A jazz standard by Toots Thielemans is "Bluesette," where he used whistling and guitar in unison. He worked both as a bandleader and as a sideman, including many projects with composer/arranger Quincy Jones. He performed on many film soundtracks, such as Midnight Cowboy, Cinderella Liberty, Jean de Florette, The Sugarland Express, The Yakuza, Turkish Delight, the 1972 version of The Getaway, French Kiss, Dunderklumpen!, and in various television programs, including Sesame Street, whose closing credits (which did not list him accordingly) featured his performance, on harmonica, of the show's theme, the Belgian television series Witse, and in the Netherlands, for the Baantjer series.
Thielemans started his career as a guitar player. In 1949 he joined a jam session in Paris with Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Max Roach and others. In 1951 he went on tour with Bobbejaan Schoepen.
He moved to the United States in 1952 where he was a member of Charlie Parker's All-Stars. He played and recorded with names like Ella Fitzgerald, The George Shearing Quintet, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Astrud Gilberto, Elis Regina and others.
A jazz standard by Toots Thielemans is "Bluesette" where he used whistling and guitar in unison. Bluesette became a major 1962 world-wide hit for him and this still much beloved and requested piece has been re-recorded by him and commercially released on records/CDs many times over both in various studio versions and live on-stage performances performed in several different countries. His trademark harmonica playing can also be heard in movie scores such as Breakfast at Tiffany's (where his plaintive "Moon River" solo in the opening scene brilliantly establishes the film's mood of romance noir), Midnight Cowboy, Bagdad Café, French Kiss, and in various TV programs like Sesame Street, the Belgian TV series Witse and the Dutch TV series Baantjer. His professional whistling and harmonica playing can be heard on Old Spice radio and TV commercials that have been made over the years. In 1983 he contributed to Billy Joel's album An Innocent Man, and his trademark harmonica can be heard on "Leave a Tender Moment Alone."
In the 90s Thielemans embarked on theme projects that included world music. In 1998 he released the a French flavoured album titled "Chez Toots" that included the Les Moulins De Mon Coeur (The Windmills of My Heart) featuring guest singer Johnny Mathis. This CD continues to sell well.
Today Jean "Toots" Thielemans remains a strong favorite among jazz aficionados and professional critics alike. His music CDs continue to delight (many of which were recorded in the 2000s) and have introduced him to entire new generations of keen fans.
Apart from his popularity as an accomplished musician, he is well liked for his modesty and kind demeanor. In his native Belgium, he is also popular for describing himself as a Brussels "ket", which means "street kid" in old Brussels slang. He received a joint honorary doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and in 2001 Thielemans was ennobled a baron by King Albert II of Belgium.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 20th place, in the Walloon version he ended 44th place.
Thielemans may have had a significant impact on The Beatles, (John Lennon in particular), during the group's pre-fame formative years. When performing in a 1959 Hamburg Germany with the pre-fame Beatles, John Lennon (sometimes with fellow Beatle George Harrison in tow) would often go over to the club where Toots was performing (at a noontime venue) as a member of The George Shearing Quintet. Lennon evidently was taken with Toot's harmonica playing and also for the guitar Toots was playing, an electric American made Rickenbacker with a short play neck. Based on the sound Lennon heard, he decided to purchase a natural alder wood "alderglo" colored three pickup Rickenbacker 1958 model 325 Capri guitar with a short scale as former Beatle and friend, George Harrison would recall to various interviewers many years later. (This iconic famous guitar often fondly referred to as the "Holy Grail" of all guitars, which was customized and tinkered with many times over the years by Lennon including being re-painted to jetglo black in September 1962, is the very same guitar that he played on The Beatles first and third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show during February 1964).
Toots Thielemans died peacefully in his sleep on August 22, 2016 after being hospitalized for a fall a month earlier.
