Lake Records
' excavation of the
Denis Preston
/
Record Supervision Ltd
catalog continues apace, with this sensational repackaging of one of
Humphrey Lyttelton
's best-loved (and, at the time, most eagerly anticipated) albums. Almost seven-years before, in 1954,
Lyttelton
recorded his first ever live album at the
Conway Hall
in London's Red Lion Square -- released as
Humph at the Conway
, it stands as one of the era's most enjoyable records, but it was also very much a child of its own time. By 1961, much had changed: a new band, a new approach, a new instrumental lineup and a newfound appreciation for kicking the old trad rules into touch, and blasting out a 'freer' form (if not exactly
free
form)
jazz
instead. For many fans,
Humph Returns to the Conway
was their first exposure to this latest
, and period reviewers reacted with shock and dismay. The album stands up well today, though, both in its original ten-song form, and when appended by seven bonus tracks, drawn from the (otherwise unavailable)
Humph Plays the Standards
album. ~ Dave Thompson