POPULAR local six piece The Lez Bull Jazz Band have reformed and are back on the live circuit after three years apart.

Having played with the band for around 17 years, trumpet player and singer Lez Bull retired quietly as player and leader of the band in December 2011 due to family reasons.

The band continued to play under his name for a while, and as Mathew Woodhouse had also retired from playing the remaining band members decided to play under the new name of The Quincy Street Quintet, led by Pete Major.

In October this year Les wrote: "Just a note to confirm that I have now rejoined my old band (just when you thought it was safe to walk into a jazz pub).

“As you may deduce, there are not many gigs in the diary yet, but we welcome all enquiries.

“I had to give up playing for a few years for family reasons. Eventually, I thought the public had enjoyed their peace and quiet for long enough, so I asked an old chum and wizard keyboard player Pete Major if he fancied playing some Jazz.

“It took him several milliseconds to answer in the affirmative, and we then rang a few of our mutual buddies and acquaintances on the local music scene.

“The first man we rang was the powerhouse drummer from the old Festival Band, Peter Boocock.

“Once they heard he was in the Band, the rest of the personnel fell into place pretty quickly.”

The band are dotted around between Kendal, Blackpool and Blackburn, and say they, “do most of our rehearsing live” as a result.

Since re-forming they have notched up gigs at Burgundys Wine Bar in Kendal, Carlisle Jazz Club, The Shrimper at Southport, Wagon & Horses in Lancaster, The Crofters Jazz Club in Garstang and the Victoria Park Hotel in Barrow.

On what makes the band special, Lez said: “As a traditional jazz band, we’re a dying breed – there’s very few bands around now with that kind of line-up.

“It’s just happy, joyful music – it does appeal to the older generation but we have noticed in the last year or two a few younger faces in the audience, which is an encouraging sign.”