Humph at the Conway
After a very long day I’m too tired this evening to post anything too demanding, so I thought I’d put up a bit of old jazz. In fact this is the Humphrey Lyttelton Band vintage 1954, recorded live at the Conway Hall. This record was a bit of a novelty at the time because it was one of those new fangled Long Playing discs (LPs). Anyway, the tune Memphis Shake is introduced by Humph as “from way back” and I in fact posted the original version some time ago. The band clearly enjoyed playing that night “way back” in 1954.
There’s no actual video but if you notice you get a good look at the album cover, which features cartoons drawn by Humph himself. That gives me the opportunity to remind everyone that as well as being a fine trumpeter and bandleader, as well as radio presenter with a dry sense of humour and impeccable comic timing, he was also an extremely talented cartoonist and caricaturist. Here is another example – I think his cartoon of himself is really excellent!
In the Dark 
September 12, 2011 at 1:07 pm
When did he draw this, because it’s uncannily like the Sergeant Pepper cover?
September 12, 2011 at 2:19 pm
It clearly dates from the time when his band included both Wally Fawkes and Bruce Turner which, together with Johnny Parker on piano and George Hopkinson on drums, accurately dates it to the mid 50s.
You might also be interested to hear the similarity between Humph’s hit tune “Bad Penny Blues” and “Lady Madonna”…
September 14, 2011 at 11:15 am
No chance that the cartoon itself was drawn post-Pepper?
September 14, 2011 at 12:34 pm
No. Humph drew the cartoon for a programme for one of his concerts. He wouldn’t have used an old personnel line-up for that. Johnny Parker (the pianist) left Humph’s band around 1957 so that’s the latest it could possibly be.
September 20, 2011 at 9:30 pm
Agreed entirely, but I wanted to be rigorous.
January 7, 2013 at 10:15 pm
I agree with deductions re Humph’s wonderful musical endeavours most likely being the starting block. Actually on another note… is’nt Waterloo Sunset a remodelled version of the famous Lonesome Blues etc.etc? …Ummm they never give up then!!
January 7, 2013 at 10:56 pm
This has been remarked upon…
https://telescoper.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/lonesome-waterloo-sunset-blues/