Les Bull Band - Jazz on Sunday

Reporter: Tony Sheldon
Date online: 07 September 2009

Following their first visit in March 2009 there was clamouring to bring them back and a large crowd with some first timers turned out for the bank holiday Sunday entertainment. They were not disappointed, applauding enthusiastically at six talented musicians led in his inimitable relaxed style by trumpeter Les Bull who has developed an Armstrongesque feel flowing throughout the performance.

Bull set the gig in motion vocalising the Sunday favourite “Old Bye and Bye”, and the popular standard “On the Sunny Side of the Street”. On a miserable night the atmosphere was really sunny as keyboards virtuoso Pete Major led a neat arrangement of “Jeepers Creepers”, and a swinging “It Don’t Mean a Thing” featured the trombone of Mathew Woodhouse, the tenor sax of Dave Lee, Lawrence Canty’s bass guitar, and the integral drumming of Peter Boocock!

Fats Waller’s “Until the Real Thing Comes Along” showcased the trumpet and vocal of Bull, and a rarely played Armstrong number “The Faithful Hussar” was directed by Lee’s soprano sax and the trombone of Woodhouse.

A classy arrangement of Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo” produced the gentle clarinet tones of Lee and Woodhouse’s trombone with the blending rhythm of keyboards, bass guitar and drums and to finish the set - who else but Armstrong, with Major’s keyboards leading “S’Wonderful”, and Boocock’s drum solo alerting the bar staff of the impending rush.