Humph quickly established himself on the scene

But, great though he is, Humph has never been content with music alone.

He is a cartoonist, calligrapher, broadcaster and has written seven books.

Hundreds of thousands of listeners have been introduced to the delights and difficulties of jazz through his Radio 2 series the Best of Jazz - which he has presented for 30 years.

Eton

Humphrey Lyttelton was born on 23 May, 1921.

Both his parents were amateur musicians and Humph began playing the trumpet in 1936, forming a school quartet - at Eton - later that year.

After serving as an officer in the Grenadier Guards during World War II, in 1949 he started working as a cartoonist at the London Daily Mail, where he remained until 1956.

During this time he became a major presence on the British jazz scene.

Prolific

Musically, Humph has always been his own man, starting out playing New Orleans jazz, and then becoming an avid mainstreamer, playing more in the style of Count Basie's small groups.

Humph's biggest hit was Bad Penny Blues in 1956

He has always written music prolifically, although he says that of the 200 or so tunes he has composed, 199 have sunk without trace, the exception being his hit record 'Bad Penny Blues', which spent 6 weeks in the charts in 1956.

His band has also backed several singers, ranging from New Orleans songstress Lillian Boutt� to Helen Shapiro, and more recently, Stacey Kent.

Awards

Occasional broadcasting led to residencies as host with the BBC TV programmes Jazz 625 and Jazz Goes to College, and to the BBC radio programmes Jazz Club, The Best of Jazz and the anarchic quiz show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.

In 1993 Humph received a Sony Gold Award for services to broadcasting, and in 2000 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Post Office British Jazz Awards.