It's sad to record the passing of Humphrey Lyttelton ("Humph"), a veteran jazz musician and composer, one of the greatest broadcasters and radio entertainers the BBC has ever had, in many respects a polymath. and a very nice man.
The news yesterday came too late for our session, otherwise I would have suggested a play-through of "When The Saints Go Marching In", a great tune long associated with him.
Maybe not ITM related Henk but a very well respected musician the like of which we won't see again.
Worthy of our respect and sympathy for his family and friends.
May he rest in peace.
To my mind, the souls of honest trad jazz and honest ITM are closely compatible. Lyttelton and his contemporaries were an important part of my life in London many years ago, and some of the patrons of The Favourite (Paddy In The Smoke) felt the same. I wouldn't be surprised if Humph and Seamus were swapping tunes and stories.
Spare a thought for Samantha, and Sven, and even Mrs. Trellis from North Wales, what will become of them now ? The world will be a harder place to live in without Mr. Lyttelton. One of the good guys, bless him.
I saw him in Exeter in March, the first time I ever saw him. I hate jazz generally in that horribly prejudiced way that you get, but it was a lovely, heart-warming occasion. We bought his book for a relative's birthday and queued up after the gig to get him to sign it. Not only did he sign it but he drew a wonderful sketch of a trumpet player with "Happy birthday to Jane" in a speech bubble coming from the trumpet. He said in the gig that Barry Cryer had just handed him a joke that went: Two blokes were chatting over a pint and one said to the other, "Have you ever shoed a horse?" The other bloke said, "No, but I once told a pig to p*ss off."
He was being interviewed and the interviewer asked him about his hobby,ornithology.The interviewer got the word wrong and asked Humphrey "I hear you're a bit of an orithologist" Humph replied "No,more of a word botcher"
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton
It's sad to record the passing of Humphrey Lyttelton ("Humph"), a veteran jazz musician and composer, one of the greatest broadcasters and radio entertainers the BBC has ever had, in many respects a polymath. and a very nice man.
The news yesterday came too late for our session, otherwise I would have suggested a play-through of "When The Saints Go Marching In", a great tune long associated with him.
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by lazyhound
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
ITM related?
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by Henk Bos
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
Oh no, that's sad news. I'm sorry I haven't a clue won't be the same any more
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by mehitabel23
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
Maybe not ITM related Henk but a very well respected musician the like of which we won't see again.
Worthy of our respect and sympathy for his family and friends.
May he rest in peace.
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by john knoss
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
He told some great "banjo jokes" too.
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by Johannes J
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
I for one was very saddened by the news, and am glad to record my respects for the great man here.
God loves you, Humph!
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by benhall.1
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
A great stalwart of The Edinburgh Jazz Festival. He'll be greatly missed up here.
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by Johannes J
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
Sad to hear about Humph. He couldn't play 'The Luck Penny' or 'Sixpenny Money' but he made a great job of 'Bad Penny Blues'
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by Free Reed
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
Well, as the hedgehog of Destiny shuffles shyly across the lawn of Time, only to be caught in the headlights of Fate, here we go...Notting Hill Gate!
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by maxF
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
Saw him a number of times in Belfast with George Melly, wonderful shows.
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
A tragedy and British Jazz will be much the poorer for his passing. Still somewhere he is probably jamming with Coltrane, Gillespie, Becket and Rich.
Now who would want to be there to see that session
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by Welshman
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
To my mind, the souls of honest trad jazz and honest ITM are closely compatible. Lyttelton and his contemporaries were an important part of my life in London many years ago, and some of the patrons of The Favourite (Paddy In The Smoke) felt the same. I wouldn't be surprised if Humph and Seamus were swapping tunes and stories.
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by oldstrings
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
He once said something to the effect that the best jazz had pain in it. Couldn't the same be said of some ITM?
# Posted on April 26th 2008 by lazyhound
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
Spare a thought for Samantha, and Sven, and even Mrs. Trellis from North Wales, what will become of them now ? The world will be a harder place to live in without Mr. Lyttelton. One of the good guys, bless him.
# Posted on April 27th 2008 by wolfbird
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
I saw him in Exeter in March, the first time I ever saw him. I hate jazz generally in that horribly prejudiced way that you get, but it was a lovely, heart-warming occasion. We bought his book for a relative's birthday and queued up after the gig to get him to sign it. Not only did he sign it but he drew a wonderful sketch of a trumpet player with "Happy birthday to Jane" in a speech bubble coming from the trumpet. He said in the gig that Barry Cryer had just handed him a joke that went: Two blokes were chatting over a pint and one said to the other, "Have you ever shoed a horse?" The other bloke said, "No, but I once told a pig to p*ss off."
(It's the way you tell 'em...)
# Posted on April 27th 2008 by Steve Shaw
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton - sadly missed
Red sky at night - shepherds' delight
Red light at night - Shepherds Bush
# Posted on April 27th 2008 by geoffwright
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbdNHgH9Cz8
# Posted on April 27th 2008 by wolfbird
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
Lovely, wolfbird. Thanks for that.
# Posted on April 28th 2008 by oldstrings
Re: Humphrey Lyttelton
He was being interviewed and the interviewer asked him about his hobby,ornithology.The interviewer got the word wrong and asked Humphrey "I hear you're a bit of an orithologist" Humph replied "No,more of a word botcher"
# Posted on April 28th 2008 by dafydd