DATE=10/27/2003

TYPE=English Feature

NUMBER=7-

TITLE= Toots Thielemans' Harmonica Great

BYLINE=Keming Kuo 619-0936

TELEPHONE=619-0936

DATELINE=Washington

EDITOR=Rob Sivak 619-2023

CONTENT=

INTRO: The small reed instrument called the harmonica has been a staple of American music for decades. Its distinctive sound, made by blowing or drawing air through tuned ports on the edge of a steel case, was the mainstay of the popular 1960s trio, the Harmonicats; it's provided the edgy accompaniment to Bob Dylan's folk-rock tunes, and it's been a soulful lead on Stevie Wonder's memorable songs. And then there is the harmonica-playing of Jean "Toots" Thielemans. To many people, he's the greatest living master of this surprisingly rich and complex instrument. _______ has this profile:

AUD: CUT ONE - MUSIC [from Midnight Cowboy theme] IN FULL to :17 or as desired, FADE UNDER TEXT/ CUT TWO [tt :59]

TEXT: This solo from the title track of the Academy Award-winning film "Midnight Cowboy" is one of several examples of Toots Thielemans' virtuoso harmonica playing, known to millions of film and TV fans.

AUD: CUT TWO - THIELEMANS [OPT self-intro for use as montage] IN FULL to Duke Ellington perf., FADE or use as desired [tt :40]

"My name is Toots Thielmanns ... " [END OPT]

TEXT: A native of Belgium who holds both American and Belgian citizenship, Toots Thielemans says he was still a boy when the unique sounds of the harmonica intrigued him:

AUD: CUT THREE - THIELEMANS :35

"I saw the pioneer of the harmonica, Larry Adler, in the movies, 1935-36. I was 12 or 13 years old. And I bought a harmonica, but still [wasn't playing] jazz. I was playing everything for fun. I felt I wanted to add something and play a melody in my own way - add grace notes or whatever. But I didn't know what a grace note was; I'm totally self-taught theoretically."

TEXT: If there were any doubt that the harmonica is a serious musical instrument, Mr. Thielemans likes to dispel them quickly. He explains how its challenging breath technique is critical to a good performance:

AUD: CUT FOUR - MUSIC and THIELEMANS [shorten music demo. as needed] 1:24

[harmonica demo]

"It's very hard to play legato or trill between 'C' or 'D' - or risk [getting] a heart attack! So I developed a technique that develops from the throat ... [demo music]... That's much easier. Then, you go from D# to E, D# is inhaled and E is blown through the next hole. There are 12 holes in a harmonica ... [music demo] It requires synchronization of motion, a change of breath, and pushing this button. [OPT] Things that are simple, like the ending of a song ... [music demo]." Many classical pieces require that, jazz pieces too. It's fine in some keys, but if you want to do it in another key, [music demo] you see it's awkward..." [END OPT]

TEXT: Despite the difficulties of learning to play the harmonica,, Toots Thielemans says the instrument still doesn't get the respect it deserves.

AUD: CUT FIVE - THIELEMANS :33

"Musicians in Brussels, where I started, they said, [in French] 'Throw that toy away and get a real instrument!' At that time I was studying to become a math teacher at the university during the German occupation [WW Two]. But finally, I got a guitar and got interested in [legendary American guitarist] Django Reinhardt. I'm talking 60 years ago. Six-oh. Sixty."

TEXT: Mr. Thielemans became a fine guitar player - but eventually went back to playing his "toy" instrument - and says he continued to be ridiculed by some critics for playing the harmonica:

AUD: CUT SIX - THIELEMANS :28

"I have fans: people like [jazz great] Quincy Jones [say] I'm one of his favorite musicians. And a journalist was reviewing a record I made, 'Oh, we know Toots is Quincy's favorite musician alive. He would be mine, too, if he didn't play the goddamn harmonica!' So, that's a boomerang compliment."

TEXT: But Mr. Thielemans continued to pursue playing the harmonica - eventually becoming such a virtuoso that he became a staff musician with the ABC-TV network and others after settling in New York City during the 1950s. And filmmakers such as the late John Schlesinger called on him for their movies:

AUD: CUT SEVEN - THIELEMANS :44

"It's one of the few instruments that can be used in the movies [Kuo interjects: 'Midnight Cowboy?'] Yes, when nothing happens on the screen. Right? The guy is gonna' commit suicide or is gonna' die like Dustin Hoffman [character] in 'Midnight Cowboy.' Well, the harmonica can ... [demo music] ... You wouldn't hear a violin solo or a saxophone or even a piano solo when Dustin Hoffman dies on the bus to Miami. You know what I mean?"

TEXT: [OPT] Toots Thielemans says it was chance -and luck- that he was chosen to play the solo harmonica part for the theme from "Midnight Cowboy."

AUD: CUT EIGHT - THIELEMANS :44

"It was the end of the Sixties or the early Seventies. I wasn't 'famous,' but this was a studio job. They needed a harmonica player. I was the number one on call in New York at that time. John Barrie, the composer, or John Schlesinger, [the director] ... they didn't know [me]. But after a couple days -it was a three-day job for the musicians. John Schlesinger realized, then, that it wasn't a jazz job. I didn't have to show what I was known for already to some people."

TEXT: As much as he's known for performing jazz and movie soundtracks, the recording for which Mr. Thielemans may be best-known for his work on the long-running, children's television series "Sesame Street."

AUD: CUT NINE - THIELEMANS :45

"I didn't realize ... I had been travelling so much. But Sesame Street has been on for 30 years. Those of you who know Sesame Street, clap ... [claps hands and demo music] [sings: 'As you go to Sesame Street ...'] It's fun!"

TEXT: The Sesame Street tune is virtually iconic in American culture. But, as "an innocent artist" -not familiar with performance royalty laws - Toots Thielemans was paid a very modest amount for his work:

AUD: CUT TEN - THIELEMANS :22

"In one hour it was finished, my part. And I made $37 doing it. Later on, after so many years of use ... That was the 'scale' - I had no lawyer to discuss my engagements then. Also, Sesame Street was educational TV."

TEXT: Even though it may be performances of the themes from "Sesame Street," "Midnight Cowboy," and other popular music, Mr. Thielemans says he hopes his jazz work will be his musical legacy:

AUD: CUT 11 - THIELEMANS :33

"These people are still my gurus, like Louis Armstrong, [music demo and imitation of Armstrong] I'm some sort of chameleon, but I try to do my best at anything I play. Of course, the center of gravity is still my jazz. Whatever you call it, I didn't become a musician to play Sesame Street."

TEXT: [OPT] And he says his international renown is due, in part, to the broadcasts of VOA's late jazz D-J, Willis Conover, who was one of Thielemans' biggest fans:

AUD: CUT 12 - THIELEMANS :44

"I met Willis Conover -we're talking now 50 years ago- with the Voice of America. When I went to Moscow in 1972. Then, Willis still had his program, and [would report] three or four times a year when I did something interesting. When I got there, even last year, I had a standing ovation in Moscow, even before I played. They knew me; that's the power of the Voice of America [plays Star Spangled Banner excerpt; laughter follows]" [END OPT]

TEXT: Harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans, known to millions worldwide for his pop and jazz music performances and recordings. [OPT] He performs in Europe [Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg] through mid-November and then returns to the U-S, performing in Easton, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Miami, Florida, St. Louis, Missouri, and New York City through the end of the month. [END OPT]

AUD: CUT 13 - MUSIC [from "Midnight Cowboy"] IN FULL as DESIRED [tt - 2:00]