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Toots retiring?
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HawkeyeKane
2366 posts
Mar 12, 2014
9:24 AM
This just came across harp-L..

"FYI, Toots Thielmans' manager has declared that Toots has decided to cancel his next concerts, and to stop his musical career. Apparently, he feels not in enough good health to assume a complete concert, and doesn't want to disappoint his audience."

Wow....
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Hawkeye Kane
timeistight
1510 posts
Mar 12, 2014
9:49 AM
Yes, it's on the news wires:
BRUSSELS - Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans has decided to retire together with his trademark harmonica at age 91.

Thielemans made the announcement Wednesday when he cancelled a concert in Antwerp for a second time in three months for health reasons.

His manager, Veerle Van de Poel, said Thielemans "considers his energy too limited for a full concert. He doesn't want to disappoint his fans, hence his decision to stop playing."

The haunting sounds produced by his harmonica can be heard on movie classics like Hollywood's "Midnight Cowboy" and France's "Jean de Florette."

His most famous hit was the upbeat "Bluesette," which he composed in 1962, but kept adapting over the years.

Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo thanked Thielemans for "many magical moments."
barbequebob
2491 posts
Mar 12, 2014
10:03 AM
I'm glad I got a chance to see him a few times over the years. He's both a great jazz chromatic harp player but also a great jazz guitarist whose playing style is sort of in between Django Reinhardt and Al Casey. He's also a master whistler as well and his big hit Bluesette was originally done where he whistled and played guitar in unison.

Some musicians can play well into their 90's, but some just can't and so good for him looking out for his health.

Best time seeing him was when I was in NYC at Hopper's Cafe backed by former members of Chuck Mangione's bands and Toots did a version of John Coltrane's Giant Steps, where he did the first 5 choruses on harmonica, the next 5 on guitar and the final 5 whistling.

When it comes to jazz played on a chromatic harp, for me, he defines it.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
laurent2015
641 posts
Mar 12, 2014
11:10 AM
Sad, but expected.
Last time I've seen him in concert (3 years) in Brussels, he couldnt walk without leaning on someone.
barbequebob
2494 posts
Mar 12, 2014
11:14 AM
It's amazing how well he was able to play after suffering a stroke a few years back.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
root
15 posts
Mar 12, 2014
4:24 PM
As I recall, he had the stroke in 1982, at 60.It affected his left hand. I saw an interview on youtube in which he said it adversely affected his guitar playing.-Greg
capnj
211 posts
Mar 12, 2014
8:47 PM
Classy to say he didn't want to disappoint his fans,thus admitting he doesn't have it,but what a feat just living to 90,must less putting out concerts.Thanks barbecue didn't know he was a great whistler,and guitarist.

Kind of coincidental that this morning I was perusing a 1980 publication of Richard Hunter's Jazz Harp,which included a interview with Toots.He was a pucker player,who was horn orientated,took great influence from guitarist Django Reinhart,and sax men charlie parker,john coltrane.Says mostly learned a kind of grammar-scales,phrasing,rhythms,that kind of thing,instead of licks that would be to choppy on chromatic harmonica. He really liked blues harp guys,but didn't mess with the diatonic that much.

Hunters book has some great tablature of jazz masters songs,and tabs of major,minor scales on chro,along with arpeggio,triad,diminished scale info.

Last Edited by capnj on Mar 12, 2014 8:59 PM
barbequebob
2496 posts
Mar 13, 2014
10:21 AM
That's a GREAT book.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
WinslowYerxa
515 posts
Mar 13, 2014
11:38 AM
I got the news a couple of days ago from Dutch jazz harmonica player Hermine Deurloo. She she found out when his concert that she'd meant to attend was cancelled.

Toots has been a world traveler, recording and performing on three continents and keeping residences on two of them (in New York and Brussels) until just the last few years.

He's had an amazing run, but I could tell at the Carnegie Hall 90th birthday concert last year that he was beginning to falter. I can only hope to keep going that long.

His stated major jazz influences also include Lester Young and later Sonny Rollins, but you can hear both Miles Davis and Clifford Brown in his playing as well. He has big ears and can take the chromatic a lot of places.

Toots is the kind of guy who keeps both a guitar and a harmonica by his bed so that if he wakes up with an idea he can play it right away. I suspect he'll keep on doing that, just at home and away from the stress of live performance.

I can remember seeing Toots on off nights where you could tell he barely had it in him. Yet he was always a consummate pro and rose to the occasion. The Toots geeks like me might not hear that special magic, but he was always solid. Now he doesn't need to summon that kind of energy.
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Winslow
Find out about the 2014 Spring Harmonica Collective!

Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Mar 13, 2014 11:39 AM
Frank
4016 posts
Mar 13, 2014
12:42 PM
Men like Toots are very inspirational for fighting the good fight throughout their Senior years and well into old age...My Father is like that, Great Role Models for never giving up as they traveled down that dusty road :)

Last Edited by Frank on Mar 13, 2014 12:53 PM
The Iceman
1517 posts
Mar 13, 2014
5:05 PM
Three cute stories about Toots...

1. I booked him and Kenny Werner for St. Louis SPAH 2000. Picked him up at the airport. When I told him my name, he looked at me funny and told me he remembered seeing me play at the Detroit/Montreux Jazz Festival after his set in 1998 (I was doing a set w/the Detroit Jazz Allstars on the big stage).

2. Vicki gave him a ride to the airport after the convention in which he sat in the back seat and showed her how well he could play the comb (hair comb w/wax paper...hum through it to make music).

3. When I got back to Detroit a few days after the convention, there was a message on my answering machine..."Hello Larry. This is Toots. I just wanted to let you know that I made it home safely."

It was like grandpa calling to tell you he was alright after traveling back to Belgium.
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The Iceman


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