Toots Thielemans是比利时人。他是欧洲爵士音乐家中最顶尖的大师之一,曾于20世纪60年代在丹麦首都哥本哈根这一欧洲爵士乐的大本营发展多年,在那儿录制了不少唱片。Toots Thielemans 在技巧上和在感情演绎上,都很杰出,他的口琴solos可以去到非常复杂的程度,追得上钢琴和萨克士风那么复杂。Toots Thielemans 口琴之音色,永远是来得那么润和甜,从不显得单薄或吃力,实在赏心悦耳。Toots Thielemans 於口琴之运用,於今世界上,独领风骚,根本没有对手。 曾与Toots Thielemans合作的爵士乐及流行乐大师多不胜数,包括Benny Goodman、Stephane Grapelli、Charlie Parker、Bill Evans、Ella Fitzgerald、Dizzy Gillespie、Count Basie、Oscar Peterson、Gilberto Gil、Joe Pass、Pat Metheny、Quincy Jones、Edith Piaf、Paul MaCartney、Paul Simon、Billy Joel.......等,他曾以口琴为多部著名电影配乐,包括"午夜牛郎"、"亡命大煞星"、"横冲直撞大逃亡"、"吧女生涯原是梦"等,儿童电视节目"芝麻街"的主题曲,也是由他吹奏。因此即使你不认识他,也总会听过他的音乐,甚至已喜欢他。
by Scott Yanow
Although preceded by Larry Adler (who has actually spent much of his career playing popular and classical music), Toots Thielemans virtually introduced the chromatic harmonica as a jazz instrument. In fact, ever since the mid-50s, he has had no close competitors. Toots simply plays the harmonica with the dexterity of a saxophonist and has even successfully traded off with the likes of Oscar Peterson.
Toots Thielemans first instrument was the accordion, which he started when he was three. Although he started playing the harmonica when he was 17, Thielemans original reputation was made as a guitarist who was influenced by Django Reinhardt. Very much open to bop, Thielemans played in American GI clubs in Europe, visited the U.S. for the first time in 1947, and shared the bandstand with Charlie Parker at the Paris Jazz Festival of 1949. He toured Europe as a guitarist with the Benny Goodman Sextet in 1950, and the following year moved to the U.S. During 1953-1959, Toots was a member of the George Shearing quintet (mostly as a guitarist) and has freelanced ever since. He first recorded his big hit Bluesette (which featured his expert whistling and guitar) in 1961, and ever since has been greatly in demand (particularly for his harmonica and his whistling) on pop records (including many dates with Quincy Jones) and as a jazz soloist. Toots two-volume Brasil Project was popular in the 1990s and found him smoothly interacting on harmonica with top Brazilian musicians.