Toots Thielemans is dead – Västerbotten Courier

The Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans has died, 94 years old.

Thielemans is considered one of the world’s premier harmonica and did the whistling and guitar in unison his specialty. His harmonica can be heard in numerous films, including “Midnight Cowboy” and “Jean de Florette”.

Even at three, he began to also play the accordion.

It was during World War II which Thielemans, in their own words, became “infected by the jazz virus”. Early idols were, among others, Django Reinhardt and Charlie Parker. His international breakthrough came in the 1950s when he played with Benny Goodman. Since then, he has performed with world stars like Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans and Monica Zetterlund.

Toots Thielemans appeared frequently in Sweden, and wrote, among other things, its world famous “Bluesette” for Swedish Word revue “partying” in 1963. he also wrote film scores, including the Swede Per Åhlin “Dunderklumpen” (1974) in which he has also lent his voice to the character Pellegnillot.