Customer Reviews

Only Trust Your Heart

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This is a really fine album with beatiful playing throughout. In the opinion of the authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz it is arguably his best album.

I haven't heard all his albums, but I have this one and Man Bites Harmonica and I can vouch that both of them stand up to repeated listening.

This is my favorite Toots album, not only because of his beautiful playing but because of his sidemen, the first-rate engineering and production, and the thoughtful selection of the twelve tunes in the set. They range from standards like Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil", Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Hello Young Lovers", Monk's "Little Rootie Tootie", and a Toots original entitled "The Dragon", to a pair by pianist Fred Hersch, "Rain Waltz" and "Sarabande", that have become standards themselves. Mr. Hersch, one of the great jazz pianists working today, also produced, and has A. T. Michael MacDonald engineering as he has done with exceptional skill on many of Mr. Hersch's solo albums. Marc Johnson and Harvie Swartz on bass and Joey Baron on drums round out the group. It's hard to top a lineup like this one. This is one of the finest albums by Mr. Thielemans, who as of this writing (October 2008) is 86 years old, and according to his website is playing a trio of gigs in Holland this month. Wish I could be there for every one of them.

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.

Toots is surely one of the most under-rated jazz musicians on the planet. He deserves a much wider audience. On this CD, he treats us to different (and universally wonderful) singers with a fabulous choice of music. Some charts are lush and warm your heart. Others are swinging hard and give Toots a chance to exhibit his substantial chops. Even if you're lukewarm about the harmonica, his music will change your mind!

John Whitney, Music Director, Southern Tier Symphony

This album is a masterpiece in any genre. Harmonica. Jazz. Music, period. I remember when it just came out, hearing an excerpt on the radio. I bought the album and basically wore it out. It sounds just as good On CD. This is music of joy and feeling but also calm. Tight ensemble playing. My music tastes are eclectic, mostly classical but also rock and pop and jazz. I love Hank Williams, Connie Francis and the Stones. But if you were to ask me my favorite records ever recorded in any genre, put this in the top 15.

Since I had recently begun playing the harmonica I wanted to hear an expert playing the kind of music I like. Toots Thielemans fits that requirement perfectly.