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

[Randy Singer <randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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
-----------------------
 
 1.  What artist(s) or producer(s) have you never had a chance to record with whom you always wanted to?
 
 2.  What type of music project would you have liked to record that you have not?
 
 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.
 
 4.  Who was your favourite artist whom you have recorded or performed with (question from Elizabeth Schulz).
 
 5.  Tell us about your formative years. Did you study harmony, from records, or.....?(question from Bob McGraw).
 
 6.  Which of your many wonderful records is your favourite?
 
 7.  What advice would you give to an aspiring harmonica player? 
 
 8.  How do you get big tone and vibrato?
 
 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).
 
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).
 
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).
 
12.  How would you describe your experience working with Quincy Jones? (question from Iceman).
 
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).
 
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?
 
 
15.  If you could change anything about the instrument, what would you change? (question from Jazmaan, David Fairweather).
 
_____________________________________________________