer * Pablo Bartholomew, Indian photojournalist * Pablo Brandán, Argentine footballer * Pablo Br ...

, 1982) * ''Steel Tenor Madness'' (HEP, 1982) * ''Midnight Cruiser'' (Better Days Japan, 1983) * ''

Christian Escoudé Christian Escoudé (born 1947) is a French Gypsy jazz guitarist. He grew up in Angoulême and is of Romani descent on his father's side. His father was also a guitarist who was influenced by Django Reinhardt. When Escoudé was ten, his father b ...

Group feat. Toots Thielemans'' (JMS France, 1983) * ''Harmonica Jazz'' (CBS, 1984) * ''Bringing It Together'' with

(Cymekob, 1984) * ''YaKsa (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) with

Masahiko Satoh is a Japanese jazz pianist, composer and arranger. Early life Satoh was born in Tokyo on 6 October 1941. His mother was Setsu and his father, who owned small businesses, was Yoshiaki Satoh. The house that his family moved into in 1944 contained ...

Yukihide Takekawa is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Urawa-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture. He is best known for being the vocalist to the band Godiego as well as his solo career and his work as an author. Some of his compositions have been featured in video ...

(Interface Japan, 1985) * ''Chiko's Bar'' with

Sivuca Severino Dias de Oliveira (May 26, 1930 – December 14, 2006), known professionally as Sivuca, was a Brazilian accordionist, guitarist and singer. In addition to his home state of Paraíba, Brazil, and cities Recife and Rio de Janeiro, he worke ...

(Sonet, 1985) * ''Your Precious Love'' (Sonet, 1985) * ''Bande Originale Du Film "Une Femme Ou Deux"'' with

Kevin Mulligan __NOTOC__ Kevin Mulligan (born 23 June 1951) is a British philosopher, working on ontology, the philosophy of mind, and Austrian philosophy. He is currently Honorary Professor at the University of Geneva, Full Professor at the University of It ...

(

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

, 1985) * ''Just Friends'' with

Paul Kuhn Paul Kuhn may refer to: * Paul Kuhn (tenor) (1874–1966), German operatic tenor * Paul Kuhn (band leader) Paul Kuhn (12 March 1928 – 23 September 2013) was a German jazz musician, band leader, singer and pianist. He was the band leader of t ...

(

Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...

, 1986) * ''Check It Out'' with Mezzoforte (BBC Radioplay Music, 1986) * ''Toots & Svend'' with Svend Asmussen (Sonet, 1987) * ''Home Coming'' (CBS, 1987) * ''Only Trust Your Heart'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the j ...

, 1988) * ''Romantic Gala'' (Dino Music, 1988) * ''Rosinha De Valença-Flavio Faria'' with

Rosinha De Valença Maria Rosa Canelas (July 30, 1941 – June 10, 2004), better known as Rosinha de Valença, was a Brazilian composer, arranger and musician. She is considered one of the best acoustic guitarists in Brazilian music and played with many famous artis ...

(RGE, 1989) * ''Toots Thielemans In Tokyo ( Denon, 1989) * ''Footprints'' (EmArcy Records, 1990) * ''Spotlight'' (Sonet, 1990) * ''Apple Dimple'' (Denon, 1990) * ''For My Lady'' with the Shirley Horn Trio (

EmArcy EmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by the American Mercury Records. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company. During the 1950s and 1960s, musicians such as Max Roach, Clifford Brown ...

, 1991) * ''Make Someone Happy'' with Mary Kay (Gam Jam, 1991) * ''L'Or De L'Île Carn'' with Sirius (Keltia Musique, 1992) * ''The Brazil Project'' (

Private Music Private Music was an American independent record label founded in 1984 by musician Peter Baumann as a "home for instrumental music". Baumann signed Ravi Shankar, Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Andy Summers, Patrick O'Hearn, Leo Kottke, and his former ...

