Product Description

The legendary band leader and jazz trumpeter, broadcaster and humorist looks back at his extraordinarily rich and varied life and the many colourful 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. During the war, he served in the Grenadier Guards and, on demobilisation, studied for two years at Camberwell Arts School. 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 Twenty 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. He lives in Hertfordshire.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4970 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 182 pages

Review
"'Reading the Chairman's passing memories enriched a free weekend in the English countryside for me, as would reading Proust, Dickens or Melville. A damn sight funnier. Humph is cool, Humph is now!' -Pete Townshend"

Customer Reviews

Random thoughts of Chairman Humph
The title says it all - this is a collection of thoughts and memories and definitely NOT an autobiography. On the first page Humph desribes it as "a hotchpotch of thought and memories and this is exactly what it is.
The book is a wonderful encapsulation of the wit and considerable wisdom of the inimitable Humph, with at least one laugh per page and frequently more as Humph seamlessly elides from the consideration of 3 a.m. transport caff meals to the subject of crimes against the decent pronunciation of English within the space of about 30 words. Devoting six hilarious pages to this, he moves, with his own brand of logic to school days at Eton and and thence to dispense a cornucopia of stories and anecdotes about eccentric relations, jazz greats and his own life.
In no particular order we are treated to a wondrous sequence of cameos from the very full and fully-lived life of a man whose humour never conceals his innate wisdom and humanity.
If you enjoy the lunatic humour of "I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue" or if you have an interest in jazz or if you just want a good read, this is it!

A charming and delightful book
I enjoyed this book immensely. It is very tempting to describe the book by what it is not, not autobiography, not a companion to "Sorry I haven't a clue", not about Jazz... Though I think anyone with an interest in these areas will enjoy it.
The book is quite literally a collection of rambling thoughts and reminiscences - which does not sound very appealing. But Humphs love of language and music shine though continually, and it flows along in a delightful manner.
While his achievements in Jazz and Comedy are well known, Humph's journalism successes are perhaps less well known - and in my opinion his abilities as a writer are every bit as great, and that shines from the pages of this book. I really think anyone with a sense of humour will like it - a smile on every page!

It occurred to me too...
Actually I'm not sure I can improve on the two previous reviews. I am enjoying this hotchpotch of reminiscenses very much. Humph has (had) led a remarkable life; doing things and meeting people, seemingly by accident, which seem to have led him in some interesting and rewarding directions. I wish I'd had a bit more insight into the man behind the microphone of ISIHAC earlier, but better late than never - I'm happy to be reading about him now.

Humph's a man who will be much missed by millions of people who never knew him personally, as well as by his family and friends.