John Chilton

John James Chilton (16 July 1932 – 25 February 2016) was a British jazz trumpeter and writer.

Chilton was born in London on 16 July 1932,[1] to working-class parents (his father was a musical hall comedian) and was evacuated to Northamptonshire, where he began playing the cornet at the age of 12.

He switched to trumpet at 17 and after doing national service in the RAF (1950–1952) he formed his own jazz band, playing at Butlins.

[1] He later worked with Wally Fawkes,[1] also known as the cartoonist "Trog",[3] and in January 1974 formed John Chilton's Feetwarmers, who began accompanying British jazz singer and writer George Melly.

[1] Chilton won a Grammy Award for Best Album Notes on Bunny Berigan (1983) and was nominated in the same category in 2000 for The Complete Lester Young Studio Sessions on Verve.