Born on 29 April: Toots Thielemans, the world's most famous harmonica player

Born in 1922 in the working-class Marolles district of Brussels (Belgium). His "Bluesette" is a timeless classic

Perhaps Belgium's most adored figure worldwide (along with Tintin and Jean-Claude Van Damme, no doubt), Jean "Toots" Thielemens would have been 103 today. For his birthday, I've unearthed some memories from my archives: a New York adventure from the dawn of the 2000s. The Big Apple was, after all, his other favorite city...

From the day after the Second World War, the Brussels musician popularized the harmonica, an instrument barely more esteemed than the triangle at the time...

Leaving his apartment on 69th Street to head to the legendary Blue Note jazz club where he played two nightly performances over a week, Thielemans did not expect such an unusual encounter. As he hopped into the yellow cab to head downtown to the Village, a hotspot for nightlife and all kinds of music, he was already focusing on the two performances ahead - the first at 9pm and the second just before midnight. "The first night at the Blue Note, I'm always filled with nerves. I'm afraid I won't measure up!" he confided to me. Glancing in the rear-view mirror, the taxi driver, himself an amateur musician, instantly recognized his favorite musician.

"My God, Toots Thielemans is sitting in my cab!" he enthused. Angelo could not believe his eyes. Invited for Toots' last concert in Manhattan, he embraced the most famous citizen of Marolles before following him into the tiny, iconic venue. In the dim light, his eyes gleamed as Toots, perched on a high stool, transitioned from his timeless "Bluesette" to Brazilian bossa classics, and on to the theme from "Midnight Cowboy".

Unconditional admiration

In the United States, young adults nurtured by the TV series "Sesame Street" (for which Toots performed the theme) as well as jazz icons (his friend Quincy Jones was in the front row) were familiar with and appreciated the charm and simplicity of Toots Thielemans. This ideal grandpa generated a goodwill and sincere admiration everywhere he went.

Before him, the harmonica was confined to a role of lamenter for traditional folk tunes or a vitamin-packed additive for the blues. The kid from the Marolles, adopted by Uncle Sam, performed a sleight of hand. Thanks to his subtly colored playing, the chromatic harmonica lived up to its name. For a long time, the great mastermind Quincy Jones, producer of, among others, the best records of Michael Jackson but also a musician himself, considered Toots as his favorite artist, across all genres and ahead of the most seasoned guitarists and piano virtuosos. This unconditional admiration always embarrassed Toots as much as it made him blush with pleasure. "Is it really necessary to remind me?" he simply murmured laconically.

Toots: A place in the spotlight

Before the entire profession recognized his talent, Toots battled for a long time to carve a place for himself in the spotlight. In the 1930s, he discovered this weird-sounding instrument at the cinema, marveling at the films in which Larry Adler played. A chronic bronchial disease forced him to put aside the harmonica and try his hand at the guitar. Once again, this self-taught musician with an exceptional ear learned all the tricks of the trade by dissecting the first recordings of Django Reinhardt.

A few years later, he decided to continue to strum the strings of his guitar while embracing once again his favorite instrument with relish. "At the time, I felt I had exhausted the possibilities for me in Europe. On a whim, without thinking too much about the future, I left for the United States. I was already 29 and I decided to start all over again from scratch. I was convinced I had the necessary qualities to be accepted but I also knew that no one would roll out the red carpet for me. The first few months were particularly difficult. Before I could practice my musical talents, I first had to stay there for six months and show my willingness to become an American citizen. Like many newcomers, I lived from odd jobs and part-time jobs in restaurants. But, as the song goes, I have no regrets".

Toots left us on 22 August 2016 and I am keeping some of the other anecdotes he loved to share for another occasion.

(Stéphane Soupart - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Toots Thielemans in his New York apartment on 69th Street in June 2000