Ian Palmer
Ian comes from a musical family where both uncles, Carl and Steve, provided the inspiration for a drumming career. Carl played with legendary British ‘prog rock’ group Emerson, Lake and Palmer, followed quickly by Asia whilst Steve followed a career in jazz music becoming house drummer at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club in Birmingham for many years.
Young Ian Palmer with Joe Morello and Louie Bellson From an early age Ian studied with many leading drummers. His first drumset teacher was Malcolm Garrett who can be found honing the skills of up and coming drumset students at city of Birmingham conservatoire. Ian found himself in New York studying with the legendary Joe Morello and then onto further studies in Los Angeles where he studied with Peter Erskine and Jeff Hamilton.
Ian plays every style of music, from rock and pop to jazz and classical. He has performed alongside many leading and household names including Georgie Fame, Alan Skidmore, Jane McDonald, Julian Smith, Martin Taylor, Michael Brecker, Ronnie Scott, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Radio Big Band, Nigel Kennedy and Roy Wood.
He is a passionate drum educator/clinician and through his affiliation with Zildjian cymbals, Yamaha drums, Vic Firth drumsticks and Remo drumheads has completed over a 100 solo drum and speaking engagements. Ian has performed alongside legendary drummers Joe Morello, Peter Erskine, Jeff Hamilton, Terry Bozzio, Thomas Lang, Ian Paice, Dom Famularo, Steve Smith, Jeff Porcaro and Jon Brookes.
He has been a contributing writer to Europe’s leading drumming magazine ‘rhythm’ and featured on the cover of two issues and has appeared on TV and radio in both concerts and interviews. He has even had a number one selling Christmas DVD with Jane McDonald live in concert. He can be heard on ‘Impressions of Coltrane’ with Alan Skidmore (ITM records), a record that gained critical acclaim as one of the top jazz records of 2007 featuring Mike Gorman (acoustic piano) and Aidan O’Donnell (acoustic bass). The release saw Ian perform at the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic Hall with legendary British vocalist Georgie Fame. He has an instructional DVD available on lick library featuring Gary Husband on keyboards and Laurence Cottle on electric bass and in 2010 performed on Australian Rip Curl model Tahnee McKay’s debut release. In the same year Ian performed on a movie soundtrack composed by leading British bassist Geoff Gascoyne called ‘the secret philosophy’ featuring trumpeter Martin Shaw.
Towards the end of 2010 Ian was introduced to Alex Starling of the band Ou Est le Swimming Pool by close friend Jon Brookes of the charlatans. Alex had found himself available following the passing of Ou Est le Swimming Pool’s lead singer Charlie Haddon at a festival in Belgium. Alex and Ian went onto form The Ghosts. The band includes friend Dan Whiffin on guitar. The album features Jon Brookes on a Led Zeppelin inspired track and also Simon Tong on guitar formerly of the Gorillaz and The Verve. The album was produced by legendary UK producer Tim Bran (Paul McCartney, La Roux).
You can catch Ian live throughout 2011 performing with friend saxophonist Julian Smith. You may have seen Julian on prime time British television as the runner up to Susan Boyle on the hit series Britain’s got talent in 2009.
November 2011 sees Ian continuing with the successful World’s Greatest Drummer charity concerts.
Read more about Ian on his new website at http://www.ianpalmer.com