A small instrument performed “soul” sounds when it was in the hands of Belgian musician and composer Toots Thielemans. Known for his harmonious skills, he made a name for himself in the jazz genre.
He also played guitar and professionally charted internationally throughout his music career. Today’s Doodle – illustrated by guest artist Melissa Crowton – strikes all the right notes to celebrate Toots Thielemans’s contribution to the jazz world on his 100th birthday.
Toots picked up the accordion at the age of three and quickly found himself entertaining young people. Eventually he would grow up and become a musician in his parents’ cafe. As a teenager, he picked up an accordion, but as soon as he heard Lewis Armstrong on a record, he discovered jazz. In the early 1940s, he picked up the guitar and began appearing and touring with other talented musicians. Playing alongside jazz and blues figures such as Quincy Jones, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra, Touts became a major player on radio and television. He recorded 21 albums, appeared in Old Spice and Firestone commercials as well as in movie soundtracks. One of his most recognizable accordion solos was for PBS-TV’s theme song on Sesame Street.
Toots is widely regarded as an unrivaled accordion player and a true jazz teacher. He continued to record with other artists and perform in public until late in life. After his death, many collected and presented his records, ticket holders and autographs, while museums presented donated objects and instruments from his personal collection.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
