Buzzing: Jazz legend dies

"Toots" Thielemans.

Jazz legend dies

Belgian jazz legend "Toots" Thielemans died early yesterday after a 70-year career as the world's top harmonica player during which he made music with some of the biggest names in the genre.

Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidore Thielemans, known affectionately as Toots, died in his sleep in a Brussels hospital, his manager said. He was 94.

Born in 1922 in the working-class Marolles district of Brussels, he got his big break when he joined Benny Goodman on a European tour in 1950 before moving to the United States, where he teamed up with other jazz greats, including Charlie Parker and Ella Fitzgerald.

He performed in Singapore in 2003 and 2008.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 23, 2016, with the headline Buzzing: Jazz legend dies . Subscribe