Toots Thielemans
A harmonica pioneer, Toots Thielemans contributed mightily to bringing the instrument
a new musical pedigree. While working primarily in jazz, the Brussels native has
never hesitated to crossover into pop (Billy Joel, Julian Lennon…) and world
music (The Brasil Project…). A brilliant whistler and accomplished guitarist,
Thielemans plays the harmonica with a speed and fluidity generally associated with
saxophonists.
Born in 1922 in Brussels, Jean "Toots" Thielemans picked up the accordion
at the age of three; he wouldn't discover the harmonica for another 15 years.
Moving to the U.S. mid-century, he released the album The Sound in 1955, unveiling
the full measure of his talent. In the early '60s, living temporarily in Sweden,
he recorded the album The Whistler and His Guitar, including the popular
piece Bluesette, which would become a classic in the genre.
We've also heard him in the movies, thanks to Quincy Jones' involvement, on the
soundtracks to Midnight Cowboy, The Getaway and Sugarland Express
and in the theme song to classic, eternal children's TV program Sesame Street.
In concert Thursday, February 16 at 8 p.m.
Luc De Larochellière
He appeared as a big longhaired kid in 1988, with a bracing, brainy, mature song
that hit like a slap in the face: Amère América.
Sure, it was his debut album, but he'd already collected three awards at the
Festival de la chanson de Granby (singer-songwriter, chanson primée, for
best unpublished song, and the media-voted award) two years earlier. Twenty-one
years later, he offers us a gift of an album, Un toi dans ma tête,
his 8th, which took home the 2010 Félix award for Singer-Songwriter, and
was also heralded as "one of the most beautiful albums released here in the
past decade" by critic Marie-Christine Blais in La Presse.
Between those peaks, there have been other albums, but also periods of silence-some
of them too long. Just attend one of his shows or listen to a best-of collection
(like Voix croisées, his duets with other artists including Vigneault
and Cabrel) to understand how deeply rooted his presence is in Québécois
song, and how important his oeuvre has been to us over the past 25 years, rolling
out such classics as Sauvez mon âme, Chinatown, Si fragile,
Si j'te disais reviens, La route est longue, Ma génération,
Cash City…
An artist engaged with the younger artistic generation, recipient of scads of awards
(ADISQ, including 1989 Singer-Songwriter of the Year, a number of Socan awards,
a Juno, etc., not to mention Victoires de la musique nominations in France), a collection
of gold and platinum albums, Luc De Larochellière is undoubtedly one of the
leading lights-and voices-on our music scene. And if he has refined his art to a
fine point of simplicity, his career and oeuvre nonetheless remain exemplary and
magnificent.
As part of MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE 2012, De Larochellière directs and appears in the tribute concert Ne me quitte pas, an homage to the great Jacques Brel.
In concert Sunday, February 26 at 8 p.m.