, 1992) * ''Martial Solal Toots Thielemans'' with

Martial Solal Martial Solal (born August 23, 1927) is a French jazz pianist and composer. Biography Solal was born in Algiers, French Algeria, to Algerian Jewish parents. He was persuaded to study clarinet, saxophone, and piano by his mother, who was an oper ...

( Erato, 1992) * ''The Brazil Project Volume 2'' (Private Music, 1993) * ''Calling Me Back Home'' with

Randy Bernsen Randy Bernsen (born July 15, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist. Career Bernsen was born in Needham, Massachusetts and grew up in Florida. He attended high school in Plantation and was active in the clubs of South Florida, starting at age 1 ...

(101 South Records, 1993) * ''Do Not Leave Me'' (

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, 1994) * ''East Coast West Coast'' (Private Music, 1994) * ''Chez Toots'' (Private Music, 1998) * ''Chet & Toots'' with Åke Johansson Trio and Chet Baker ( Dragon, 1998) * ''Accentuate the Positive'' with

Joe Kennedy Jr. Joe Kennedy Jr. (1923 – April 17, 2004) was an American jazz violinist and educator. Kennedy was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He performed and recorded with pianist Ahmad Jamal and was director of jazz studies at Virginia Tech from 1984 t ...

(CAP, 1998) * ''The Live Takes Volume 1'' (

Narada Narada ( sa, नारद, ), or Narada Muni, is a sage divinity, famous in Hindu traditions as a travelling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He is one of mind-created children of Brahma, the creator god. He ...

, 2000) * ''Toots Thielemans and Kenny Werner'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

, 2001) * ''This Heart Of Mine'' with Jackie Ryan and Ernie Watts (OpenArt Records, 2003) * ''Lady Be Good'' with

DR Big Band The Danish Radio Big Band (aka: DR Big Band), often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a radio ensemble and big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964 at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). Band history Originally called the New Radio ...

and

Etta Cameron Etta Cameron (born Ettamae Louvita Coakley; 21 November 1939 – 4 March 2010) was a The Bahamas, Bahamian–Danish people, Danish singer. She especially sang jazz and gospel music, gospel, and left her mark in the Danish music culture through h ...

(Content Records, 2003) * ''One More for the Road'' (Verve, 2006) * ''European Quartet Live'' (Challenge Jazz, 2010) * ''Live in Brussels'' with

Tito Puente Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz ...

(Smith & Co, 2011) * ''Toots 90'' (Challenge Jazz, 2012) * ''What a Wonderful World'' (Challenge Records, 2012) * ''Airegin'' (Vinyl Passion, 2014)

As sideman

With

* ''Shearing in Hi-Fi'' (MGM, 1955) * ''The Shearing Spell'' (

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

, 1955) * ''Lullaby of Birdland'' (MGM, 1957) * '' Latin Affair'' (Capitol, 1958) * ''Jazz Conceptions'' (MGM, 1958) * '' Latin Lace'' (Capitol, 1958) * ''

Beauty and the Beat! ''Beauty and the Beat!'' is a 1959 album (see 1959 in music) by Peggy Lee, accompanied by the George Shearing Quintet. Sleeve notes The notes on the back cover of the original 1959 LP are in the exaggerated style that was common at the time an ...

'' (Capitol, 1958) * ''Rap Your Troubles in Drums'' (MGM, 1959) * ''Shearing on Stage!'' (Capitol, 1959) * ''On the Sunny Side of the Strip'' (Capitol, 1960) With

and

Dakota Staton Dakota Staton (June 3, 1930 – April 10, 2007) was an American jazz vocalist who found international acclaim with the 1957 No. 4 hit "The Late, Late Show". She was also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for a period due to her conversion to ...

* '' In the Night'' (Capitol, 1958) With Peggy Lee * ''

Blues Cross Country ''Blues Cross Country'' is a 1962 studio album by Peggy Lee, principally arranged by Quincy Jones, with some arrangements by Benny Carter. The album can be described as a concept album, consisting of a musical journey across the United States t ...

