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Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton was born on 23 May, 1921. His mother, Pamela Lyttelton, was a keen amateur musician playing at various times piano, recorder and, late in her life, the guitar. His father took up the cello while at Cambridge, but put it down again after a university magazine article revealed
'When George Lyttelton practises the cello, all the cats in the district converge upon his rooms in the belief that one of their members is in distress.'
Humphrey began playing the trumpet in 1936, and formed a school quartet the same year.
After serving as an officer in the Grenadier Guards during World War II, in 1949 he started working as a cartoonist at the London Daily Mail, where he remained until 1956. Much of his spare time was spent with his own band, which he formed in 1948, and has led continuously up to the present day.
Humphrey recorded prolifically for Parlophone Records in the 50s, and now appears on his own label - Calligraph Records. He has written seven books, including two volumes entitled The Best of Jazz.
Some sporadic broadcasting led to residencies as host with the BBC TV programmes Jazz 625 and Jazz Goes to College, and to the BBC radio programmes Jazz Club, The Best of Jazz and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.
Humphrey Lyttelton lists among his favourite musicians: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Eddie Condon
Benny Goodman, Buck Clayton, Ruby Braff, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Jessica Williams and Stacey Kent.
In 1993 Humphrey received a Sony Gold Award for services to broadcasting. In 2000 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Post Office British Jazz Awards.
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Best of Jazz