“Bluesette” | Stories of Standards

Even the most casual of circumstances—two musicians, warming up for a concert—can serve as the inspiration for a great piece of art. This is the story of “Bluesette,” the jazz standard composed by Toots Thielemans, with lyrics by Norman Gimbal.

Tune in to First Take with Chavis and Lando – weekdays from 6-9 am MT – for Stories of Standards to hear our favorite versions of this song all week long!

In 1962, Thielemans was preparing to go onstage with Stephane Grapelli, a great French violinist and longtime idol of Thielemans. As the duo warmed up in a shared dressing room, Thielemans spontaneously played the melody of “Bluesette” for the first time. 

“It happened to me,” said Thielemans of composing the song. “You don’t write a song like that.”

Thielemans credits his inspiration to Grapelli. “Here I am with my idol and he was so elegant,” remembers Thielemans. “And then I warm up on the chords of Bluesette. See, there’s always somewhere, somebody to help you, right? Stephane inspir[ed] me.”

Thielemans recorded “Bluesette” for the first time later that year and it soon became a worldwide hit, launching Thielemans’ career as both a bandleader and sideman.

The original version features Thielemans whistling while playing guitar.  The melodic progression of the song provides a playground for improvisation and solos in instrumental versions of the tune.

Lyrics penned by Gimbel were later added in 1964, allowing great vocalists like Sarah Vaughan to experiment with the melody of the ¾ waltz.