By Allen Michie

Here are two new and very different records from virtuosos of the jazz harmonica, both seasoned pros, and one of them deserving of much wider recognition.

Tout de Suite – Johan Hoogewijs and Toots Thielemans (VRT Muziek)

Harmonimonk – Randy Weinstein (Random Chance)

First, the standard-setter for the jazz harmonica for the current generation, and most likely for the next few to come, is the late Toots Thielemans. The swinging master of the chromatic harmonica died in 2016, but sessions he recorded with fellow Belgian Johan Hoogewijs from 1999 to 2010 have been released this year as Tout de Suite.

Hoogewijs is an accomplished arranger and composer of Belgian and Dutch television and movie scores who often collaborated with Thielemans. Hoogewijs is a fine pianist with a melodic ear and, as one would expect for a soundtrack composer, he has a strong sense of dramatic development even within the tight confines of a 3-to-4-minute track. The pieces on Toute de Suite were originally composed as soundtrack pieces for various Flemish TV shows. They have been polished as stand-alone pieces for this CD, and several tracks are grouped together into two suites: “Tout de Suite” and “Topos III.”

The first of the four pieces in “Tout de Suite” is a short prelude that sketches out the sonic space Thielemans will occupy. It has a soaring, lovely bridge, and it leads a bit awkwardly into “Tout de Suite 2” with its quicker, more angular melody. The short “Tout de Suite 3” is the adagio movement, slower and sentimentally lush; it sounds as if it could be background music for an introspective single scene from a movie. It has a very different melody, but it shares the recording’s overall feel. There’s an effective, reaching solo from Thielemans. The unison pairing of harmonica and a violin comes off as marvelous and richly romantic. The final “Tout de Suite 4” is in a quicker, skipping 6/8 rhythm, which prods Thielemans into another fine solo. He is perfect at knowing when to use and when to hold vibrato for full dramatic effect; it’s amazing how Thielemans could humanize that little metallic instrument.

The second set of pieces, “Topos III,” forms a loose six-part concerto. It’s the real centerpiece of the album, despite the catchier album title saluting Toots. Again, the tracks are all 3 to 4 minutes, and it’s easy to hear how they originated as television soundtracks. It begins with a somber introduction from cello-heavy strings, contrasted with Thielemans’s fast runs, which sacrifice nothing in pathos and emotional resonance.

I’m not sure what to make of “Topos III 2,” which breaks radically from the previous pieces with a rock beat. The suite slides into disappointingly generic smooth jazz, complete with the repetitive drums, slick production, and strings used to sweeten rather than expand the music. There’s an elegant build-up to the abrupt conclusion, though, in a Pat Metheny Group vibe. The style reappears in “Topos III 5,” a riff-based fusion track with an earwormy melody.

More rewarding are parts 3 and 4 with their dramatic (perhaps even melodramatic) moods and world-music overtones, augmented by the reediness of Thielemans’s harmonica, which he can make sound like an accordion or bandoneon when called for. The music of “Topos III 4” would fit a tense chase scene, given its heavier percussion and lower sounds from the orchestra. Thielemans plays in a minor mode, adding mystery to the drama.

Toots Thielemans — the standard-setter for the jazz harmonica for the current generation, and most likely for the next few to come. Photo: courtesy of the artist

“Topos III 6” gives the concerto a big finish, sounding like the music for that big final scene, the arrival of the long-awaited first kiss. Unfortunately, Hoogewijs adds a theremin — completely unnecessary when you have Toots Thielemans in the studio. And, unless this is the soundtrack to a ’50s science fiction movie, it is a distraction that lowers the bar for the finale.

There are two additional tracks that bookend the two suites. The album opens with “Sidewalk,” and it would be great to hear this get some airplay on the more adventurous commercial jazz stations. There is smooth jazz with its uplifting fusion beat, electronics, and lightly funky synth bass. Along with that comes a good mixture of strings with more modern elements and, thankfully, a real drummer takes over from the drum machine. At just under 13 minutes, the track has time to modulate, adding a quieter, slower section halfway through. Aggressive strings appear at the end to add cinematic tension. There are fine solos all around, including a welcome earthy baritone sax solo. The tune pictures the different views, I suppose, of what you might see on a long stretch of sidewalk.

