TOOTS THIELEMANS — Toots Thielemans / Philip Catherine & Friends (aka Two Generations) (review)

TOOTS THIELEMANS — Toots Thielemans / Philip Catherine & Friends (aka Two Generations) album cover

Album · 1974 · Fusion

4/5 · 2025-02-11
FunkFreak75

Recorded for Keytone Records in Amsterdam in May of 1974--not long before producer/promoter Chris Hinze took off for India--on a trip that definitely changed his life.

A1. "Bé Bé Créole" (4:51) the first half of this sounds, to me, like a lesson in Harmonica 101 as presented on a show like Sesame Street; the second half like the more advanced class one mike take in one's junior or senior year. Thus, this makes, for me, all of the other instruments providing the base music relegated to the realms of cogs of dispensability: their efforts seem wasted. (8.66667/10)

A2. "Monologue" (4:08) a little more interesting from the lead instrument perspective, but sounding, in the end, like Chris Hinze's pre-Combination days of self-aggrandizing easy listening music to show one's skill at adapting other people's melodies, ideas, and styles to make "your own" compositions. (8.75/10)

A3. "T.T." (6:11) now here is a jazz tapestry in which M. Thielemans tries to find his way (instead of leading the others from his own melody-play): and it's one of his own compositions! The skills of pianist Joachim Kühn and drummer Gerry Brown get far more exposure on this and Toots actually backs off to let others have some of the spotlight. (8.875/10)

A4. "Two Generations" (4:11) now we're talkin'! Thanks for stepping in (or up) Chris! Piano and flute start it off before harmonica joins them, but the real boost comes 90 seconds in when Joachim leads the rhythm section into an explosion into a powerful SANTANA-like vamp over which Chris, Toots, and Philip Catherine take turns offering some kick ass solos over some seriously rowdy-rockin' all-out Jazz-Rock Fusion. A GREAT song. Easily my favorite song on the album. Like a Santana jam, I wish it would have gone on forever! (9.75/10)

B1. "Why Did I Choose You" (3:50) a Latin pop song (bossa nova by Michael Leonard) turned Smooth Jazz instrumental. Nice music by tightly-bonded group of very proficient musicians. Nice harmonica performance; very cool guitar support (Toots?) (8.875/10)

B2. "Uncle Charlie" (6:30) opens as a Louisiana swamp blues harmonica song that becomes funked up with the full band in support. Philip's raunchy distorted guitar actually fits fairly well over the steady funk-lite Billy Cobham-style jazz-funk. And it's not all dominated by a saccharine harmonica. Nice song, Toots! (9/10)

B3. "Friday Night" (3:46) Philip Catherine's lone compositional contribution to Toots' album involves some awesomely beautiful Spanish guitar (where was Philip when John McLaughlin and the guys were imagining some acoustic trio candidates?) While the song never really launches: it stays in the intro-interlude "limbo-land" the whole time, exploring wave after wave of guitar runs with near-"Theme from Midnight Cowboy" melodic hooks the entire time. It is, however, gorgeous. (9/10)

B4. "L'éternel Mari" (5:28) Joachim Kühn has created a great song here--one that stands up perfectly well with any lead instrument (reminding me a lot of something that could've come from either of Herbie Hancock's first two Head Hunters albums)--or none at all. The contributions of the harmonica up front are minimal enough to not take much away from Joachim, Philip, and John's performances: it's fine but man this awesome song could've served some really great artistry--from artists who were really deeply inspired and motivated to exploring the experimental sounds and technologies coming available in the mid-70s. (9/10)

Total time: 38:55

I really respect Toots Thielemans as a master of his instrument, as a fearless, ground-breaking musician, but for heaven's sake: it's a harmonica! I've already expressed my relative disdain for one-dimensional, melody-only musical instruments (the saxophone is my most disliked) and, as creative as one can be on the highly limiting harmonica, it's really about who one surrounds oneself with. Yes, the harmonica can deliver melodies with achingly-beautiful, heart-piercing emotion, but not every time: there are only so many "Theme[s] from A Midnight Cowboy," "Isn't She Lovely"s, and "Brand New Day"s that come across an artist's studio charts over the course of a lifetime. Also, for getting second-to-the-top billing, Philip Catherine's contributions are certainly lower profile than what one might have expected. It is a bit fun (and insightful) to hear a little unscripted spoken commentary recorded (and published) in between the songs.

B+/ stars; what feels like a waste of time, effort, money, and talent turns out to present enough high-quality music to qualify as an excellent "near-masterpiece" of Jazz-Rock Fusion. The problem is that it astounds me to envision what this album could have been!