FAREWELL TO CAMPBELL BURNAP, ONE OF THE MOST LOVED BOISDALE JAZZMEN

Jazz trombonist, bandleader, broadcaster, historian, traveller, cricket lover and allround good egg, Campbell Burnap, who has died of pancreatic cancer aged 68, brought a generosity of spirit and a devoted enthusiasm to everything he set out to do.

After a formative sojourn in New Orleans in the late ‘50s Campbell played with Terry Lightfoot and Monty Sunshine, in the ‘60s, and then toured the world with Acker Bilk in the ‘70s. Since 1988 he has led his own band and has regularly sat in with the Boisdale Blue Rhythm Band. Both his singing voice and trombone style were very reminiscent of Jack Teagarden at his best. He can be heard on Boisdale Blue Rhythm Band Live Vol I and the anti Nanny State album You Can’t Do That!

His jazz broadcasting career was comparable to that of Humphrey Lyttelton. Born in September 1939 he was a former Smooth FM, and the Jazz broadcaster who was known as Mr Charm. He started his on-air career in the early 1980s when he joined BBC Radio 2 where he created a series of hour-long biographies of jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong.

Later, he appeared on the BBC World Service hosting Jazz for the Asking and most recently was hired by Jazz FM in London and the North West to host a weekly three hour show. He also worked for GCap Media’s the Jazz.

He died in London on May 30, 2008.