'' (Capitol, 1962) * '' Somethin' Groovy!'' (Capitol, 1967) With

* '' Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini'' ( Mercury, 1964) * ''

'' (Mercury, 1964) * ''

Walk, Don't Run ''Walk, Don't Run'' is a 1966 American comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Cary Grant, Samantha Eggar, and Jim Hutton. The film, which was Grant's last film role, is set during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. It is a remake ...

'' (

Mainstream Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso Mu ...

, 1966) * ''

Walking in Space ''Walking in Space'' is a 1969 studio album by Quincy Jones. The album was recorded for A&M who released the album with a cover photo of Jones taken by Pete Turner. Vocalist Valerie Simpson is featured on the title track, an arrangement of a ...

'' (A&M, 1969) * ''

Gula Matari ''Gula Matari'' is a 1970 studio album by Quincy Jones. Track listing # "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Paul Simon) – 5:09 # "Gula Matari" (Quincy Jones) – 13:02 # "Walkin'" (Richard Carpenter) – 8:02 # "Hummin'" (Nat Adderley) – 8:08 Per ...

'' (A&M, 1970) * ''

Smackwater Jack ''Smackwater Jack'' is a 1971 studio album by Quincy Jones. Tracks include the theme music to '' Ironside'' and ''The Bill Cosby Show''. Track listing # " Smackwater Jack" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) – 3:31 # "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" (Vin ...

'' (A&M, 1971) * ''

You've Got It Bad Girl ''You've Got It Bad Girl'' is a 1973 album by the American jazz musician/producer Quincy Jones. The title track is a song written by Yvonne Wright and Stevie Wonder and was originally released on Wonder's 1972 album ''Talking Book''. Here Jone ...

'' (A&M, 1973) * '' Mellow Madness'' (A&M, 1975) * '' The Dude'' (A&M, 1981) * ''

'' (

Qwest Qwest Communications International, Inc. was a United States telecommunications carrier. Qwest provided local service in 14 western and midwestern U.S. states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dako ...

, 1995) With

Brook Benton Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960 ...

* '' Brook Benton Today'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, 1970) With

Melanie Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness" and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark".Gather Me'' ( Neighborhood, 1971) * ''As I See It Now'' (Neighborhood, 1975) With John Denver * ''

Aerie Aerie (a variant of eyrie) is the bird nest of an eagle, falcon, hawk, or other bird of prey. Aerie may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Aerie (Baldur's Gate), Aerie (''Baldur's Gate''), a character in ''Baldur' ...

'' (

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

, 1971) * ''

Farewell Andromeda ''Farewell Andromeda'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter John Denver, released in June 1973. The LP made Billboard's Top 20, reaching No. 16, with three singles subsequently released: "I'd Rather Be a Cowboy" 62 POP, ...

'' (RCA, 1973) With Paul Simon * ''

'' (Columbia, 1975) With

* '' The Oscar Peterson Big 6 at Montreux'' (

, 1975) * '' Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival, 1980'' (Pablo, 1980) With Urbie Green * '' The Fox'' ( CTI, 1976) With

Jay Berliner Jay Berliner (born May 24, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American guitarist who has worked with Harry Belafonte, Ron Carter, Charles Mingus, and Van Morrison, among others. Career Berliner had his first television experience at age seven w ...

and Richard Resnicoff * '' The Guitar Session (Philips, 1977) With

* ''

'' (

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

, 1979) With Dizzy Gillespie * ''

Digital at Montreux, 1980 ''Digital at Montreux, 1980'' is a live album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie with Toots Thielemans and Bernard Purdie recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1980 and released on the Pablo label.Sarah Vaughan * ''

Songs of The Beatles A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

'' (Atlantic, 1981) With

* ''

Word of Mouth Word of mouth, or ''viva voce'', is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one pe ...

