When is slickness okay in music? It works for Chet Baker, some dance records, and even the occasional country artist. It fails to do anything good for U2, Ray Charles or Frank Black. Some genres couldn't get by without it, and high on that list is Brazilian Jazz/Pop. You know, the kind that descended from ÒGirl From Ipanema.Ó Well, 71-year-old Belgian harmonica master Toots Thielmans is a strange person to find nestled in that Brazilian slickness, but apparently the first release did so well that Private Music has sent him back for seconds.
Not that Thielemans hasn't already covered a lot of ground. His career has included work with Benny Goodman, Roy Eldridge, George Shearing, Jaco Pastorius, and the hook on the Sesame Street theme song. Though harmonica isn't exactly a typical Brazilian or jazz instrument, Thielemans meshes with the swank sounds of acoustic guitar, gentle singing and subtle percussion beautifully. On the down side is the fact that the very consistent production has worn away the differences between such diverse talents as Gilberto Gil, Elaine Elias, Milton Nascimento, and Caetano Veloso. (Bob Boster)