[Harp-L] ANSWERED!!!!! 15 whole questions for TOOTS from his fan club!

[Randy Singer <randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

FEEL FREE TO WRITE A PERSONAL MESSAGE TO TOOTS!!

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Toots Thielemans  
> Date: June 10, 2011 12:02:12 PM EDT
> To: Randy Singer <randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: 15 whole questions for TOOTS from his fan club!
> 
> Dear Randy,
> Dear harmonica-friends,
> 
> I will put the answers of Toots below the questions.
> The answer are short, but he took his time to give on all your questions a correct and honest answer.
> 
> Kind regards,
> Veerle
>  
> 
> 
> 
> Op 11 mrt 2011, om 12:21 heeft Randy Singer het volgende geschreven:
> 
>> Dear Toots:
>>  
>> Thank you for the opportunity to ask you a few questions.
>>  
>> I have selected several questions from your fan club which best represent the most interesting questions that we want to know about TOOTS THIELEMANS, our beloved jazz harmonica player. You have impacted all of us and we are forever thankful to you.
>>  
>> Would you allow us to print your answers on Harp-l and other harmonica publications?
>>  
>> Below are the questions. We are excited to know more about you.
>>  
>> A lifetime of thanks to you, TOOTS!
>>  
>> Most Sincerely,
>>  
>> Randy Singer
>> -----------------------
> First I want to tell you this:
> Listen to music, practice and learn from other musicians around you ..... this is the rule you have to keep in mind if you want to play music.
> Good Luck
> TOOTS
> 
>>  
>>  1.  What artist(s) or producer(s) have you never had a chance to record with whom you always wanted to?
> I'm a guest on some of my favorite artists recordings: Jaco Pastorius , Shirley Horn , Bill Evans ( of course), Quincy Jones, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner , Oscar Castro-Neves,....
> 
>>  
>>  2.  What type of music project would you have liked to record that you have not?
> I'm very happy with what I have done in my life, but I'm very impressed with a lot of the contemporary musicians  such as Steve Coleman; there are so many good young musicians. I listen a lot to those guys and try to understand their way of making music.
>>  
>>  3.  How do you record your harmonica in the Studio? Please describe your recording technique - handheld mic only or combined with the condenser mic?; Your set-up; types of mics, type of reverb, etc.
> I'm holding 1 mic = SM 58 in my hand and play the harmonica . It's quite the same as I do during a normal concert. I'm always asking for a nice reverb and to to make a nice warm sound.
>>  
>>  4.  Who was your favourite artist whom you have recorded or performed with (question from Elizabeth Schulz).
> I recorded with many of my friends Bill Evans, Jaco Pastorius, ... and of course my Brazilian Friends 
>>  
>>  5.  Tell us about your formative years. Did you study harmony, from records, or.....?(question from Bob McGraw).
> When I started to play, there was no school, the records were the references. There was one harmonica player, Larry Adler, but played not the kind of music I did.
> Bebob was my first real music and then when time goes by, I listen and studied from Masters as Miles Davis, Coltrane, Bill Evans trying not to be a clone. I like to believe my playing is influenced by all these Masters, but I kept my own ( Belgian) accent.
>>  
>>  6.  Which of your many wonderful records is your favourite?
> All records I did during the years were made because I love making music.
> I don't have just one favorite recording, but I like to listen again to the Brazil Project I and II ,the duo record with Kenny Werner and the Affinity record with Bill Evans. I also listen often to the recordings I made with Jaco Pastorius and my latest CD:"Life with the European Quartet" is what I'm playing today.
>>  
>>  7.  What advice would you give to an aspiring harmonica player? 
> Study music and practice, practice, ...listen to what other musicians are doing and try to play as good as you can and.... enjoy making music.
>>  
>>  8.  How do you get big tone and vibrato?
> I don't know. 
>>  
>>  9.  I notice a difference between your style in 1952, perhaps Adler influenced. When and why did the shift occur? Would you
>> describe your initial sound as more bebop oriented?(question from Michael Rubin).
> I gave this answer already in question 5  - Larry Adler was the influencing pioneer and very soon I was in to Bebop and playing with Charlie Parker ,....
>>  
>> 10.  How would you describe your practice regime and has this changed/evolved throughout the years? Are there any techniques that you wish you would have mastered or avoided? (question from Martin Oldsberg).
> I tried to edit my improvisations and correct some old "clychés". ( musical senses). I'm very happy with the technique I use to play harmonica. 
>>  
>> 11.  You once said to Rob Paparozzi that your dream come true would be an album of Stevie & Toots produced by Quincy...is it still a possibility? (question by Rob Paparozzi).
> After a concert in Holland ( Europe), Stevie asked Herbie Hancock  to ask Quincy Jones to record an Album with Stevie and myself... It could be still a dream.... you never know.
>>  
>> 12.  How would you describe your experience working with Quincy Jones? (question from Iceman).
> There is a great affinity and friendship between Quincy and myself, but you could better ask this Quincy Jones himself.
>>  
>> 13.  How do you think jazz harmonica has changed since you began your recording career,and which players on the current scene excite you the most?(question from Richard Hunter).
> Years ago I was practically the only one on the "jazz barricade", today there are several very good harmonica players witch I like to listen to.
>>  
>> 14.  How would you describe your basic improvisational approach? For example: Do you consider yourself an ear player or do you think in terms of tonal centers and 'appropriate' scales or licks built on those scales or do you approach improvisation on chord by chord basis, applying a bag of licks to each?
> I like to know to witch scales and cords I build or respond to, but it depends also a little bit of the subject and what is expected from me
>>  
>>  
>> 15.  If you could change anything about the instrument, what would you change? (question from Jazmaan, David Fairweather).
>  nothing, I'm very happy with my instrument for this moment.
>>  
>> _____________________________________________________
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