Toots Thielemans Quotes

• Well, being a jazz musician is not a rose garden!

  Toots Thielemans

  Garden, Rose, Musician

  45 Copy quote

• You can be in Tokyo or Alberta at four in the morning in your hotel and you can still practice if you feel like it. A trombone cannot do that at four in the morning.

  Toots Thielemans

  Morning, Practice, Four

  21 Copy quote

• My parents had a sidewalk cafe: every Sunday there was an accordion player and apparently I went through the motions, squeezing a shoebox. One of the regulars in 'the cafe said to my father: "I think you should get your son an accordion-that's what he's trying to do, with that shoebox." So they got me a little cardboard diatonic accordion-I still have it. I started to play the National Anthem, and things like that. It seems I was musically gifted-but my parents just never pushed in that direction.

  Toots Thielemans

  Father, Son, Sunday

  10 Copy quote

• Jazz is very much alive. Everywhere I go there's a new generation of musicians playing Jazz music.

  Toots Thielemans

  Music, Alive, Playing Jazz

  10 Copy quote

• The harmonica is a great instrument.

  Toots Thielemans

  Harmonicas, Instruments

  24 Copy quote

• And if I have a strong point, it's that I like to believe it's not cheap or schmaltzy sentimentality.

  Toots Thielemans

  Strong, Believe, Ifs

  7 Copy quote

• My parents had a pub and each Sunday there was an accordionist. They have told me that when I was in my cradle, I already was imitating the gestures of the musician.

  Toots Thielemans

  Sunday, Parent, Musician

  8 Copy quote

• My father bought me a little cardboard accordion, and when I was three I got this little machine.

  Toots Thielemans

  Father, Three, Machines

  7 Copy quote

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