'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1981) With

* ''

'' (Columbia, 1983) With Michael Franks * '' Passionfruit'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1983) With

* ''

'' (Atlantic, 1984) With

* Chiko's Bar (1985) (Sonet, 1985) With

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias
BrowseBiography.com, 20 November 2011; retrieved 10 September 2014. is a Brazilian

Illusions An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may oc ...

'' (Denon, 1986) * ''

Bossa Nova Stories ''Bossa Nova Stories'' is the nineteenth studio album by Brazilian jazz artist Eliane Elias, released on 24 June 2008 by Blue Note Records. The album is a tribute to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the bossa nova music style. Reception Crist ...

'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

, 2008) With

Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress. Easton came into the public eye in an episode of the first British musical reality television programme '' The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to ...

* ''

No Sound But a Heart ''No Sound But a Heart'' is Sheena Easton's eighth studio album, released in 1987 on the EMI America label. The album was issued in the Canadian, Mexican and Asian markets. The album consists of midtempo and ballad songs, including the single and ...

'' (

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

, 1987) With

James Last James Last (, ; born Hans Last; 17 April 1929 – 9 June 2015), also known as Hansi, was a German composer and big band leader of the James Last Orchestra. Initially a jazz bassist (Last won the award for "best bassist" in Germany in each of ...

* '' Theme from Der Landarzt'' (Polydor, 1987) With

* '' Secret Story'' ( Geffen, 1992) With

Diane Schuur Diane Joan Schuur (born December 10, 1953), nicknamed "Deedles", is an American jazz singer and pianist. As of 2015, Schuur had released 23 albums, and had extended her jazz repertoire to include essences of Latin, gospel, pop and country music ...

* ''Love Songs'' ( GRP, 1993) With

Jay Anderson Jay Anderson (born October 24, 1955) is an American jazz double-bassist and studio musician. Career Anderson received a bachelor's degree from California State University, Long Beach in 1978, then worked with Woody Herman (1978-1979), Carmen McRa ...

* '' Local Color'' ( DMP, 1994) With

* '' Stardust'' ( Elektra, 1996) With

*'' I Remember Miles'' (Verve, 1998) With

Fumio Karashima was a Japanese jazz pianist. Life and career Karashima began playing the piano at the age of three. His father was a music teacher at Kyushu University; Karashima attended the same university. He stayed in New York in 1973, but returned to Japa ...

* ''Rencontre'' (Polydor, 1999) With

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarin ...

* '' Flights of Fancy: Trio Fascination Edition Two'' (Blue Note, 2001) With

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

* ''

James Taylor at Christmas ''James Taylor at Christmas'' is the seventeenth studio and second Christmas album by singer-songwriter James Taylor, released by Columbia Records in 2006. It was his last release for Columbia since signing with them in 1977. The album is essen ...

'' (Columbia, 2006) With

Aziza Mustafa Zadeh Aziza Mustafa Zadeh ( az, Əzizə Mustafazadə; born December 19, 1969) is an Azerbaijani singer, pianist, and composer who plays a fusion of jazz and mugham (a traditional improvisational style of Azerbaijan) with classical and avant-garde i ...

* ''Jazziza'' (Columbia, 1997)

References

External links

* *
Official MySpace page

NEA Jazz Masters

Toots Thielemans Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2005) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thielemans, Toots 1922 births 2016 deaths 20th-century guitarists 20th-century Belgian musicians 21st-century guitarists 21st-century Belgian musicians Barons of Belgium Bebop harmonica players Belgian emigrants to the United States Belgian expatriates in the United States Belgian jazz guitarists Belgian jazz harmonica players Brazilian jazz (genre) harmonica players Jazz harmonica players Latin jazz harmonica players Mainstream jazz harmonica players Musicians from Brussels People from Uccle Private Music artists Riverside Records artists Whistlers EmArcy Records artists Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Early years

Career

1940s–1950s

1960s–1970s

1980s and later

Later life

Death

Toots Thielemans Collection

Honours and awards

Titles of Honour

Awards

Name references

Discography

As leader

As sideman

References

Further reading

External links