- Born
- 29 April 1922
Marolles - Marollen - Died
- 22 August 2016
Braine-l'Alleud - Country
- Belgium
- Active
- 1954–2014
- Record labels
- Columbia Records, Philips Records, Polydor Records, Riverside, ABC Records
- Discography
- 48 albums
Biography
Toots Thielemans was a jazz musician who played guitar, violin and chromatic harmonica. Toots Thielemans was born on 29 April 1922 in Marolles - Marollen and died on 22 August 2016 in Braine-l'Alleud. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Columbia Records, Philips Records, Polydor Records and Riverside. The discography here lists 48 albums, from “The Sound: The Amazing Jean "Toots" Thielemans” (1955) to “The Soul Of Toots Thielemans” (2010). Honours include Paul Acket Award (1995), Commander of the Order of Leopold (1997) and honorary doctorate of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (2001).
Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans ([tuts tiləmans]), was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for playing the chromatic harmonica, as well as his guitar and whistling skills, and composing. According to jazz historian Ted Gioia, his most important contribution was in "championing the humble harmonica", which Thielemans made into a "legitimate voice in jazz". He eventually became the "preeminent" jazz harmonica player. 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, 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.
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Discography
Studio and live albums
Also plays on
Albums where Toots Thielemans is credited as a sideman
| 1972 | A Message From the People — Ray Charles |
| 1975 | Mellow Madness — Quincy Jones |
| 1981 | “The Dude” — Quincy Jones |
Standards written by Toots Thielemans
Awards
- 1995 Paul Acket Award
- 1997 Commander of the Order of Leopold
- 2001 honorary doctorate of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- 2006 Commander of the Order of Rio Branco
- 2009 NEA Jazz Masters
- 2011 octave d'honneur
- 2012 In Honorem - interprète
- Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
- Bronze Zinneke
- Knight of the Order of Leopold II
Historic 78 rpm records
- JAZZ ME BLUES "HARMONICA" TOOTS THIELEMANS et son Ensemble · Dale · Delaney archive.org ↗
- LES YEUX NOIRS "HARMONICA" TOOTS THIELEMANS et son Ensemble archive.org ↗
- NALEN BOOGIE "HARMONICA" TOOTS THIELEMANS et son Ensemble · Toors · Thielemans archive.org ↗
- HOT CANARI "HARMONICA" TOOTS THIELEMANS et son Ensemble · Poljakin archive.org ↗
- JAZZ ME BLUES TOOTS THIELEMANS TRIO · Toots Thielemans · Reinhold Svensson · Sven… · 1950 archive.org ↗
- NALEN BOOGIE TOOTS THIELEMANS TRIO · Toots Thielemans · Reinhold Svensson · Sven… · 1950 archive.org ↗
Listen on Spotify
Frequently asked questions
What instrument did Toots Thielemans play?
Toots Thielemans is known for playing guitar, violin and chromatic harmonica.
When and where was Toots Thielemans born?
Toots Thielemans was born 29 April 1922 in Marolles - Marollen.
What are Toots Thielemans's best-known albums?
Albums in our database include The Sound: The Amazing Jean "Toots" Thielemans (1955), The Whistler and His Guitar (1964), Elis & Toots (1969), Captured Alive (1974) and Live (1974).
External links
- en.wikipedia.org ↗
- de.wikipedia.org ↗
- it.wikipedia.org ↗
- wikidata.org ↗
- musicbrainz.org ↗
- discogs.com ↗
- allmusic.com ↗
- tootsthielemans.com ↗
Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.