Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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THIELEMANS, Toots

(b Jean Baptiste Thielemans, 29 April 1922, Brussels; d 22 August 2016) Harmonica, guitar; composer; he also whistled in unison with his guitar, as on his best-known tune, 'Bluesette'. His (uncredited) harmonica became part of the Sesame Street theme.

He played accordion as a child; studied math at college; took up harmonica as teenager, then guitar inspired by Django Reinhardt. He was influenced by bop after WWII and shared a bill with Charlie Parker in Paris '49; he first visited the USA '47. He toured Europe with Benny Goodman '50 and was subsequently resident in the USA. He worked with George Shearing '53-9; led his own groups and had much studio work, with Quincy Jones including hit LPs '69-71; a dozen or so contributions to film soundtracks included Midnight Cowboy '69. 'Bluesette' has had at least 100 recordings. Many records as a sideman included Big Six Live At Montreux '75 on Pablo with Oscar Peterson, also with Zoot Sims, J.J. Johnson etc. Own LPs: Man Bites Harmonica '57 on Riverside, Captured Alive '74 on Choice, Live '75 on Polydor, Sun Games '82 on Timeless, Apple Dimple '86 on Denon, Aquerela Do Brazil '87 on Verve; also When I See You on Jeton with Bill Ramsey, Autumn Leaves on Soul Note, Harmonica Jazz on CBS, Music For The Millions on Polydor, Toots & Svend (Asmussen) on A&M, Live In The Netherlands on Pablo with Joe Pass and Niels Henning Orsted-Pederson, Only Trust Your Heart '88 on Concord. East Coast, West Coast on Private Music had an all-star cast including Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, Alan Broadbent etc; The Brazil Project and Vol II were also on Private Music, the latter including Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Don Caymmi etc. Footprints on EmArcy had Mulgrew Miller; The Silver Collection and For My Lady (with Shirley Horn) were on Verve; Do Not Leave Me (live in Brussels '86) on both Stash and Milan included Joey Baron and Fred Hirsch; Bluesiana Hot Sauce on Shanachie had Ray Anderson, Eddie Gomez, Michal Brecker etc.

He collaborated with an enormous number of jazz people and pop stars, and was the best-loved citizen of Belgium, where he said he was just a 'ket' (a street kid).