The Live Takes, Vol. 1 (Remaster) Toots Thielemans

• 1 I Loves You Porgy / Summertime 11:48
• 2 Comerçar De Novo 09:52
• 3 Hard to Say Goodbye 03:50
• 4 Stardust 04:18
• 5 Body and Soul 08:44
• 6 I Do It for Love 07:35
• 7 Three Views of a Secret 06:36
• 8 All the Way 04:20
• 9 That Misty Red Beast 11:22
• Total Runtime 01:08:25

Info for The Live Takes, Vol. 1 (Remaster)

„Der Mann an der Mundharmonika ist längst Legende. Wer ihn nicht als Solisten diverser Jazz-Formationen gehört hat, dem ist die spitz-schräpige Mundharmonika des Belgiers mindestens schon mal als Filmmusik begegnet: ein Schwarzweiß-Gangster-Movie wird erst durch die Musik von Thielemans erst richtig spannend, niemand kann so viel Spannung und Verlorenheit mit wenigen Tönen erzeugen. Die 'Live Takes' sind Mitschnitte diverser Auftritte in den 90ern, alles in kleiner Besetzung (Baß, Klavier, Drums) exzellent aufgenommen. Mit 'Body And Soul', 'Summertime' oder 'Stardust' gibt's hauptsächlich Klassiker, die längst auch in die Pop-Geschichte eingegangen sind. Begleitet von Jazz-Größen wie Adam Nussbaum, Jay Anderson oder Michael Herr sind die 'Live Takes' ein qualitativ hochwertiger Jedermanns-Jazz, der sich einfach gut anhört.“ (Tim Aulbid)

Toots Thielemans, harmonica
Nathalie Loriers, piano (on track 1)
Kenny Werner, piano, keyboards (on tracks 2-3, 5, 8-9)
Michel Herr, piano, keyboards (on tracks 4, 6-7)
Sal La Rocca, double bass (on track 1)
Ray Drummond, double bass (on tracks 2-3)
Jay Anderson, double bass (on tracks 5, 8-9)
Michel Hatzigeorgiou, electric bass (on tracks 6-7)
Bruno Castellucci, drums (on tracks 6-7)
Adam Nussbaum, drums (on tracks 5, 8-9)
Jukkis Uotila, drums (on tracks 2-3)

Recorded live in 1994-1998 in various locations in Belgium and in Birdland, New York
Engineered by Vincent Tempels, David Ruffo

Digitally remastered

Jean “Toots” Thielemans
was born in Brussels, Belgium on April, 29 1922. He played accordion at the age of 3 and started playing harmonica as a hobby. His first guitar, won on a bet. During the German occupation he got hooked on Jazz or as he says himself, “contaminated” by the jazz virus. His first idol was Django Reinhardt and very early he was influenced by Charlie Parker. He got his nickname “Toots” after Toots Mondello and Toots Camarata. First international break through was when he joined Benny Goodman on an European Concert tour in 1950. Immigrating to the USA in 1952, he became a member of the Charlie Parker’s All Stars in Philadelphia and worked for 6 years with the George Shearing Quintet.

Toots originated a new sound by whistling and playing the guitar in unisono which he did for commercials. The best known is “Old Spice”. In 1962 he composed “ Bluesette”. He was asked as harmonica soloist for many filmscores such as, Midnight Cowboy, The Getaway, Sugarland Express, Cinderella Liberty, Turks Fruit, Jean de Florette… Toots played concerts and made recordings with musicians like George Shearing, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Jaco Pastorius, Natalie Cole, Pat Metheny, Paul Simon, Billy Joel… You can hear him as a soloist on the TV theme of Sesame Street. Until two years ago he was the perennial winner of Down Beat readers and critics poll in the category “miscellaneous instruments”.

2001- The King of Belgium, Albert II the King honored him with the title “ Baron”. That same year he received the title Professor Honoris Causa at the 2 universities of Brussels, Belgium. Also receiving from Gilberto Gill in 2006 the title “Comendador da Ordem do Rio Branco”, a very high distinction in Brasil.

2008- The National Endowment for the Arts honored him with the NEA 2009 Jazz Master Award, the highest distinction for a Jazz musician in the USA.

2009- Toots received the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Jazz Award in The Netherlands. His favorite compliment is from the late Clifford Brown “Toots, the way you play the harmonica they should not call it a miscellaneous instrument”.

This album contains no booklet.