Editing Humphrey Lyttelton (section)

==The jazzman==
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Lyttelton received a grant for further study. He went to Camberwell School of Art, where he met [[Wally Fawkes]], a fellow jazz enthusiast and clarinet-player, also known as the cartoonist "Trog". In 1949, Fawkes helped him to get a job with the ''Daily Mail'' writing the words for ''[[Flook (comic strip)|Flook]]'', Fawkes's comic strip. They had both joined the George Webb Dixielanders in 1947. [[George Webb (musician)|Webb]] was an important catalyst in the British postwar jazz boom.<ref>{{cite news|title =George Webb:jazz pianist |newspaper=The Times |url =http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article7062922.ece |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100523221421/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article7062922.ece |url-status =dead |archive-date =23 May 2010 | date =15 March 2010| access-date =17 March 2010}}</ref>

In the late 1940s and early 1950s Lyttelton was prominent in the British revival of traditional jazz forms from New Orleans, recording with [[Sidney Bechet]] in 1949. To do so he had to break with the [[Musicians' Union (UK)|Musicians' Union]] restrictive practices which forbade working with jazz musicians from the United States. In 1956, he had his only pop chart hit, with the [[Joe Meek]]-produced recording of "[[Bad Penny Blues]]", which was in the [[UK Singles Chart]] for six weeks.

Over time, Lyttelton gradually shifted to a more [[mainstream jazz|mainstream]] approach favoured by American musicians such as trumpeter [[Buck Clayton]]. By 1953 he had begun to add saxophonists to the lineup. On one occasion in that year, the development did not meet with the approval of his fans. At a [[Birmingham Town Hall]] concert at which alto saxophonist [[Bruce Turner]] debuted, a banner with the words "Go Home Dirty Bopper!" was prominently unfolded.<ref>{{cite news|last=Voce|first=Steve|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-bruce-turner-1507707.html|title=Steve Voce|work=The Independent|date=30 November 1993|access-date=31 October 2019}}</ref>

Occasionally, with the help of [[Eddie Harvey]], he assembled a big band for BBC broadcasts and records. In 1957 and 1958 blues singer [[Jimmy Rushing]] toured England with the band, as did Clayton, [[Vic Dickenson]] and [[Big Joe Turner]] in 1965. Clayton recorded with Lyttelton in the early 1960s and toured with the band on numerous occasions. Clayton considered himself and Lyttelton to be brothers. He also recorded with visiting Americans [[Al Casey (jazz guitarist)|Al Casey]], [[Buddy Tate]], and [[Kenny Davern]].

He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1958, when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]] at the [[Shepherd's Bush Empire|BBC Television Theatre]].

By now his repertoire had expanded, including not only lesser known [[Duke Ellington]] pieces, but even "The Champ" from [[Dizzy Gillespie]]'s band book. The Lyttelton band&nbsp;— he saw himself primarily as a leader&nbsp;— helped develop the careers of many now prominent British musicians, including [[Tony Coe]] and [[Alan Barnes (musician)|Alan Barnes]].

In 1983, Lyttelton formed Calligraph Records, which reissued some of his old recordings, all future recordings by his band, and recordings by band members.

On 11 March 2008, he announced that he would cease presenting [[BBC Radio 2]]'s ''Best of Jazz''.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7288269.stm | title=Lyttelton to end radio jazz show | work=BBC News | date=11 March 2008 | access-date=25 April 2008 }}</ref>

On 23 July 2008, Lyttelton was posthumously named BBC Radio 2 Jazz Artist of the Year, voted by radio listeners.