The Les Bull Band

Left to Right Back - Laurence Canty, Peter Boocock, Pete Major
Left to Right Front - Eddie Taylor, Les Bull, Dave Lee
(Photo Fred Burnett - Moor Park Jazz Club, Preston 2/10/05)

Having played with the infamous Les Bull’s Festival Jazz Band for about 17 years, 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 (all being the worse for drink)

In alphabetical order, the Band members are :-

Peter Boocock. Worked in rock and pop bands in his young days, his finest hour being an appearance on the Morecambe & Wise Show about 100 years ago. Was converted to Jazz when we persuaded him (with money) out of a very premature retirement from the ancient art of hitting animal skins with sticks. He joined the old Festival band around 1993, since which time he has never looked back (or forward).

Laurence Canty. He can’t quite carry a double bass on his bike so, instead, plays a mean bass guitar. Laurence talks with a very funny accent, and we don’t quite know where he’s from, but we suspect that it’s a fair distance south of Ramsbottom. A decent chap (for a southerner) and if we paid him by the decibel, we’d be skint. (Hang on, we ARE skint).

Dave Lee. A talented multi-instrumentalist (a.k.a. show-off) who blows the socks off clarinet, alto sax, and soprano sax. Based in Blackpool, where he lives on a deck-chair underneath the pier, he works with several other bands, by whom he has often been described as a ‘virtuoso’. We can’t spell that, so you just better come and hear him for yourselves - he’s a monster!

Pete Major. Pete played keyboards with several rock and blues bands in his formative years, some of which became quite famous after he left. Simon, Garfunkel and Major; Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick, Tich, and Pete. Just think what they’re missing now! Oh, and Steinway have asked us to point out that he plays a Kawai electronic piano. It’s bloomin’ heavy, but it sounds more like a real piano than most real pianos.

Eddie Taylor. Eddie started out on trombone at the tender age of 12. His musical education in the Blackburn area took him through military bands, big bands, show bands, and (for 33 years) his own dance quartet. He became our most recent recruit when we dragged him, kicking and screaming, into Jazz - on the recommendation of Dave Lee (good call, Dave!) When he’s not gadding about in Thailand, he’s a tower of strength in the front line. Mathew Woodhouse is now our regular trombone player. He has replaced Eddie Taylor who now lives in Thailand for most of the year.

Then last, and definitely least

Les Bull. Trumpet player and titular head (is that rude?) who insists on singing too much. Says it saves his lip (but is it worth saving?). Learned to play too loud as a boy with the legendary Furness Jazz College Seven (well, they were famous once-upon-a-time in the back streets of Barrow-in-Furness). His main claim to fame is that Wild Bill Davison once slept in his bed (fortunately, not at the same time).

So that’s it, really. The Band sets out to play Chicago-style Jazz, and occasionally succeeds. - but most people seem to like it. We play a couple of monthly residencies, which are:-
First Tuesday of each month at The Bull in Sedbergh
Third Fridays at The Outgate, Nr. Hawkshead

Plus occasional forays to places like Carlisle Jazz Club, The Shrimper at Southport, Wagon & Horses in Lancaster, Moor Park in Preston, the Victoria Park Hotel, Barrow, The Wine Bar, Lowther Street, Kendal. – and whatever else comes in.