I think he was part of that time when there was a real cabaret culture. Artists like him and Lenny Bruce were reaching out for a more hip and aware crowd than the groves of showbiz usually provide.

His inheritors were guys like Bowie and Alex Harvey - whose rock music had a sort of professorial/theatrical patina and presentation. He made a huge impact in England when he visited in the 1960's. he just semed so sophisticated.

At the time jazz was traditonal New Orleans revivalist outfits. Few people were really capable of listening to what was dismissed as 'modern' jazz.

he sort of served notice to us, that there were other worlds out there - where the music, lyrics and the humour wasn't dumbed down.