Jazz Middelheim Festival on August 14, 2010.

Toots Thielemans - Karel Boehlee - Hein Van de Geyn and Hans Van Oosterhout during the soundcheck at the Jazz Middelheim Festival on August 14, 2010.
They played a wonderful concert that evening.

Karel Boehlee, piano - Hein Van de Geyn, double bass - Hans Van Oosterhout, drums.

A new album of Toots Thielemans

Photographer © Jos Knaepen

We are very proud to announce that coming September a new album of Toots Thielemans will be released on Challenge Jazz.

The international jazz hero of Belgium will present European Quartet Live on the Middelheim Jazz Festival in Antwerp on Saturday 14th of August.

The band with Toots Thielemans: Karel Boehlee, Hans van Oosterhout and Hein Van de Geyn, exists for many years now and played were many concerts in many places.

Then there was the tour in Holland in 2006. Many theaters, many great audiences that always embraced us with so much warmth. Chris Weeda, the sound engineer, was the fifth member of the band. Always making the music sound warm, full, generous - and recording many of the performances. The music was strong, confident, full of life and vibrancy. Toots played so well, everyone played well. There were more concerts the years after and we found ourselves with a wealth of recorded material.

This is an album so representative of Toots' live performances, an album that captures the joy, the risks and interaction; an album that captivates the majestic melodies, the singing of a man who lives such a life filled with music and emotion.

The wise old man, with the spirit of a teenager. The delicate Balance between the introspective and the exuberant - always giving, always with the desire to communicate - communicate to the fellow musicians, communicate to the listener. Toots' words: "Between a smile and a tear ..." , situate these sublime live-recordings taken from concerts of Toots Thielemans with his European quartet.

A few impressions of the festivals Toots plaid on :

Gent Jazz Festival on July 11, 2010

Photographer © Jos Knaepen

Toots plaid as headliner on the Ghent Jazz Festival together with his American piano player: Kenny Werner and the Brazilian guitar player: Oscar Castro-Neves.

Comblain-La-Tour on July 4, 2010

Photographer © Jos Knaepen

Toots Thielemans was invited for the 51th anniversary of this festival in the South of Belgium.
It was a beautiful evening and the audience was thrilled about the concert.
Karel Boehlee- Toots Thielemans- Hein Van de Geyn and Hans Van Oosterhout

The Hague Jazz Festival on June 11, 2010 - Ella Zaal

Photographer © Jos Knaepen

The hall was more than complete.
Concert with Karel Boehlee - Hein Van de Geyn and Hans Van Oosterhout

Nico Dijkshoorn - Toots Thielemans : 21/04/2010

GEDICHT VOOR TOOTS THIELEMANS

er zijn
maar weinig mensen
die alleen door
uit te ademen in
een stuk metaal
voorgoed je leven veranderen
ik noem er een paar
chet baker
john coltrane
charlie parker
en
toots thielemans
als toots de lippen
op het metaal zet
de ogen sluit
en zijn ziel
door de houten schotjes blaast
dartelen er
zwermen vogels door je
borstkast
en rijdt rutger hauer
toen hij godzijdank nog geen verstand had van acteren
weer door de binnenstad van amsterdam
nooit kijk je meer
naar verliefde meisjes
achter op fietsen
hun hoofd tegen de rug
van hun grote liefde
zonder dat toots
met een kracht
van 8.8 op de schaal van ontroerend
je hart openbreekt
toots
maakt
alles
mooier
laat een stukje zien
van een in
een b-film acterende
beau van erven dorens
laat toots iets blazen
en verdomd
het lijkt opeens wat

zojuist
vlak voor de uitzending
zat toots thielemans
vlak achter mij in een stoel
het was stil
en opeens hoorde ik
hem blazen
we zaten daar niet meer alleen
de ruimte vulde zich
met het geluid van 100-en
langspeelplaten
miles davis poetste
in een hoek van de kamer
zijn trompet
en buiten
in de tuin
terwijl toots blies
tikte jan wolkers tegen het raam
hij liet ons een insect zien
hij lachte
toots stopte even met spelen
en zwaaide
dag jan
zo ervaar je het leven na toots
je leeft je leven in een film
waar toots al lang
de soundtrack bij heeft geschreven

Nico Dijkshoorn

Mr. Dirk Godts
Deceased

22 - 09 - 1955        04 - 04 - 2010

Photographer © Jos Knaepen

We regret to inform you that Mr. Dirk Godts,
personal manager of Baron Toots Thielemans, has suddenly and abruptly passed away during a concert in the Cape Town Jazz Festival
on the fourth of April.

He had a passion for his work and committed himself fully
for the well-being and comfort for the people around him.

Toots continues his work and keeps playing.

The management is now being run by Ms. Veerle Van de Poel.

Thursday, October 1 2009 Toots Thielemans became "Honory Citizen" of Sint-Jans Molenbeek/Molenbeek Saint-Jean (Brussels). He received the medal and title out of the hands of the Mayor, Minister of State Philippe Moureaux.

Photo : AC Molenbeek - Photo: E. Francq

Toots received the prestigious Concertgebouw Jazz Award during his concert in the main hall of the famous Amsterdam Concertgebouw on Tuesday 11th August. The Concertgebouw Jazz Award is a Lifetime Achievement Award for Internationally renowned jazzmusicians and was presented to Toots by Simon Reinink, Director of the Concertgebouw. Toots is the first European musician to receive the Award. Previous recipients are George Coleman, Elvin Jones, Benny Golson, Chick Corea, Eddie Palmieri, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock.

Photographer © Ton Lentz
 

Photographer © Ton Lentz

National Endowment for the Arts to Honor 2009 NEA Jazz Masters, October 17, 2008

The National Endowment for the Arts has supported jazz artists and organizations since 1969.

The six 2009 NEA Jazz Masters are: George Benson (vocalist and solo instrumentalist, guitar), James "Jimmy" Cobb (rhythm instrumentalist, drums), Lee Konitz (solo instrumentalist, saxophone), Toots Thielemans (solo instrumentalist, harmonica and guitar), and Snooky Young (solo instrumentalist, trumpet). Recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder will receive the 2009 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy.

"Jazz is a vital part of our nation's history and cultural heritage," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia, "and I am delighted to announce the artists of the class of 2009, whose bodies of work have had, and continue to have, a decisive and enduring impact on the development of this art form."

Photographer © Jos Knaepen

Toots Thielemans has been credited with bringing the harmonica to jazz. The mastery of his instrument is evident in his performances with Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Billy Joel, and Paquito D'Rivera.