Ian Parker
The Official Bootleg
© 2008 Ian Parker
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
21st century British blues/roots music. Passionate live performances of Ian's emotive original material and some classic covers. The album showcases his harrowing guitar playing, and sensitive vocal delivery.
tracks
- 1 All The Time
- 2 Waste My Days
- 3 Love So Cold
- 4 Before Our Eyes
- 5 Don't Hold Back
- 6 Everyday
- 7 Little Wing
- 8 If It Must Be
- 9 In The Morning
- 10 With Or Without You
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Ian Parker - 21st century blues man
Expressed through a distinctive bitter-sweet vocal delivery and harrowing guitar work, Ian's songs hold nothing back. His ability and willingness to share with his audience, naked honesty and genuine emotion, is what sets him apart.
Drawing on an eclectic range of influences, this young man is fast becoming Britain's best loved blues/roots performer. A songwriter genuinely literate, sometimes almost literary, Ian is an original craftsman rooted in the blues but not trapped by any desire to replicate the past. He is without doubt a relevant contemporary blues man.
Ian signed to Ruf Records following a personal introduction to US record producer, David Z (Prince - Purple Rain, Jonny Lang – Lie To Me, Wander This World). His debut album 'INSIDE' (Ruf1094) was released in October 2003.
“I was truly honored to be involved in this project”
David Z
In March 2004, Ian appeared on Germany's top live music TV show, 'Rockpalast' as part of the 'Crossroads Festival'. Ian and his band were voted the number one act of the festival and a live DVD of this incendiary performance was released in June 2005, entitled '…WHILST THE WIND' (Ruf3007).
In addition to the DVD, a live album documenting Ian's performance in Hannover during his December 2004 European Tour, was also released in June 2005 under the same title (Ruf1102). Both releases met with high critical acclaim and continue to notch up impressive sales.
In September 2005, Ian wrote and recorded five songs for a Ruf Records project album, 'PILGRIMAGE' (Ruf1112) which was recorded in Clarksdale, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee, and released in January 2006. The recording of Pilgrimage, not only extended Ian's touring activities throughout Europe and importantly into the US, it also had a profound effect on the artist's musical direction and focus.
On return from America in September 2005, Ian began a lengthy artistic process based around his rediscovery of the blues and soul artists who had inspired him to begin playing as a teenager. This period of consolidation culminated in the recording of the album 'WHERE I BELONG' (Ruf1120), released in January 2007.
'WHERE I BELONG' was recorded in Cheltenham, England and produced by Matt Butler, whose extensive CV includes none other than Sir Paul McCartney. Recorded analogue to tape, the album has the rich and warm sonic characteristics associated with the pre-digital age, but there is nothing retro about this release. 'WHERE I BELONG' has something for all blues fans, purists and progressives alike. It catalogues the pronounced growth and self-discovery of a modern blues artist who is here to stay.
“truly top-tier stuff, and proof positive that Ian Parker has arrived on this side of the pond”
Hardline Blues
“a defining moment in modern British blues”
Blues Matters
Following the release of ‘Where I Belong’, Ian spent the entirety of 2007 on the road. His European tour covered all of the major destinations, London, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna and many more. He was featured on prime TV shows in Spain and the Netherlands, and was invited back to BBC London to record songs from ‘Where I Belong’ for a session on Radio 2’s legendary Paul Jones Show.
In the summer Ian was back on US soil for a series of club dates and two significant festival appearances. In New Jersey, Ian and his US band took Knowlton Riverfest by storm and received high accolades from the viewing public and press alike. In Duluth, at the internationally renowned Bayfront Blues Festival, Ian performed in the acoustic tent in his duo format with fellow Englishman ‘Morg’ Morgan. Anyone expecting a laid-back, ‘sitting out on the front porch’ kind of a show, soon got quite a shock, as the duo rocked the full to capacity tent with renditions of songs from ‘Where I Belong’ as well as some carefully selected classic blues material. The response to Ian’s debut solo outing in the US was overwhelming and 2008 promises to be a big year.
reviews
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Great Blues, Great Guitar
author: Brian BolzIan Parker is a great blues man. It's fantastic to hear him live on this CD. If you love the blues and great guitar work, do yourself a favor and pick up this CD. Wonderful music from across the pond!
Fantastic album by a true artist
author: Przemek Draheim, Polish Blues Radio DJ, www.blues.pl/draheimSince yesterday when I received “The Official Bootleg” I’ve listened to it three times and I can’t have enough. The way Ian Parker mixes blues with other influences and create his personal soul stew out of it is just unbelievable. But first thing first. Being familiar with his previous records I have to say that the live setting is perfect for him, tailor-made. Ian’s studio CDs are very good, with interesting arrangements, horns and backing vocals, but his live albums are among the best records I have ever heard, blues or whatever. Just him and his core band playing songs that are 7, 8 or 10 minutes long, breathing the music. And the best thing about this is that they could play them till the morning and it’s never enough. Those songs never drag or become dull. I think Ian owes it to a certain quality present in his guitar playing that is so hard to find today. He is a master of dynamics and using it in favor of every song he plays. Just like Buddy Guy he can go from a whisper to scream making his solo a logical entity, like a novel with a plot so interesting that it makes it impossible to put the book away. There are guys out there who can play a kick ass solo but I always tell my listeners that they all could ask Ian Parker for private lessons when it comes to building the atmosphere/mood of the song and concert. But his guitar playing abilities are just one thing, the other is his voice, extremely emotional, especially on slow blues numbers and ballads. He just sings your heart out. Together with memorable songs and a tight group of musicians/friends “The Official Bootleg” is an essential disc. Hell, songs like “Don’t Hold Back” or Ian’s singing on “With Or Without You” are worth the price of the whole CD! And he can make it sound so easy. I was just thinking… Eric Clapton will be visiting Poland next month and you know what? I would be happy to trade my ticket for that big arena gig and go to a small club, to experience Ian Parker, not Clapton. I believe that someday soon he can be just as big. Do yourself a favor an but this CD, you will thank me later.