A one of a kind record that still sparkles as brightly today as it did back in the late 60s – an amazing collaboration between Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina and Scandinavian jazzman Toots Thielemans – done in a style that easily makes it one of the best records ever from both artists! Elis is at the height of her jazzy late 60s powers here – working in a soaring, breezy sort of style – but one with a lot more depth and soul than some of her contemporaries. She brings a great deal of feeling to the tunes, but always without doing too much – and this leaves plenty of space for Toots to add his touches – on harmonica, guitar, and even a bit of whistling – which really sits in nicely with the grooves. The production and overall sound is sublime – one of those never matched again sort of studio dates – and titles include great versions of "Canto De Ossanha", "Wave", "Voce", "Wilsamba", "Five For Elis", "Volta", and "O Sonho". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first American albums from Belgian guitarist and harmonica player Toots Thielemans – a sharp-edged session that brings a new level of jazz into his work! The title's hokey, but the sound is totally great – with Toots on both harmonica and guitar, usually more of the former – alongside a batch of players that includes Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Kenny Drew on piano, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Given these players, there's a nice sense of late 50s tightness to the record – although all players seem to really defer to Toots' intentions, and shape the sound with a flair that's not unlike some of his few great European moments from the decade. Titles include "Fundamental Frequency", "Soul Station", "Struttin With Some Barbeque", and "East of The Sun". CD

With Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, Joao Bosco, Elaine Elias, Djavan, Ivan Lins, Dori Caymmi, and Gilbert Gil. Produced by Oscar Castro-Neves. CD

One of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded by the legendary Toots Thielemans – a small combo session that stands in great contrast to much of the bigger studio work he was doing in the 70s! Despite the title, the record's a studio one and not a concert – but it's got a relaxed intimacy that's really great, and features plenty of long-drawn lines from Thielemans on the harmonica, all played with the sort of tone and phrasing that made him one of the greatest jazz players ever on the instrument. The rest of the group features Joanne Brackeen on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums – all quite hip players that help Toots avoid the traps of sentimentality and commercialism that could sometimes hurt his work. Titles include "Dr Pretty", "I Never Told You", "Giant Steps", and "Snooze". CD features the bonus tracks "Stella By Starlight" and "Revol". CD

Toots Thielemans on harmonica, Shirley Horn on piano, Charles Ables on bass, and Steve Williams on drums. CD

A beautifully no-nonsense session from the amazing Toots Thielemans – the first in years to capture all the original charms of his amazing style! Toots is working here in a quartet format – with backing by Mulgrew Miller on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums – in a setting that's straight and jazzy, and which allows him to really stretch out on guitar, harmonica, and that amazing whistling style of his! Tracks are all relatively long, and although many of the tunes are familiar, they're really transformed when given the unique Thielemans take – made more moody, dreamy, and introspective than before. Titles include "Windmills Of Your Mind", "Footprints", "If You Could See Me Now", "When I Fall In Love", and "Sultry Serenade". CD

A treasure trove of barely-heard music from two of the most unique players on the European scene of the 70s – Fender Rhodes giant Rob Franken, and harmonica jazz maestro Toots Thielemans – two players who sound better here in the company of each other than they do on their own! Thielemans had been making music for many years before these sessions – but as the 70s hit, the electric piano really opened up new colors and tones in his instrument – heard most famously on his performances with Quincy Jones, and some of his soundtrack material – but actually even more amazing here alongside Franken – as the combination of chromatic harmonica and Fender Rhodes is completely sublime! The tracks were recorded as part of a series of sound library sessions that Rob organized – titled Functional Music – and the huge set features material from a number of different sessions done under that aegis. CD1 features 20 tracks under the heading of Nature Boy from 1981 and 1982 – with Franken on Rhodes, Toots on harmonica, Theo De Jong on bass, and Bruno Castellucci on drums. CD2 is titled Absorbed Love – and features six tracks from 1978 with Toots and Franken – and James Leary on bass, Eddie Marshall on drums, and tenor and flute on a few cuts from the great Ferdinand Povel – followed by fifteen more titles from 1974 with a different Thielemans/Franken lineup that features Joop Scholten on guitar, Wim Essed on bass, and Peter Ypma on drums. CD3 is titled Together, from 1973 – and mostly features Thielemans on guitar and harmonica, Franken on Fender Rhodes, Rob Langereis on bass, and Eric Ineke on drums. 59 tracks in all – and a detailed book of notes! CD

