Humph sound revisited (From Daily Echo)

Humph sound revisited

2:37pm Saturday 7th August 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

TO his army of fans he was simply known as Humph.

It is nearly two years ago that jazz legend Humphrey Lyttelton died.

But his music lives on thanks to a talented line up of musicians who were with him for six decades.

And it is fitting that The Humphrey Lyttelton Band should be returning to The Concorde Club on Wednesday.

For the Stoneham Lane club was one of Humph’s last gigs before he died at the age of 86. He had just celebrated 60 unbroken years as a band leader.

He had more than 200 compositions to his name and in 1956 Lyttelton’s Bad Penny Blues was the first British jazz record to enter the top 20.

The veteran trumpet player’s links with The Concorde stretched back to the early ’60s.

And it was while he was touring with the American jazz great, trumpeter Buck Clayton that he first appeared there.

In an interview with the Daily Echo, which was the last before he died, Humph spoke with fondness of his association with the club. He became a lifelong friend of club boss Cole Mathieson.

And in a foreword to a book celebrating The Concorde’s 50th anniversary Humph wrote: “The Concorde Club represents a post-war history of jazz.

“I first played for Cole back when the club was based in a Southampton pub.

“Throughout all the years I have known him he has remained the same unflappable character. What he has done for jazz is inestimable.”

Lyttelton became a national treasure with his chairmanship of the hit radio show, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue.

He was also famous for his cartoons. One of his drawings, which he penned and autographed at The Concorde two weeks before he died, was auctioned for charity.

It was in 1936 that Humph’s mum bought him his first trumpet. And it did not take him long to perfect his trumpeting skills which put him on the road to stardom.

Twelve years later he blew a trumpet in the presence of the great Louis Armstrong who was so impressed that he said: “That boy is really comin’ on.”

Humph went on to build a huge reputation and became the father figure of British jazz, winning worldwide acclaim.

His magical music will be recreated when his legendary eight-piece band of the ’50s headline The Concorde’s intertional jazz night on Wednesday August 11.

n The Humphrey Lyttelton Band with special guest Tony Coe are at The Concorde on Wednesday. For tickets call, 023 8061 3989.