TOOTS THIELEMANS – Four Classic Albums (2 CDs) AVID

AVID Jazz continues with its Four Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD release from Toots Thielemans complete with original artwork
“Man Bites Harmonica”; “Blues Pour Flirter”; “Toots Thielemans” and “The Romantic Sounds Of Toots Thielemans”
In this release AVID pay tribute to the recently departed harmonica player, guitarist and whistler and one of Belgium greatest exports (along with Jacques Brel, Django Reinhardt, Tin Tin and Hercule Poirot ), Toots Thielemans who died on August 22nd 2016. Starting out playing the accordion at age 3, Toots became attracted to jazz during the German occupation of Belgium in 1940. He began by teaching himself guitar listening to recordings by fellow Belgian, the extraordinary guitarist Django Reinhardt. By 1949 he was playing guitar in Paris with Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. During a short trip to America he was heard playing guitar by the agent of Benny Goodman and by the time he had returned to Belgium an invitation had arrived for Toots to join Goodman on his European tours of 1949 and 1950. Ostensibly he was hired to play guitar but due to union restrictions in the UK he switched to the harmonica at the London Palladium gig. Goodman was shocked to be told by Toots that these were his first paid jobs as a musician! From 1953-1959 he played guitar and harmonica in the George Shearing Quintet and it was during this time that he added whistling to his repertoire. Other musicians Toots has played with include Zoot Sims, Max Roach, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Stephane Grappelli and Bill Evans (of which their album together Affinity was one of Toots’s favourites). At his funeral in Belgium, no less a personage than Barack Obama sent a message of sympathy to Toots’s widow Huguette. Listen, enjoy and remember Toots Thielemans.

CD1
1-8: ‘Man Bites Harmonica’
1. East Of The Sun
2. Don’t Blame Me
3. 18th Century
4. Soul Station
5. Fundamental Frequency
6. Struttin’ With Some Barbecue
7. Imagination
8. Isn’t It Romantic?
9-19: ‘Blues Pour Flirter’
9. Winter In Madrid
10. Willow Weep For Me
11. Satin Doll
12. Bag’s Groove
13. We’ll Be Together Again
14. Hot Toddy
15. Try A Little Tenderness
16. Talk To Me
17. Le Trottoir
18. Honeysuckle Rose
19. Flirt

CD2
1-14: ‘Toots Thielemans’
1. The Mountain Whistler
2. The Green Leaves Of Summer
3. Pentecostal Feeling
4. Moonlight Tango
5. Last Date
6. He’s A Jolly Good Fellow
7. Lonely Room
8. One Morning In Rome
9. Bluesette
10. Homesick For Old England
11. I’ll Be Around
12. Sultry Serenade
13. Geisha Blues
14. Paul’s Pal
15-26: ‘The Romantic Sounds Of Toots Thielemans’
15. Stairway To The Stars
16. Love Walked In
17. Long Ago (And Far Away)
18. I Loves You Porgy
19. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
20. You’re Driving Me Crazy
21. Isn’t it Romantic
22. Homesick That’s All
23. Penthouse Serenade (When We’re Alone)
24. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody
25. This Is Always
26. Stranger In Paradise