Google celebrates toots thielemans 100th birthday on the homepage

A small instrument delivered soulful sounds when it was in the hands of Belgian musician and composer Toots Thielemans. Known for his chromatic harmonica skills, he made a name for himself in the genre of jazz. He also played guitar and professionally whistled his way up international charts throughout his musical career. Today’s Doodle—illustrated by guest artist Melissa Crowton—hits all the right notes by celebrating Toots Thielemans’ contributions to the jazz world on what would be his 100th birthday.

Toots picked up the accordion at three years old and quickly found himself entertaining people at an early age. He would eventually grow up and become a performing musician at his parents’ cafe. As a teenager, he got his hands on a harmonica, but it wasn’t until he heard Louis Armstrong on record that he discovered jazz. In the early 1940s, he picked up the guitar and began performing and touring with other talented musicians. Playing next to jazz and blues figures like Quincy Jones, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra, Toots made himself a staple on radio and television. He recorded 21 records, was featured in Old Spice and Firestone commercials as well as motion-picture soundtracks. One of his most recognizable harmonica solos was for the theme song on PBS-TV’s Sesame Street. 

Toots is widely considered an unrivaled harmonica player and a true Jazz Master.  He continued recording with other artists and performing publicly late into his life. After his passing, many collected and showcased his records, ticket stubs and autographs while museums displayed donated items and instruments from his personal collection.

Happy birthday, Toots Thielemans!

Toots Thielemans took the often-underappreciated instrument of the harmonica, gave it the sound of soul and, in the words of one jazz historian, turned it into "a legitimate voice of jazz."

The Belgian jazz musician was also known for his guitar skills, whistling and composing, but it was his chromatic harmonica playing that made him the preeminent jazz harmonica player. Over the course of a career that lasted the better part of seven decades, Thielemans performed with jazz and blues legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones, the latter of whom called Thielemans "one of the greatest musicians of our time."

To celebrate Thielemans' contribution to music, Google on Friday dedicated its Doodle to the jazz great on his 100th birthday.

Born Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans in Brussels in 1922, Thielemans picked up music at an early age, playing a homemade accordion at the age of 3. As a teenager, he began playing the guitar and harmonica, which he taught himself to play during the German occupation of Belgium.

After playing in Europe with the likes of Benny Goodman, Thielemans  immigrated to the US in 1952, playing with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra and fellow harmonica great Stevie Wonder. He also went on to play on the soundtracks of movies such as Midnight Cowboy and The Getaway, as well as contributing familiar sounds to four decades of Sesame Street experiences.

Thielemans would later collaborate with Paul Simon on his 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years and with Billy Joel on his 1983 album Innocent Man.

In 2009, he was honored with the distinction of "Jazz Master" by the National Endowment of the Arts.

Thielemans died in 2016 at the age of 94. After Thielemans' death, Jones performed a concert in his honor at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Anyone browsing Google will find a doodle with the image of Toots Thielemans at the top of the page on Friday, April 29th. The Belgian harmonica player will celebrate his 100th birthday today. Doodles can also be seen in the United States.

Huguette Thielemans, the widow of Toots Thielemans, is getting search engine attention. “I think it is a great honor for my husband Tots to have my full attention on his 100th birthday,” she said. Belgium†

“It is also great that his doodles are seen in so many countries, showing that his character, music and legacy are still loved, known and appreciated internationally. This makes me very happy!”

Today’s doodles can be seen on Google Home in Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, Brazil, and the United States. Behind the drawing goes team of painters hide.

Image: google

Celebrate the music

The famous Belgian jazz musician’s birthday is widely celebrated. “Tots 100”, A Exhibition in our capital A talented harmonica, he paints a portrait of the most famous Belgian in jazz history with hundreds of photos, documents, scribbles, musical instruments and of course many audio parts.

Many concerts are held here. On April 29, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, the Dutch Metropole Orchestra and Tillmans Musical Friends will take a trip through his work in Bozar.

The festive weekend will continue on Saturday 30th April with harmonies and bands playing arrangements of tots songs spread throughout Brussels. A number of commemorative concerts are also planned, such as Koekelberg and Kortrijk. Concerts are also held in the summer to commemorate the Tots. More information on this can be found here†

Google celebrates toots thielemans 100th birthday on the homepage

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