[Dixielandjazz] Toots Thielemans Carniege Hall Tribute

[Steve barbone]

Not Dixieland, but surely OKOM for many of us. My Philly friend Ari Hoenig
was the drummer for this tribute concert. He is the regular drummer for the
Kenny Werner trio which is Thielemans' regular backup group. Drummers on the
list who want to know more about Hoenig may want to visit the(Drummerworld
site, link following: (it is a neat site)

http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Ari_Hoenig.html

He is a young monster player who has played with trads like Bucky Pizzerelli
as well as moderns like Joe Lovano & Herbie Hancock.

His mom, a concert violinist, sometimes sits in with our band.

Thielemans is simply superb.

Cheers,
Steve


Jazz Review | 'The Magic of Toots'

Trading Rubatos With the Virtuoso Who Pioneered Solo Harmonica

NY TIMES - By NATE CHINEN - March 18, 2006

There may be no living jazz musician better loved than Jean (Toots)
Thielemans, the harmonica virtuoso who came to America from his native
Belgium more than 50 years ago. Mr. Thielemans, who turns 84 next month, has
gamboled through seemingly the entire landscape of mainstream jazz during
his career; from gypsy swing to bebop and every variety since. Along the way
he developed an exuberantly expressive voice on the chromatic harmonica,
pioneering its use as a solo instrument. And at every turn he made friends,
including an illustrious and kaleidoscopic array of fellow musicians.

Half a dozen of them made guest appearances in a tribute to Mr. Thielemans
at Carnegie Hall on Thursday night, and it was no surprise that a warm and
blithesome feeling prevailed. What was somewhat surprising about "The Magic
of Toots: A Celebration of Toots Thielemans" was the way the feeling
suffused the concert, overcoming even its all-star conceit. What could have
felt tediously programmatic came across as a genuine celebration.

There were reasons for this ‹ including the careful designs of the concert's
producers, Pat Philips and Ettore Stratta ‹ but none was more crucial than
the omnipresence of Mr. Thielemans. Seated in an upholstered chair for an
opening solo piano meditation by Herbie Hancock, he smiled but also
fidgeted, as if it pained him not to join in duologue; on the following
tune, Paul Simon's "I Do It for Your Love," he did, answering Mr. Hancock's
sweeping arpeggios with trills and flurries of his own. For the rest of the
night he was perched on a stool at center stage, harmonica in hand; it
wasn't his intention to merely bask in acclaim.

In an all-acoustic first half, Mr. Thielemans traded sentiments not only
with Mr. Hancock but also with the clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera (on
"Brussels in the Rain," a song by Mr. D'Rivera) and the tenor saxophonist
Joe Lovano (on the balladic essay "Body and Soul" and a gallant theme by Mr.
Thielemans, "For My Lady"). The strongest chemistry, not surprisingly, was
between Mr. Thielemans and his regular partner Kenny Werner, the concert's
main pianist and musical director. Backed by a sensitive rhythm section,
they amplified the sumptuous melancholy of Michel Legrand's "Windmills of
Your Mind."

Mr. Thielemans likes to luxuriate in a melody; his most natural cadence is a
regal yet confessional rubato.

He employed it to marvelous effect on "Ne Me Quitte Pas," the Jacques Brel
chanson; his soaring, entreating interpretation, performed as a duet with
Mr. Werner, deserved the standing ovation it received.

Much of the second half was more rhythmic, with an emphasis on the Brazilian
music Mr. Thielemans has also fruitfully explored. The guitarist Oscar
Castro-Neves joined the ensemble, presenting a fetching original, "Felicia e
Bianca"; the pianist Eliane Elias did the same, singing in a sensuous alto
and contributing a handsome ballad. Ivan Lins, the popular singer, brought
star presence to a pair of songs, including "Madalena," one of his earliest
hits. 

Mr. Thielemans introduced his own early hit, the lilting waltz "Bluesette,"
on guitar, the instrument he played before picking up the harmonica. But
before long, the song morphed into a samba, for a parade of solo turns. Some
of the guests, like Ms. Elias, achieved a sparkling charisma. But no one
stole the spotlight from Mr. Thielemans; he was having giddy fun, and the
feeling was contagious.