Earl Okin

What to expect

British musical comedian Earl Okin brings refined jazz-based music-comedy ‘kleinkunst’ with guitar, own songs and his ‘vocal trumpet’.

The show is musical comedy, not classic stand-up, and is in English.

He is known as one of the UK’s foremost jazz singers and songwriters.

In the 1960s he signed to the same publisher as the Beatles and recorded his first single at Abbey Road.

His songs were covered by artists from Cilla Black to Laura Fygi.

In the 1970s he performed in folk clubs in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, where alternative comedy began, before touring with Van Morrison, Fairport Convention and Wings.

In the early 1980s Nigel Planer invited him to perform in the legendary Comic Strip; he has since been a headliner on the British comedy circuit.

Later he toured the Netherlands and Belgium with De Nieuwe Snaar and appeared on TV in Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil and Australia.

He first met Marcel Haug when he joined a Dutch comedy tour promoted by a cigarette manufacturer, though Earl has never smoked.

He is described as still unique at 79.

Time Out calls him “Multi-talented musical supremo”.

• Jazz and bossa nova on guitar
• Sharp own songs and ‘vocal trumpet’
• Musical comedy, not classic stand-up
• Show is in English
• Signed to same publisher as Beatles
• Toured with Van Morrison, Fairport Convention, Wings
• Billy Connolly on same folk circuit
• Toured with De Nieuwe Snaar