Search - Toots Thielemans :: Live Takes 1

A splendid album

Sebastian | la Belgique | 06/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"hello,



just want to say that I took the cover picture for this 'Italian version' of "The Live Takes", a picture taken on the Opening Day of Jazz Middelheim Antwerp Belgium in the summer of 2001. it is a festival where Toots is the Godfather. while taking this pic Toots enjoyed the sounds coming from the Festival tent where Bill Carrothers was having his soundcheck.

later that day Toots had a dubbelconcert, one with Bill Carrothers trio, the second one with Brussels Jazz Orchestra conducted by Maria Schneider.

this CD renders a beautiful inside in the large oeuvre by Toots and his live recordings with many of his colleagues.

don't miss out on this beautiful CD. as for this particular cover, it is now out of print. thank you dear Dirk Godts, manager of Toots, for using my portrait of Toots for the cover. I feel extremely honoured.

Toots is magnificent, Belgium and the rest of the world loves him a lot.



best wishes,

Gert van Gelder

photographer"

Simply Spellbinding!

Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* | CA USA | 04/07/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Toots Thielemans continues to delight his fans with his incomparable technique in harmonica. I haven't heard anyone who plays like he does. He puts his heart and soul into his craft as evident on his many recordings and "The Live Takes, Volume One" is no exception. I have listened to this CD countless times and each listen is such a spellbinding musical experience.



Toots Thielemans set foot in America in 1947 and played in a jam session at a Miami club where Bill Gottlieb, a well-known jazz journalist heard him and noticed his exceptional talent. He then introduced him to famous musicians in New York City. One day his demo tape was heard by the King of Swing, Benny Goodman, and the rest is history. A star of harmonica was born. He played with such classic jazz luminaries as Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, George Shearing, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Nat King Cole, Shirley Horn, Nancy Wilson and Peggy Lee who had been known "to call Mr. Thielemans whenever she felt down and asked him to sit at the corner of her bed and play lullabies for her." If Peggy Lee was soothed with the King of Harmonica's impressive playing, I believe the same is true with us--music lovers--who are moved, soothed, touched by the beautiful music of Toots Thielemans. He has also accompanied some of today's jazz divas such as Jackie Ryan (This Heart of Mine), Jane Monheit (Surrender) and Diana Krall (Chez Toots). Likewise, one of his most impressive works from his discography that is worthy of my highest recommendation is Hard to Say Goodbye, a collection of his very best recordings.



On these live recordings, he is backed by a group of fine musicians: Kenny Werner, Natalie Loriers, Michel Herr (piano/keyboards), Michel Hatzigeorgio (electric bass), Sal La Rocca, Ray Drummond, Jay Anderson (double bass), Bruno Catellucci, Jukkis Uotila and Adam Nussbaum (drums).



You will love listening to the disc in its entirety particularly his remarkable takes on some of the loveliest standards of all-time--a medley of George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy"/"Summertime," Mitchell Parish/Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust," Sammy Cahn/Jimmy Van Heusen's "All The Way."



Mr. Thielemans' body of work is not only focused on standards from the Great American Songbook, he selected a Brazilian staple from the pens of Ivan Lins and Victor Martins titled "Comecar de Novo" and interprets it in a beautiful setting. The sound of his harmonica is just lovely!



Give it a listen and have a spellbinding musical experience!"