Humphrey Lyttelton, trumpeter, band leader and BBC broadcaster, would have been 100 this year, and to mark the occasion fellow trumpeter Chris Hodgkins tours the UK with a 10-piece band composed of British and American musicians.
Lyttelton’s Bad Penny Blues was the first British jazz record to reach the top 20, and remained in the charts for six weeks. Later its catchy boogie piano riff re-emerged as the basis for the Beatles song Lady Madonna. Humph, while steeped in jazz, had other pop connections, for example performing in front of 42,000 with doomy rockers Radiohead.
On BBC Radio 4 Lyttelton hosted I’m Sorry, I Haven’t A Clue (in later years with magnificently weary resignation) and on Radio 2 he presented the Best Of Jazz programme. Further back, in the 1960s, he reviewed for Jazz Journal and presented BBC2’s Jazz 625.
Chris Hodgkins’ band – Hodgkins, Henry Lowther (t); Charlotte Glasson (bar, cl); Alex Clarke (ts, cl); Diane McLoughlin (as, ss); Mark Bassey (tb); Wayne Wilkinson (g); Jinjoo Yoo (p); Alison Rayner (b); Buster Birch (d) – will play Humph material as well as some brand new pieces composed especially for the tour.
The tour will be accompanied by a travelling exhibition on Humph’s life and times consisting of a media presentation and visual archive display based on Humph’s writings and journals.
A four-part series on Humphrey Lyttelton, presented by Chris Hodgkins, began on Jazz London Radio on the 3rd of November with remaining episodes scheduled for 8pm on the 10th, 17th and 24th November.
The Salute to Humph tour dates are:
Thursday 18th November Chesterfield Jazz Club 8pm Olde House, Loundsley Green Road, Chesterfield, S40 4RN https://chesterfieldjazz.wordpress.com Box Office: 07764 587258.
Friday 19th November. The Queens Hall, 44 High Street, Narberth, Pembrokeshire, SA67 7AS. 8pm https://narberthjazz.wales/event/salute-to-humph/ Box Office:01834 861212.
Saturday 20th November. Newcastle Arts Centre, The Black Swan 67 Westgate Road, NE1 1SG. 8pm https://www.newcastle-arts-centre.co.uk/jazz-cafe-programme/ Box Office: 0191 261 5618.
Sunday 21st November PizzaExpress Jazz Club, Soho , London, 8pm www.pizzaexpresslive.com Box Office: 020 7439 4962.
Monday 22nd November Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road / Heol y Farchnad Cardiff / Caerdydd CF5 1QE 7:30pm. Box Office 029 2031 1050.
Tuesday 23rd November. St. James’ Church, Church Path, Emsworth, PO10 7DP. 8pm https://www.wemsfest.com/ Box Office: https://www.wegottickets.com/WemsFest.
Wednesday 24th November. Fougou Jazz, Livermead Cliff Hotel, Seafront, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 6RQ. 8pm https://fougoumusic.com/ Box Office: https://fougoumusic.com.
Thursday 25th November. Subscription Rooms, George St, Stroud, GL5 1AE 7:45pm https://thesubrooms.co.uk/whats-on/a-salute-to-humphrey-lyttelton-219 Box Office: 01453 796880 boxoffice@thesubrooms.co.uk.
Friday 26th November. Calstock Arts, The Old Chapel, Sand Lane, Calstock, PL18 9QX 8pm https://calstockarts.org/whats-on/ Box Office: 01822 833183.
Saturday 27th November. PizzaExpress Live, Birmingham, 8pm www.pizzaexpresslive.com Box Office: 020 7439 4962.
Sunday 28th November. The Plough Arts Centre,9–11 Fore Street, Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8HQ. 7:30pm Tickets: https://www.theploughartscentre.org.uk/event/salute-humphrey-lyttelton Box Office: 01805 624624.
Tuesday 30th November. Watermill Jazz, Betchworth Park Golf Club, Reigate Road, Dorking. 8:30pm https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/watermilljazz http://www.watermilljazz.co.uk/ Box Office: Steve Wetherall, Tel: 07415 815784 email: boxoffice@watermilljazz.co.uk.
Wednesday 1st December. The Concorde Club, Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 9HQ 8:15pm https://www.theconcordeclub.com/ Box Office: https://www.theconcordeclub.com/product.php/1010/salute-to-humph.
Thursday 2nd December. Ashburton Arts Centre, Ashburton, 15 West St, Ashburton, Devon, TQ13 7DT 7:30pmhttp://ashburtonarts.org.uk/ Box Office: wegottickets.com/ashburtonarts.
Friday 3rd December. Jazz Jurassica, Marine Theatre, Church St, Lyme Regis, DT7 3QB. 7:30pm Tickets: www.jazzjurassica.co.uk/.
Saturday 4th December. Connaught Theatre, Union Place, Worthing, BN11 1LG 7:30pm https://wtam.uk/events/a-salute-to-humphrey-lyttelton/ Box Office – 01903 206206.
Sunday 5th December. The Astor Community Theatre, Stanhope Rd, Deal, CT14 6AB 7:30pm https://theastor.co.uk/ Box Office – 01304 370 220.
