Humphrey Littleton RIP

I have already written about this wonderful man, and how he hooked me on jazz when I was still covered with acne. He was not only an outstanding musician, but also an outstanding communicator. He was a lover of words. He loved to tell jokes. He had a comedian's sense of timing. He was a good family man. He was a socialist of the heart. It is impossible to find anyone who can say a bad word about him.
And now, having watched a tribute to him on last night's television, I discovered that he was also an avid birdwatcher. On the side of the angels, no doubt about that. It's not recorded, but I bet he had a soft spot for women on tractors too.
And, as a bonus, the tribute programme was followed by an hour of his last jazz concert, called “Humph's Last Stand”, where I discovered something else: he had taken on an amazing stunning Stan-Getz-soundalike sax player called Jo Tooks. If you get a chance to hear her play, neglect your family and your job to get to wherever she is. She is the cojones del perro, and she smiles a lot too.