Over 50 years in jazz, and Toots Thielemans is still one of the most distinctive players around – one of the few who could actually make us like the sound of harmonica in modern music, and an artist who's lent his style to countless great albums over the years! For this set, Toots explores the music of Harold Arlen – set to arrangements by Jurren Haanstra that follow strongly in the mode of some of Thieleman's albums with larger orchestrations from the 70s and 80s – warm and lush, but never too overwhelming. And noteworthy here are a number of vocalists who are sure to push Toots talents into the consciousness of younger audiences who may recognize his sound, but not know the man behind it – singers who include Jamie Cullum, Laura Fygi, Beth Hart, Till Bronner, Oleta Adams, Silje Nergaard, Madeleine Peyroux, and Lizz Wright. Tunes include "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Ill Wind", "Last Night When We Were Young", "Stormy Weather", "It's Only A Paper Moon", "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues", and "That Old Black Magic". CD

With Kjell Ohman on organ and electric piano, Stefan Brolund on electric bass, Red Mitchell on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums and tambourine. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded by the legendary Toots Thielemans – a small combo session that stands in great contrast to much of the bigger studio work he was doing in the 70s! Despite the title, the record's a studio one and not a concert – but it's got a relaxed intimacy that's really great, and features plenty of long-drawn lines from Thielemans on the harmonica, all played with the sort of tone and phrasing that made him one of the greatest jazz players ever on the instrument. The rest of the group features Joanne Brackeen on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums – all quite hip players that help Toots avoid the traps of sentimentality and commercialism that could sometimes hurt his work. Titles include "Dr Pretty", "I Never Told You", "Giant Steps", "Snooze", and "Stella By Starlight". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful pairing – the keyboards of Bill Evans and harmonica of Toots Thielemans – presented here in a space that marks the record as one of the best from both players in the 70s! Some tunes are sad and blue, and very spare – others a bit more upbeat and lyrical, almost taking us back to Bill's more sprightly modes of the early 60s – and the clear, clean sound offers up the best tones from both players in a perfect space. Other musicians include Marc Johnson on bass, Eliot Zigmund on drums, and Larry Schneider on flute, tenor, and soprano sax – and Evans plays a bit of electric piano in addition to acoustic, something we always love! Titles include "I Do It For Your Love", "The Days Of Wine & Roses", "Jesus' Last Ballad", "The Other Side Of Midnight", "Blue & Green", and "Tomato Kiss". LP, Vinyl record album

A one of a kind record that still sparkles as brightly today as it did back in the late 60s – an amazing collaboration between Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina and Scandinavian jazzman Toots Thielemans – done in a style that easily makes it one of the best records ever from both artists! Elis is at the height of her jazzy late 60s powers here – working in a soaring, breezy sort of style – but one with a lot more depth and soul than some of her contemporaries. She brings a great deal of feeling to the tunes, but always without doing too much – and this leaves plenty of space for Toots to add his touches – on harmonica, guitar, and even a bit of whistling – which really sits in nicely with the grooves. The production and overall sound is sublime – one of those never matched again sort of studio dates – and titles include great versions of "Canto De Ossanha", "Wave", "Voce", "Wilsamba", "Five For Elis", "Volta", and "O Sonho". LP, Vinyl record album

A later session by Toots Thielemans – but also one of his greatest albums ever, thanks to a super-hip rhythm section that includes Mulgrew Miller on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums! The format here is spare and simple – Toots on harmonica, guitar, and a bit of whistling – in front of the core trio, who really help set the tone for the album. There's a warm and fluid grace here that recalls Miller's own excellent recordings of the 80s – yet also a gentleness that allows the aging Toots more than enough space to do his thing. And honestly, given the tricks, gimmicks, and overly-sentimental qualities of so many other of Thielemans' recordings, this set may well be one of his best straight jazz outings on record. Titles include "Footprints", "Blues On Time", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", "Laura", "The Windmills Of Your Mind", and "Sultry Serenade". CD

