Toots Thielemans September 29, 2012

This tribute to Toots Thielmans features performances by Herbie Hancock, Kenny Werner, Oscar Castro-Neves, Eliane Elias, Dori Caymmi, and more. Plus: Free pre-concert discussion nightly, 7pm, with Kenny Werner and JALC educator Seton Hawkins. Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidor, Baron Thielemans known as "Toots Thielemans," is a Belgian jazz artist who is often credited as being among the greatest jazz harmonica players of the century. With a musical career that has spanned nearly 70 years on both the radio as well as the big and small screens, Thielemans has taken a simple instrument and brought it into the contemporary jazz ensemble. From his collaborations with some of the biggest names in jazz such as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Benny Goodman and Ella Fitzgerald and pop stars such as Paul Simon and Billy Joel, Thielemans has harnessed his ability to express both sweet and the bitter emotions with the harmonica, which has made him a favorite worldwide.