British jazz trumpeter John Chilton dies

British trumpeter, author and composer John Chilton has died after a brief illness. He was 83. 

Chilton spent more than 30 years as an accompanist to British Trad-jazz icon George Melly and in the 1960s played on a string of English pop hits. John Chilton’s Feetwarmers were an institution at Ronnie Scotts every Christmas. They also had a prime-time BBC series, 'Good Time George.' As an author, Chilton wrote books about jazz legends Roy Eldridge, Billie Holiday, Sidney Bechet, Coleman Hawkins.

His famous and much lauded ‘Who’s Who of British Jazz’ and was considered the definitive guide and he was awarded a GRAMMY in 1983 for his liner notes for an album by American trumpeter Bunny Berigan.