Toots Thielemans on harmonica, Fred Hersch on piano, Marc Johnson and Harvie Swartz on bass, and Joey Baron on drums. CD

One of the greatest albums by Toots that we've ever heard – a groovy set of tunes recorded in the 60s, with Dick Hyman on organ! Hyman's lean and fluid tone is a real wonder – working better here than even on his own albums, and coming into play magically with Toots – who whistles at the same time he's playing the guitar, making for an incredibly cool whistle/organ/guitar groove that's totally outta site! Tracks include "The Valley Whistler", "Wives & Lovers", "Indian Nuts", "Falling In Love With Love", "Marionette", and a version of "Bluesette" recorded earlier in Sweden. LP, Vinyl record album

Toots Thielemans on harmonica and Kenny Werner on piano and keyboards. CD

Toots Thielemans on harmonica and guitar, Joe Pass on guitar, and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass. CD

A great later jazz set from Toots Thielemans – recorded half in New York and half in LA – as you might guess from the title! The sound is still very much Toots' own, though – no easy nods to styles from either city in earlier years – and despite the fact that the record is on the Private Music label, which could sometimes put out snoozy new age, it's definitely a jazz date through and through – with relatively stripped down small combo instrumentation on all numbers. Players include John Scofield on guitar, Christian Mc Bride and Charlie Haden on bass, Mike Maineri on vibes, Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Lyle Mays on piano, and Peter Erskine on drums – and tracks include "In Walked Bud", "Con Alma", "Groovin High", "In Your Own Sweet Way", "Giant Steps", "Waltz For Debby", "A Child Is Born", and "Take Five". CD

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Great early work from Eliane Elias – Brazilian-influenced rhythms, warm piano lines, and a surprising undercurrent of soul! The set features Eliane strongly out front on acoustic piano – working with some elements of other American jazz at the time – kind of that post-fusion sense of soul that came from the electric years of other players, brought back into the acoustic keyboard as the 80s scene moved on. But Elias also brings in some of her best Brazilian elements too – really just in the way the keyboard lines come together with a sense of joy and life – and other players include Stanley Clarke and Eddie Gomez on bass, Al Foster and Steve Gadd on drums, and Toots Thielemans on a bit of guest harmonica. Titles include "Illusions", "Moments", "Iberia", "Chan's Song", "Through The Fire", and "Choro". CD

Two younger Brazilian music serve up a tribute to the music of older Brazilian giants – the guitarist Guinga, and sublime composer/multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal! Yet the setting here is quite different than you might expect – at least for the music of Pascoal – as the duo work with just the harmonica of Gabriel Grossi, and seven string guitar of Felix Junior – but in a pairing that still manages to open up with all the complexities of the songs! Grossi's an especially great discovery – blowing with all the vivid tonal depth of some of our few favorite Brazilian harmonicists from the past – and in a legacy that might well put him up there alongside Toots Thielemans and Mauricio Einhorn, for his ability to create sounds with the richness of a reed instrument. The set includes a few Pascoal compositions – "Balaio", "O Farol Que Nos Guia", "Suite Norte Sul Leste Oeste", and "Fatima" – plus Guinga tunes "Exasperada", "Baiao De Lacan", and "De Menor" – and originals by the duo, very much in the right spirit for the setting – with titles that include "Senhorinha", "Domingo Pascoal", and "Selva De Pedra". CD

Johnson in duets with Gary Burton, Makoto Ozone, Toots Thielemans, and Lucy Crane. CD

A great collection – featuring famous collaborations between Elis Regina and Gilberto Gil, Pele, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Tim Maia, Pierre Barouh, Jair Rodrigues, and Toots Thielemans! The Tim Maia and Pierre Barouh tracks are especially unusual! LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful late 50s jazz from the LA scene – not just because singer Dakota Staton is at the best of her youthful prime, but also because the Shearing group on the set is great too! George is working here with one of his best lineups – a group that includes Latin-inflected Al McKibbon on bass and Percy Brice on drums, but which also has some great guitar work by Toots Thielemans, and wonderful vibes by Emil Richards. The Shearing group plays instrumentally on about half the album, and Dakota joins in on the remaining tracks. Titles include "Pawn Ticket", "In The Night", "Easy", "I Hear Music", "Senor Blues", "Later", and "I'd Love To Make Love To You". CD