Wave
Toots Thielemans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Os olhos já não podem ver
Coisas que só o coração
Pode entender
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
O resto é mar
São coisas lindas
Que eu tenho pra te dar
Vem de mansinho a brisa e me diz
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
Da primeira vez
Era a cidade
Da segunda o cais
E a eternidade
Agora eu já sei
Da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas
Que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite
Vem nos envolver
Vou te contar
Os olhos já não podem ver
Coisas que só o coração
Pode entender
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
O resto é mar
É tudo que eu não sei contar
São coisas lindas
Que eu tenho pra te dar
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
Da primeira vez
Era a cidade
Da segunda o cais
E a eternidade
Agora eu já sei
Da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas
Que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite
Vem nos envolver
Da primeira vez
Era a cidade
Da segunda o cais
E a eternidade
Agora eu já sei
Da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas
Que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite
Vem nos envolver
The lyrics to Toots Thielemans's song Wave reflect the idea that some things cannot be seen with the eyes, but only understood with the heart. The first verse talks about the importance of love, stating that it is impossible to be happy alone. The second verse presents the idea that there are beautiful things that can't be described, as they are everything that is left unsaid, like the ocean. The chorus repeats the same idea of love's importance and states that it is impossible to be happy alone.
The following verses talk about the different stages of love, represented by the city, the pier, the eternity, the wave that rises in the sea, and the stars we forget to count. The final verse suggests that love can be surprising, and even though it happens at night, it can still surround us. The lyrics have a deep sense of nostalgia, regret, and a profound appreciation for love and its many stages.
Overall, the lyrics to Wave conveys the message that love is paramount to our happiness, and while we may not always understand its complexities or be able to articulate its beauty, it remains an essential force that should be cherished and embraced.
Line by Line Meaning
Vou te contar
I am going to tell you
Os olhos já não podem ver
The eyes can no longer see
Coisas que só o coração
Things that only the heart
Pode entender
Can understand
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
Love is really fundamental
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
It is impossible to be happy alone
O resto é mar
The rest is ocean
É tudo que eu não sei contar
It is all that I cannot tell
São coisas lindas
They are beautiful things
Que eu tenho pra te dar
That I have to give to you
Vem de mansinho a brisa e me diz
The breeze comes softly and tells me
Da primeira vez
The first time
Era a cidade
It was the city
Da segunda o cais
The second time it was the pier
E a eternidade
And eternity
Agora eu já sei
Now I know
Da onda que se ergueu no mar
Of the wave that rose in the ocean
E das estrelas
And of the stars
Que esquecemos de contar
That we forgot to count
O amor se deixa surpreender
Love lets itself be surprised
Enquanto a noite
While the night
Vem nos envolver
Comes to envelop us
Contributed by Alexandra T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gabrielporfirio9544
Ela fez isso a vida toda dela.
Prá nos confundir mesmo.
Nunca cantava nada igual.
Têm artista que grava um disco de 10 ou 12 faixas.
É a mesma nota de a A a Z.
Elis de viva a brotolândia ao trem azul.
Parece uma outra cantora.
De há uma triste história prá moda de sangue.
Quê é aquilo..!?
Amo essa Elis.
@gabrielporfirio9544
Encontro fantástico.
Ele na gaita um monstro.
Elis a perfeição em pessoa.
Cantava muito.
Saia assim.
Nota por nota.
@Belzinha2702
Elis é pura magia. Ela consegue me impressionar sempre que a escuto, como se fosse a primeira vez.
@gabrielporfirio9544
Ela fez isso a vida toda dela.
Prá nos confundir mesmo.
Nunca cantava nada igual.
Têm artista que grava um disco de 10 ou 12 faixas.
É a mesma nota de a A a Z.
Elis de viva a brotolândia ao trem azul.
Parece uma outra cantora.
De há uma triste história prá moda de sangue.
Quê é aquilo..!?
Amo essa Elis.
@filhadepaifamosodoraelis7156
Espetacular Elis a maior cantora do século
@jettero75
Ma quanto era brava e bella Elis Regina...
@1musikgeek
Why am i crying whenever i hear toots play. He had that beautiful tone back then not too mention his magnetism and charismatic.
@hawkeyedave
Two absolute legends ❤
@jorgeluizferraz3041
Uma das maiores cantora interprete do Brasil Elis Regina , fazendo dupla com um dos maiores músico de Harmônica, Toots Thielemans ! Que maravilha! Sou fã da Elis e do Toots!
@dr.nigsopmcchortlefag9544
OMFG she's incredible I love her so much.
@hejsanii5769
RiP Elis... We miss you...