Toots Thielemans

On this special edition of Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center, which was taped at Cleveland, Ohio's Severance Hall, Dr. Taylor welcomes an old friend who's one of jazz's most beloved legends -- guitarist, whistler, and harmonica player Toots Thielemans. With virtuosity to match a bebop saxophonist, the Belgium-born master introduced the chromatic harmonica to the jazz world.

After a lively rendition of Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way," Thielemans talks with Dr. Taylor about his early days as a musician in Belgium. Filling his story with various humorous anecdotes, Thielemans tells Dr. Taylor how the music of the legendary trumpeter Louis Armstrong saved him from a career of mathematics. The conversation quickly leads into Thielemans' recollection of sitting in with a bebop band in Miami, where composer Quincy Jones commented on Thielemans' blues sensibilities. And to demonstrate Thielemans' command of swing and the blues, he along with Dr. Taylor's trio delivers an effervescent version of "I Can't Get Started."

Very passionate and conversant, Thielemans is also very animated when it comes to demonstrating various techniques on the harmonica. He informs the audience of the two basic harmonicas - diatonic and the chromatic. Then, he talks about the techniques of inhaling and exhaling while stringing notes together in a melody. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Taylor asks Thielemans about one of his signature compositions, "Bluesette." Thielemans responds in another humorous story about him sharing a dressing room with the legendary violinist Stephane Grappelli. While turning his guitar, Thielemans developed a little song that eventually became "Bluesette." Thielemans quickly switches to guitar, and with Dr. Taylor's trio, delivers an enchanting rendition of "Bluesette."

As the conversation progresses, Thielemans tells Dr. Taylor how he fell in love the music of the great Duke Ellington, during the early 1940's. Dr. Taylor directs the conversation towards Thielemans involvement with various film projects. In addition to providing that anonymous whistling in the famous Old Spice commercial, and performing on movie scores like Midnight Cowboy, Thielemans' harmonica playing is also featured in the classic theme song for the legendary children's TV program, Sesame Street. After leading the audience in a brief fun-filled version of Sesame Street, Thielemans talks about his involvement with the movie, Midnight Cowboy, which lead into a lovely reading of the theme song.

During the Q&A portion of the show, one audience member asked Thielemans if he experienced additional pressure to prove himself as a jazz musician because of the choice of his instrument. Thielemans answers by saying that he has always been accepted as a musician. Dr. Taylor reiterates Thielemans statement by noting that Thielemans had impressed many jazz musicians with his vocabulary of the art form even before he came to the U.S. To demonstrate his improvisational skills, Thielemans joins Dr. Taylor's trio in a reading of "Invitation."

Dr. Taylor moves the conversation in another direction by asking Thielemans about his special affinity for Brazilian music. With both passionate discussion and informative demonstrations, Thielemans talks about the mechanics of Brazil's melancholy harmonies, which he describes as between a smile and a tear. After a heartfelt and humorous evening, Thielemans and Dr. Taylor closes the evening with Miles Davis' immortal, "All Blues."