It Just Occurred to Me . . .: The Reminiscences & Thoughts of Chairman Humph

by Humphrey Lyttelton

Paper Book, 2007

Status

Available

Call number

781

Genres

Collection

Music Books- Jazz

Publication

Anova Books (2007), 182 pages

Description

The legendary band leader and jazz trumpeter, broadcaster and humorist looks back at his extraordinarily rich and varied life and the many colorful characters he has known and played with--from Duke Ellington to Louis Armstrong. He also recalls his early life as the son of a famous housemaster at Eton, where he was educated. In 1949 he joined the Daily Mail as cartoonist, wrote the story-line for Trog's "Flook" cartoon, and also signed a recording contract with EMI. He had the first British jazz record to get into the Top 20 in 1956 with "Bad Penny Blues." The book will appeal to his large cult following, both from his regular live appearances with his band, as the irrepressible chairman of BBC Radio 4's popular nonsense quiz "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" and as the presenter of "The Best of Jazz" since 1967.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member sandpiper

I'm a big fan of Humph on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, so when I discovered from a friend's LT library that he had recently published this memoir, I put it on my wishlist, and received it as a late birthday present.

I started the book on Monday night. Only read a few pages. Didn't really get into it

at all. I tried again on Tuesday night. Got up to page 14. I really wasn't getting on with the stream of consciousness thing - no chapters, one anecdote after another, jumping from place to place. I started to despair that I just wouldn't "get" this book. But this afternoon, I sat down with a big pint mug of tea and started to read. I read solidly for an hour and a half, and got into the swing of things. After 100 pages, I stopped for dinner, but soon returned to finish the book (it's not long, 170 pages).

It was amusing in places, a few interesting anecdotes, and I learnt some stuff about jazz. It really didn't tickle me the way Humph does on ISIHAC, though. I would recommend it to fans of the man, but make sure you sit down and read it in one or two sittings - it just doesn't work as something to read in snippets.

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