Marlborough International Jazz Festival will welcome back one of the area’s favourite bands after they were absent last year.

Sticky Wicket and his Swing Orchestra promises an expanded line-up for its return, said organiser Nick Fogg.

Mr Fogg said: “He’s back but if you wonder where he’s been, you’ll have to ask him yourself. Certainly he’s known to have been in China, where, by all accounts, he is something of a cult figure.

“Not only is he back, he now proposes to double his team. It’s a run-out of his new show We Got Rhythm and it includes TV’s Antiques Roadshow presenter John Bly as host. It may come as a surprise that John Bly is also a superb jazz drummer.

“He will be joined by the Attic Cats Lindy Hop Dance Group, the Andrews Sisters Girls, James ‘Boogie Blues’ Bly (his son) on piano and special cabaret drum features with Sticky and international big band drummer Garry Allcock with an all-singing, all-dancing, all-drumming finale.”

Leading the band will be Sticky Wicket himself, the virtuoso drummer who has played with Lonnie Donegan, Chris Barber, Van Morrison, Jools Holland and Bryan Ferry, to name but a few.

Vocalist Linda Morris trained in America and has performed with the Glen Miller Orchestra and trombone player Ian Bateman appears regularly with Acker Bilk and the Back to Basie Orchestra.

Simon Meredith on alto-sax and clarinet has worked with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Buddy Greco and Jools Holland, and played such venues as the Millennium Dome and the Royal Albert, the Royal Festival and the Birmingham Symphony Halls.

Hungarian clarinettist Zoltan Sagi has appeared with Chris Barber, Marty Grosz, Digby Fairweather, Bruce Adams and the Pasadena Roof Orchestra.

Pianist Maurice Merry was Gene Pitney’s musical director and has worked with Paul Anka, Tommy Steele, Clodagh Rogers, Lulu and Ruby Murray.

Trumpeter Simon Lenton has worked as an arranger with Englebert Humperdinck and Lesley Garrett.

Completing the line-up will be Phil Antonia on bass and Mark Rideout on guitar.

They take the stage at the ABD Priory marquee at 3pm on July 14 followed at 6pm by the Jive Aces.