It’s safe to skip the final track, “City Caught in the Act,” a rock fusion thingy with a rap in French. Maybe it worked in its original context, but it doesn’t work here.

Tout de Suite is an album that’s easy on the ears, and it’s a fitting tribute to Thielemans, amply demonstrating his emotional range and astonishing technical command of the instrument. It’s a pleasure to hear him outside of his usual mainstream jazz environment (see, for example, his many records on Pablo with the likes of Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass). He repeats a few signature riffs and effects, but it’s Thielemans doing Thielemans. It’s ultimately not the challenging record you’d hope it might be — the pieces are short (except for “Sidewalk”), and there is little thematic development. The strings are beautiful, but the harmonica’s range of potential colors aren’t fully explored. This one is for serious Thielemans fans, or for those who enjoy creating scenes in their imaginations for expressive soundtrack music.

Randy Weinstein’s Harmonimonk is so good that it makes you wonder how it’s possible that no one has done this before — then you find out someone has, and it’s Randy Weinstein. He started recording Thelonious Monk compositions on different types of harmonicas in 2022, releasing them one by one on Bandcamp while he was stuck at home during the pandemic. Now he’s released seven new ones on CD, happily making progress on his lifetime goal of recording all 70 Monk compositions on harmonica.

Weinstein manages to play the chromatic harmonica and sound nothing like Thielemans or Stevie Wonder. He comes from a blues, reggae, and bluegrass background, and he adds all of that to his considerable jazz chops. Weinstein brings a musically interdisciplinary approach to Monk; he finds all kinds of corners for brilliant new interpretations. It brings to mind Hal Wilner’s wildly imaginative That’s the Way I Feel Now (A&M), which used everyone from Steve Lacy to Peter Frampton to see how far Monk’s distinctive aesthetic could stretch.

Recorded simply and unpretentiously (sometimes in friends’ living rooms) with Weinstein overdubbing on most of the instruments, the album’s clever but nongimmicky arrangements show how well Monk’s rhythms and harmonies can succeed in different musical contexts. “Off Minor,” for example, is a perfect melody for reggae. The upbeats fall naturally into place. Or hear how the funky Clyde Stubblefield drum samples on “Bye-Ya” pull out the syncopation and feel in Monk’s melody, saving it from a mechanical sound some Monk performers lapse into (including Monk himself at times).

Randy Weinstein. Jazz Promo Services

Weinstein credits an early influence from Chicago blues harpist Little Walter for parts of his technique: “He played double stops and used tongue-blocking techniques to get tongue slaps and flutters, octaves, and swooping saxophone effects. I decided to go for all of that on my Monk recordings because I feel these techniques are completely valid in a jazz context.” You may be surprised by the range of textures a master player can coax out of the severe limitations of the harmonica, as you can hear on “Bye-Ya.” You can also hear the overlapping harmonica textures on “Straight No Chaser,” with its quirky, stripped-down New Orleans second-line feel.

“Bright Mississippi” is arranged as a kind of New Orleans rumba shuffle. Weinstein makes use of triple overdubs on harmonica, including one used like a rhythm guitar. “Green Chimneys” is a jazz swinger, a feature for George Rush on several basses. The chromatic harmonica lets Weinstein be, well, chromatic, which works well for his extemporizations on Monk’s angular melodies.

“In Walked Bud” features Michaela Gomez on guitar to boost the riffing Chicago blues context. “Ruby My Dear,” on the other hand, is more of a traditional jazz ballad with Pete Smith on guitar, trading the Chicago blues vibe for a Jim Hall vibe. Even in this setting, you wouldn’t likely mistake Weinstein for Thielemans.

I’m looking forward to Weinstein’s next installment of Monk tunes. Harmonimonk is one of the most imaginative and original Monk albums I’ve heard in a long time. Monk, the son of a harmonica player, would have dug it.

Allen Michie works in higher education administration in Austin, Texas. You can find an archive of his essays and reviews at allenmichie.medium.com.