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| BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian musician Toots Thielemans, who turned the lowly harmonica into a virtuoso jazz instrument during an illustrious career that saw him perform with such legends as Charlie Parker, has died. He was 94. [...] Although his name wasn't widely known outside the jazz world, many heard his harmonica playing, including generations of children who grew up with the opening theme to "Sesame Street." His harmonica was also prominently featured on movie soundtracks, including those of the Oscar-winning "Midnight Cowboy," ''The Pawnbroker," ''Jean de Florette," and "The Sugarland Express." Also adept as a whistler, he could be heard on the Old Spice after-shave commercials. He performed and recorded with Benny Goodman, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Paul Simon and Billy Joel, among many others. Despite suffering from asthma much of his life, Thielemans breathed artistic life into an instrument many dismiss as a toy. In the jazz world, he was the first to use the harmonica to blow complex bebop lines. He played a custom-made Hohner chromatic harmonica - different from the diatonic harmonica used by blues players - which has a slide making it possible to play three octaves in all keys. [...] His zest for life was apparent in his only major hit that moved into the popular mainstream —the upbeat "Bluesette" which he first recorded in 1962, on which he showcased his signature style of whistling and playing guitar in unison. |