A rare jazz treasure from the European scene of the early 70s – killer material from a wealth of American artists and local talents – all done as special sessions for Dutch radio, and never issued to the public on record! Despite the radio origins of the music, the sound here is tremendous – easily on a par with the best MPS sessions of the time – which is no surprise, given that many of the artists here worked in similar circles! The first half of the set features the trio of pianist Louis Van Dyke augmented with guests who include Mark Murphy, Helen Merrill, Eddie Jefferson, Toots Thielemans, Herb Geller, and Dave Pike – all stepping out into the spotlight while Van Dyke's combo backs them up with lively grooves that are often heavy on bossa influences! The second half features larger orchestrations from The Metropole Orchestra – a soaring big band who groove wonderfully, often in support of vocals from Murphy or Greetje Kauffeld, but also featuring instrumental solos from European players Ack Van Rooyen, Piet Nordijk, Ferdinand Povel, and others. The whole set is worth it alone for the vocals of Murphy – because the record easily stands as some of his best work ever from this decade – and given how great Mark was at the time, that's really saying a lot! Small group titles include "Children Of The Sun", "So What", "Love Sick", "Sao Paulo", "Con Alma", "Seventh Day", and "Falling In Love With Love" – and bigger group numbers include "Out Of This World", "My Shining Hour", "Let's Fall In Love", "Get Happy", "I'll Wind", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Paper Moon", "One For My Baby", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "That Old Black Magic". 37 tracks in all! CD

A groovy album of slick LA jazz – put together by the great Pat Williams, who did some great arranging work for Verve and MPS in earlier years! The record features a lot of studio jazz players – like Dave Grusin, Toots Thielemans, Gerrry Niewood, Marvin Stamm, and Jerome Richardson – and the tracks are short with kind of an uptempo funky style. Titles include "Barrio", "Blue Light", "Sail On", and versions of the "Bob Newhart" and "Lou Grant" TV Themes! LP, Vinyl record album

Three sets and three different lineups! The album opens with a duet with Eddie Gomez, just piano and bass, which expands to a trio with drummer Eliot Zigmund in the second set. The final set shifts to an entirely different lineup with regular collaborators Marc Johnson on bass and John LaBarbera on drums – plus guest harmonica from Toots Thielemans! CD

Music from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gal Costa, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim, Toots Thielemans & Elis Regina, Djavan, Antonio Carlos Jobim & Nova Banda, Nova Banda, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum, and more. CD

A real step forward for Quincy Jones – a record that really shows the jazzman moving into sophisticated new territory – a sound that's just right for the CTI generation! The album's got a vibe that's a bit similar to Quincy's Walking In Space album, but it's a lot deeper too – touched with some of the African elements you might guess from the title – arranged in ways that are often quite spacious, so that the tunes really take some time to find just the right groove! Backings are large, but show the leaner elements that Jones was bringing to his soundtrack work – and instrumentation includes vibes from Milt Jackson, marimba from Don Elliott, flute from Hubert Laws, soprano sax from Jerome Richardson, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard, trombone from Al Grey, and guitar from Eric Gale. Keyboards figure strongly – played by Herbie Hancock and Bob James – and special features include a bit of guitar and whistling from Toots Thielemans, plus some soulful vocals from Valerie Simpson. "Gula Matari" is an incredible 12 minute tribal groove – and other titles include a killer take on Nat Adderley's "Hummin", plus "Walkin" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". LP, Vinyl record album

Quincy Jones meets Henry Mancini – and the result is an album that's as groovy as it is jazzy – every bit as wonderful as you might expect, and with a few surprising touches as well! Given that Mancini's tunes are already pretty darn great on their own – and plenty jazzy too – it's amazing to hear Quincy transform them for the record, bringing in some of the styles that would show up even more strongly in his own 60s soundtrack work – clever instrumental twists, occasional electric moments, and a growing sensitivity we never would have expected in his music a decade before. There's loads of lovely reeds – courtesy of Jerome Richardson, Seldon Powell, Zoot Sims, and Roland Kirk – and other players include Gary Burton on vibes, Mundell Lowe on guitar, Toots Thielemans on harmonica, and Phil Krauss on percussion. Titles include "Baby Elephant Walk", "Charade", "Dreamsville", "Bird Brain", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "Mr Lucky", "Pink Panther", "Moon River", "Peter Gunn", and "Odd Ball". LP, Vinyl record album

