NEA Jazz Master Toots Thielemans on his Musical Upbringing.

PRX

NEA Jazz Master Toots Thielemans on his Musical Upbringing.

Series: Jazz Masters Moments
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Length: 00:01:30

Toots Thielemans talks about being inspired by music at age 5. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Play Audio for 'Piece Audio' Pause Audio for 'Piece Audio'

Play Audio for 'Promos' Pause Audio for 'Promos'

None.

Also in the Jazz Masters Moments series

NEA Jazz Master Orrin Keepnews (00:08:29)
From: National Endowment for the Arts

Five Moments with producer and 2011 NEA Jazz Master Orrin Keepnews.

NEA Jazz Master Johnny Mandel (00:09:00)
From: National Endowment for the Arts

Six Moments with 2011 NEA Jazz Master, composer, and arranger Johnny Mandel.

NEA Jazz Master Wynton Marsalis (00:04:29)
From: National Endowment for the Arts

Three Moments featuring trumpeter, bandleader, and 2011 NEA Jazz Master, Wynton Marsalis.

NEA Jazz Master Jason Marsalis (00:07:29)
From: National Endowment for the Arts

Two Moments featuring 2011 NEA Jazz Master Jason Marsalis

NEA Jazz Master Hubert Laws (00:06:28)
From: National Endowment for the Arts

Four Jazz Moments featuring flutist and 2011 NEA Jazz Master, Hubert Laws.

NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis (00:07:29)
From: National Endowment for the Arts

Four short pieces with and about the man behind the Marsalis musicianship, 2011 NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis.

NEA Jazz Master Delfeayo Marsalis (00:03:58)
From: National Endowment for the Arts

Three short pieces featuring trombonist and 2011 NEA Jazz Master Delfeayo Marsalis.

NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman (00:06:59)
From: National Endowment for the Arts

Five short pieces featuring 2011 NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman.

NEA Jazz Master Branford Marsalis (00:04:28)
From: National Endowment for the Arts

Three short pieces featuring 2011 NEA Jazz Master Branford Marsalis.

NEA Jazz Master Yusef Lateef (00:05:29)
From: National Endowment for the Arts

NEA Jazz Master Yusef Lateef on Joining Dizzy's Big Band; Finding One's Voice; Lifetime Student; and Musical Beginnings.

Piece Description

NEA Jazz Master Toots Thielemans is famous for being the best and most original chromatic harmonica player in jazz. Here's how he got his start as a young boy in Belgium.

Transcript

TOOTS THIELEMANS_ BOYHOOD

(:90)

NOW A JAZZ MOMENT…

MUSIC: Sous le Ciel De Paris
CD: Chez Toots RCA Victor (ASIN: B000005YTT) (cut 1)
(iTunes download)

THE MUSICAL ROOTS OF NEA JAZZ MASTER TOOTS THIELEMANS ARE RIGHT OUT OF A EUROPEAN STORYBOOK. AS A LITTLE BOY GROWING UP IN BRUSSELS, HE BEGAN TO PLAY MUSIC ON A CARDBOARD ACCORDION FOR PATRONS AT HIS PARENTS’ MODEST CAFÉ. HE WAS JUST FIVE YEARS OLD WHEN HE FIRST DEMONSTRATED HIS MUSICAL ABILITIES.

Toots Thielemans: One day, my mama took me to see the film with Ramón Novarro. The song was “Ramona, da-de-de-de-de,” . So we go see that and I come home and I played on the accordion. Well not perfectly, but I was just 5 years old!

AT AGE 17, THIELEMANS TOOK UP THE CHROMATIC HARMONICA. SINCE THEN, HE’S BEEN KNOWN AS THE PRE-EMINENT EXPONENT OF THIS INSTRUMENT IN JAZZ.

Toots Thie...
Read the full transcript