Customer Reviews

Man Bites Harmonica

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3 star:		(1)
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Toots was a one of a kind. How many men would even try to play wonderful, bop oriented jazz on a chromatic harmonica? Not only did he try, he damned well did it, beautifully, melodically and wonderfully. If you don't have some Toots in your CD collection, then you don't have enough jazz. He is a master, a wonder and a constant delight.

The great baritone sax player Pepper Adams, with his chesty, gravelly tone and relaxed way around an improvisation, always had something interesting to say, no matter how banal the setting. And Man Bites Harmonica provides a pretty banal setting. It's one of those pleasant, professional 1950s small-group jazz outings in which no one takes any risks or breaks any new ground, unless you count having one of the lead horns replaced by a harmonica as new ground. Toots Thielemans would go on from this album to a five-decade career as the leading player on his particular axe, and the peculiarity of it wore off over years of exposure on albums and movie soundtracks. In the end, your enjoyment of this inoffensive little record will hinge on how much the jaunty but oddly relaxing sound of Toots' harmonica rocks your world. To Toots' credit, the best cuts here are his own upbeat originals "Soul Station" and "Fundamental Frequency", where the mix of Toots and Pepper is pretty tasty. The rest could use a bit more seasoning, however.

me wife and i have known toots since the days of bluesette when he had a home in westchester i just have to thank him for many hours of great sounds