Ian Bateman is one of the most in-demand jazz trombonists in Europe. Ian has spent most of his career playing in the top jazz groups and big bands produced in the UK from the late 1970's to the present day. Whilst mainly seated at the heart of the traditional jazz and big band scene, Ian has started to turn heads with his own shows that are gradually finding their way into the main stream of jazz in the UK.

Ian was with the Acker Bilk Paramount Jazz Band for eleven years up until Acker's retirement in June 2014. Over the past 16 years, Ian has also been a regular member of the Back To Basie Orchestra.

Ian's main playing career path now is The Bateman Brothers Jazz Band with his brother Alan. Now approaching their eighth year since being formed in 2011 and an award-winning CD, the Bateman Brother's Jazz Band will keep Ian firmly established at the top of the jazz circuit. Ian's brother Alan on trumpet is also very well-known to UK jazz lovers. Alan moulds his style on Louis Armstrong and like Ian, was also hugely influenced by the bands of the British trad boom of the early 1960's. Ian and Alan have put their own band together in response to huge interest wherever they find themselves paired together. The band presents a very special show; a tribute to the Louis Armstrong All-Stars. "Not another one", we hear you say. Well, this show showcases Louis' own arrangements as per the famous recordings and they are played in the same swinging manner that electrified audiences wherever they played around the world, something we feel no other Louis Armstrong tribute has managed to convey to an audience. With Trevor Whiting on Clarinet, award winning pianist Craig Milverton, John Day on Bass and Steve Rushton on Drums, there cannot be a more exciting band on the jazz scene.

Ian is now producing jazz concerts with that very rare quality - authenticity. Following on from the success of his Louis Armstrong shows, there is now a tribute to Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen doing the rounds in the UK. 2019 will bring fruition to Ian's most ambitious project yet. Ian will be producing his very own project to bring Billie Holiday's classic ''Lady In Satin" album to a live audience for the first time ever with full orchestra. Details cannot be revealed yet, but keep 23rd March 2019 in your diaries! There is also a Billie Holiday jazz show in the offing, along with another Louis Armstrong project - "Louis And The Angels". The recordings of Jack Teagarden are also to be featured in a concert soon.

Also in the running is the band that Ian co-leads with Adrian Fry, The Bone Supremacy. Five trombones plus a piano trio and the incredible writing of Adrian Fry has already put this band into second place in the British Jazz Awards for 2009. The band has four regular trombonists plus a guest. Regular guests include Mark Nightingale and Alastair White.

Although best known in the traditional jazz world, the more informed jazz listener knows that Ian possesses the rare quality in jazz in that he excels at other styles and being a first-class reader, he is also in demand with big bands. One of these styles is be-bop (very difficult on a slide trombone) and Ian has formed his Be-Bop Quintet to perform the music of JJ Johnson and Frank Rosolino from the late 1950's - early 1960's. Along with Ian, this band features SImon Spillett on Tenor Sax. The music has been transcribed from these recordings by Ian and it quite literally does swing like the proverbial clappers!

Kick Ass Brass is a labour of love for Ian. He is a big fan of Tower Of Power, a soul/funk band from Oakland, California who are the inspiration for many bands of all types that feature brass sections in their bands. Where TOP are different is that the brass section is at the front with the singer and play the lead role. Ian is achieving this with Kick Ass Brass!

You will also find Ian playing sometimes for The Jazz Reperatory Company, Echoes Of Ellington, Jeff Hooper Big Band, The Magnificent Seven and Back To Bacharach amongst other bands/shows. And look out for The Electric Ladyland Big Band in 2019! So, you can see Ian is going to be busy for a while yet to come and keep an eye out for one new project in particular for 2019 that will be quite something... Please have a look around the web site and get in touch if anything interests you!

October 2018