Ian was born on 9th March '63 in Liverpool, England and is a freelance saxophonist and Musical Director best known for his work with Manchester band Simply Red, where his warm and expansive saxophone performances have been a feature for almost three decades.

Growing up in Preston, Lancashire and encouraged by his parents, Ian studied piano from the age of 5, switching to saxophone at age 11 while at Ashton-on-Ribble High School. From the age of 14, Ian gigged with many other local Big Bands, jazz ensembles and soul/funk groups, most notably local funkateers Spiral Axis (voted in the top 10 best jazz-funk acts in the UK by the Daily Star newspaper in 1981) and Images (winners of the Lancashire Evening Post Rock & Pop Challenge 1982) which became Dance Factory, a show band playing the then thriving club circuit throughout the British Isles.

1986 saw the beginning of Ian's long standing association with UK band Simply Red, playing on all but their debut album and performing with Mick and the band on every world tour since.

RECORDINGS

Simply Red, Mick Hucknall, Gota Yashiki, Heitor Pereira, Olive (Tim Kellett), Mark “Blakkat” Bell, The Jazz Twit, Shaboom, DJ Sneak, Hanson, Onionz (East River Rituals feat. Candido Camero), Alisha’s Attic, Candi Staten, K-Class, Freemasons (inc. Kylie Minogue and Blaze), Tom Jones, Basia, Gavin Harrison, Tony Hadley, Gary Christian, Mario Biondi, Melanie Williams, Temper Temper, Niteflyte, Gary Hughes, FOMO (feat. Chaka Khan, Taka Boom and Mark Stevens).

TV/DVD

Simply Red, Coolio, KD Lang (Concert of Hope '93), Will Young, Girls Aloud (TV 2008), Eikichi Yazawa (Subway Express Live at the Budokan).

LIVE

Simply Red, Mick Hucknall, Gota, Heitor, Will Young, Heather Small, Eikichi Yazawa (1998), Soul London (Kevin Robinson, Carleen Anderson, Lemar, Marc Almond), Thomas Dolby, Basia, Dr. John (2014).

Ian co-wrote songs with Mick for the Home, Simplified and Stay albums and plays tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophones, the EWI (Electric Wind Instrument) and keyboards