GOODBYE TOOTS

First time I saw Toots Thielemans he was playing quirky guitar to accompany Paul Simon on BBC 2 in the late '70's

I first met him when I had the privilege of repairing a broken headstock on that same ancient Gibson Les Paul round about 1991 - soon after that I used to meet up with him regularly in Pol Lenders' "Bierodrome" which was my local for a few years...

Round about this time he had to abandon the guitar on account of arthritis - but his harmonica playing - oh boy - he played with all the really greats, from Charlie Parker through Ella Fitzgerald to Jaco Pastorious...

Remember "Midnight Cowboy"?

Toots was a truly lovely human being...

Rest in peace Old Friend...

P.S. He would have been really pissed off if I had draped this blip in black - I hope these montbretia seeds do the trick!