A real standout in Blossom Dearie's run of albums for Daffodil Records – thanks to a lot of electric piano in the mix, and an expanded musical lineup that includes Hubert Laws on flute, Jay Berliner on guitar, Grady Tate on drums, and Toots Thielemans on harmonica! The style here is tighter and more studio-oriented than some of Blossom's other records from the time – but the overall approach is still mostly gentle, in the Daffodil spirit – with Dearie's own vocals and electric piano work dominating the tunes, and other players only coming in to flesh out the tunes where needed. The electric piano is especially nice – used in sparely, blocky modes that echo out behind the vocals – creating waves of sound that buoy Blossom's vocals up beautifully. A number of tracks are familiar numbers, but redone here in unique versions – and titles include "A Paris", "Spring In Manhattan", "Killing Me Softly", "You'll Never Lose The Love You Gave To Me", "Smiling Feet", "My New Celebrity Is You", "Unless It's You", "The Pro Musica Antiqua", "Long Daddy Green", "A Song For You", and "Inside A Silent Tear". LP, Vinyl record album

Features guest work from Branford Marsalis on tenor, Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, Toots Thielemans on harmonica, Buster Williams on bass, and Miles Davis on trumpet! CD

A great all-star international group – with Arne Domnerus and Herb Geller on alto, Hans Koller on tenor, Ronnie Ross on baritone, Bengt Arne Wallin and Rob Pronk on trumpet, Toots Thielemans on guitar and harmonica, Freidrich Gulda on piano, and Rolf Ericson on trumpet. LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual Japanese-only live album from Quincy Jones – with vocals by Patti Austin and James Ingram – plus harmonica from Toots Thielemans, keyboards from Greg Phillinganes and Rod Temperton, and backings from the Japanese Sharps and Flats group of Nobuo Hara! Includes versions of "Ironsides", "Just Once", "Manteca", "Razzamatazz", "Bluesett", "Stuff Like That", and "Ai No Corrida". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great, oft-overlooked album from the best period of Quincy Jones! This album is quite possibly Quincy's most farthest-reaching – as he works in an array of styles that really shows his growing genius in the studio – not just jazz and soundtrack modes, but more soul-based ones, handled with work from a great array of guest stars who really expand the sound. There's loads of nice bits – like a version of "My Cherie Amour", done with vocals by Leon Ware and Minnie Riperton; a new take on "Bluesette", redone with Toots Thielemans; and the original "Beautiful Black Girl", which features rapping by The Watts Prophets! Other tracks include "Paranoid", "Cry Baby", "Tryin To Find Out About You", and "Listen (What It Is)". LP, Vinyl record album

Starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor. Soundtrack features work by Toots Thielemans, Jerome Richardson, Eric Gale, and Michael Brecker, with compostions by Ashford & Simpson and Luther Vandross. LP, Vinyl record album

With Toots Thielemans on harmonica, Joe Pass on guitar, and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass. Nice long tracks, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Sunny and swinging – an overlooked Capitol Records treasure from George Shearing – and one with a group that really helped set the sound of groovy jazz in the 60s! The players here are all wonderful – Emil Richards on vibes, Toots Thielemans on guitar, and Al McKibbon on bass – plus some guest congas from Armando Peraza – an artist we mostly know from Cal Tjader's Latin records! With Richards' vibes, the record really has a great sound – deep-toned, with plenty of jazz and Latin inflections – very similar to the territory that Tjader was exploring in the late 50s. And let's not forget George, too – as his piano has that nicely-blocked feel that really fits the sublime rhythms of the tunes. Titles include "Mambo Inn", "Jordu", "Confirmation", "Some Other Spring", "Drume Negrita", and "Bernie's Tune". CD

Features Billy Drewes on saxophones and special guest Toots Thielemans on harmonica. CD