

Brussels-born Toots Thielemans proved he had the chops to dazzle big crowds while touring with Benny Goodman as a guitarist in the ‘50s. Later moving to the U.S., he gradually built a network of star collaborators, including Charlie Parker and Ella Fitzgerald. His signature whistling on TV commercials found popularity, but nothing mesmerised audiences like his harmonica playing, smoothly surfing jazzy melodies. Bright, bittersweet or deeply romantic, his solos drove scores such as Midnight Cowboy, while his elegant takes on Erik Satie and Jacques Brel showed the instrument's full potential.