Customer Reviews

Great value - By: Steve Nicolaou, 26 Apr 2008
Have just been reminded that i bought this by the sad news that Lyttleton has passed away.
I first heard about Humph from a documentary on the Brecon Jazz festival & i ended up wanting to hear more. This is a good box set with a hell of alot of tracks making it great value & a fine introduction to British post war jazz.

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Further thoughts on 'Dennis' - By: J Cools, 08 Jun 2007
I agree the music represents an excellent snapshot of Humph from
an earlier era. Bad Penny... has always been a particular favourite
of mine. My 78 became a little 'Warped' & I tried to heat it slightly,
in the oven & then put the bread-board on it to flatten it out.
It was an experiment that was partially successful except that the
disc became a little more noisy, as a result.
This became a big hit - possibly Humph's biggest, which
was not surprising! I think the Producer reference should read = 'Dennis Preston' = who later ran his own label 'Lansdowne Records', which EMI released.
later produced Albums under his own label 'Lansdowne' - these were
released via EMI.

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Into the Music - By: Richard, 19 Nov 2006
First off I'm no jazz fan anymore than John Lennon was-yet he once named Bad Penny Blues as the only jazz he could listen to.In 1968 this 1956 instrumental was the main influence behind Lady Madonna.
Me I like instrumentals from the Golden Age-Duane Eddy,Sandy Nelson,Link Wray,the Ventures etc. And Bad Penny Blues is to my mind the greatest instrumental EVER.
Hrearing this at the time you never wanted it to end-that beautifully dry percussion sound,the muted trumpet,the piano riff-you could fall into it.
The disc was produced by somebody called Dennis Lansdowne who had a studio & it was engineered by a young Joe Meek a few years away from his own take on pop music.In his biog it mentions things he added to it which were not to the jazzmans liking but it went out anyway as it was thank God
Lyttleton is a British institution-a very clever guy who was once a cartoonist & managed to keep the same wife.Makes a guy feel inferior but there you go.
He should have been knighted long ago

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Incredible Stuff - By: Robert D Norman, 11 Dec 2004
I grew up with this musicin Englandin the late 40's, 50's & 60's before emigrating to Canadain 1967. I brought most of it with me (on 78's, 10 & 12 inch LP's, EP's & singles.) Some I left behind for fear of breakage (78's) & limited space. This is the essence of the greatest traditional Jazz coming out of Britain...ever! In fact, during the late 40's & early 50's, Jazzin the US was losing popularity to some degree. It is thought that Britain's growing entheusiasm for Trad Jazz, & the upcoming young players like Humph, actually, & fortunately kept it alive. Humphrey Lyttletonin my book (And Louis Armstrong's book by the way) was, & still is the best trumpet player that Britain has ever produced. The rest of the globe would also be hard pressed to equal or better it. This CD covers nearly all of the great tracks (that I still have on records,) & will enable me to still listen to them without worrying about damage to the originals. My favourite??? "Cake Walkin' Babies"... Don't think I have heard of anything that has the cristpness, drive, & back-ground rythme as this one..It lifts the soul. Play it when you feel down & you will be on top of the world.
I first heard it at Humph's Jazz clubin the basement of 100 Oxford street..(you remeber!)....and so glad that it was cut on record, & now remastered on CD..... Oh, I haven't bought it yet, but will when I sort out some of the other ones to go with it. (like Parlaphone Vol I....)I've just discovered this website I'm glad to say....... Enjoy.

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Incredible value for some classic tracks - By: , 25 Sep 2003
60 tracks for £10 is amazing, the 3 CD's cover from 1950 through 1957 & contain some great music. The bands all have a character of their own, not just copying previous styles or people, but playing interesting tunes with skill & imagination with each musician being readily identifiable.
I had forgotten how much like Omer Simeon, Wally Fawkes could be & the sheer drive of Humphrey Lyttleton's trumpet lead.
This is a really great collection of swinging music with tremendous vitality & variety.