WEBORGERS-
The Belgian Jazzmen (2.a)
THE 75th BIRTHDAY OF JEAN TOOTS THIELEMANS
A MEMORABLE CONCERT !
I had the privilege to be at the birthday concert of Toots Thielemans, the 25th April, in the Forest National concert hall of Brussels.
The 7000 available seats were all occupied by people coming from all over Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. In the assistance, Jazz fans from all venues and ages and other people being there just because they liked the music of Toots. A first class public for a first class musician!
A very relaxed Toots remembered in front of the audience tits and bits of his youth in Brussels, showing even his first accordion he played when he was four... and then he played the harmonica.
And there was the brilliant first part of this concert. Jazz, real Jazz, from the highest quality with all the talent of Thielemans and his unbeatable technical brio. Prepared and improvised pieces, all together, coming in an interrupted music flow of more than 1 1/2 hour of the highest quality of modern Jazz.
As usual, he was with first rate musicians. Toots likes also to give the opportunity to perform with him to young musicians he appreciates, and this time it was the American electric bass player Scott Colley.
Toots also performed with his "American combo" (Kenny Werner - piano, Billy Hart -drums) and Belgian guests such as the brilliant pianist Bruno Castelluci, Michel Herr -pianist and composer of high influence, Bart De Nolf - double bass, Michel Hatzigeorgiou - double bass. Not forgetting the dutch pianist Bert Van Den Brink.
But the most noticeable were the 20 minutes of music Thielemans performed in the company of Philip Catherine, the great Belgian guitarist. Catherine, his long time European accomplice, was in a brilliant mood, developing long melodic improvisations of essential values. Toots was stellar. The other players supporting them had no choice: they had to be first class. They were! Jazz at its best, the highlight of the evening!!
THE BRAZILIAN GANG!
The second part of the concert saw the arrival of a handful Brazilian musicians that habitually perform Jazz and also other kind of music. They all played in the past with Toots, and created a rather exuberant mood in warm tones. It was mostly Jazz mixed with something personal from these musicians, or with the rhythms of Brazil.
Enjoyable, but not on par with the first part. At least with a Jazz point of view. But... hey! it's a birthday party, and the Brazilian friends knew how to wear party hats...
Oscar Castro-Neves, Dori Caymmi- guitar, Ivan Lins -pianist and composer, the charming Eliane Elias -dynamic piano player, all of them played and sang their homage to Toots.
The finale was a gigantic jam-session, grouping ALL the musicians that appeared in the evening, pianists sharing pianos, guitarists in every corner... and joyful mood everywhere.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOTS!
There was a birthday present given by the organizers and the officials, Toots received (before the concert) a Belgian High-Rank official decoration, Quincy Jones gave him his best wishes though a video message. Hohner, the German maker of the reputed harmonicas, gave Toots a special edition of the special chromatic model they produce for him; deluges of applause underlined the presence of the Hohner manager on-stage.
The spectators all received a free small Hohner harmonica, wrapped like a candy, but very potent and made to be played. [see photo on the right]
A small heart was chained to the piece, and "Love. Toots" engraved on it.
Emotion also when Toots underlined the exceptional support he received all along the years from his wife, or when he played 'How High the Moon' because the only Belgian astronaut was in the audience.
After a real 3 hours of performing music and celebrating Toots, when the last chord estinguished, the audience of Forest National gave a standing ovation to Toots Thielemans.
A great concert!
ONE FALSE NOTE !
There was however a false note in the concert!
Close to the end, politicians from all lingoes and colors invaded the stage to benefit from the impact created by the event. With the present difficulties Belgium goes trough, politicians are certainly not well accepted by the public at large. But apparently they did not remember their lesson...
After short boos, the audience kept quiet, showing dignity. And some respect for the Belgian musician they celebrated.
Music only could reduce this bad impression, and more music we got!
We love you too Toots...
©1997, E.Borgers
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