Legendary jazz harmonica player Toots Thielemans died Monday in Belgium at the age of 94, Belgian media reported.
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His manager Veerle Van de Poel told the Belgian press agency Belga that the famous harmonica player had been in hospital for a month now following a nasty fall: “He was convalescing but died in his sleep last night”.
Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidore Thielemans was a legend in his own right but also played with jazz greats Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis as well as mainstream stars like Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Billy Joel.
He took up the harmonica as a hobby before becoming hooked on to jazz music during World War II. His nickname “Toots” allegedly comes from the United States swing jazz saxophonist Toots Mondello, as well as trumpet player and composer Toots Camarata. On his instrument he ranks with the best that jazz has ever produced. Ray Ventura and Django Reinhardt were also major inspirations.
Thielemans later moved to the USA and worked with jazz great Charlie Parker, before collaborating with the likes of Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson.
Buoyed by the commercial success of his now standard “Bluesette” in 1962, he played harmonica on the soundtrack for the hit Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight film “Midnight Cowboy” in 1969 and many others.
He was often nominated as the greatest living Belgian.
However, age and poor health caught up with Toots, and he gave up touring in 2014.
Belgium’s royal family said it was “deeply moved by (the) passing away of Toots Thielemans, one of the greatest jazzmen”.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel tweeted his condolences, saying “We have lot a great musician, a heartwarming personality”.
On the liner notes of one album, Quincy Jones said he believes “without hesitation that Toots is one of the greatest musicians of our time”.
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A jazz festival named for Thielemans was scheduled to take place from September 9-11 in La Hulpe, outside of Brussels, where Thielemans lived.
