We all have all been listening to Toots and probably never knew it. Paul Simon records. Film scores like “Midnight Cowboy.” He basically put the modern, chromatic harmonica on the jazz and popular music map. I am presently on a personal project to transcribe a bunch of his solos. In this post, I present his solo on the album “Man Bites Harmonica” and the song “Don’t Blame Me.”
Of course, with these sorts of transcriptions it is best not to just read the take down. It is best to listen to the solo and get into it and transcribe it in your head. Perhaps the hardest thing is getting to know his phrasing. Toots has a very fluid way with his lines. It often seems like he is at a cocktail party – he sort of stumbles around the hors d’oeuvres, moseys towards the bar then says high to woman by the dessert table. His style is instantly identifiable. Do not be tempted into thinking his music is lightweight as he makes it all sound so easy. The guy knows his stuff and has serious chops.
Toots Thielemans Solo- Don’t Blame Me (pdf)
10 Toots Thielemans Chromatic Harmonica Solos – Transcribed and Analyzed
By Paul Lyons
An in-depth look at the style of one of the great improvisors of the last 50 years. Excellent for not only chromatic harmonica players, but jazz players of all instruments.
Table of Contents
Introduction – 3
Why Transcribe – 5
Don’t Blame Me – Man Bites Harmonica! (Riverside, 1958) – 6
Three In One – Man Bites Harmonica! (Riverside, 1958) – 11
Sno’ Peas – Bill Evans Affinity (Warner Bros., 1979) – 18
Blue in Green – Bill Evans Affinity (Warner Bros., 1979) – 20
Jesus’ Last Ballad – Bill Evans Affinity (Warner Bros., 1979) – 23
Only Trust Your Heart – Only Trust Your Heart (Concord Records, 1988) – 26
C To G Jam Blues – Footprints (Polygram Records, 1991) – 30
Felicia and Bianca – The Brasil Project (BMG, 1992) -36
Coisa Feita – The Brasil Project (1992, BMG) – 38
Everybody’s Talkin’, Midnight Cowboy: Original Motion Picture Score [Soundtrack] (1969) – 45
Conclusion – 48
References – 48
Etudes – 49 – 80