IAN Parker has been getting up close and personal with his fans with some low key acoustic shows.

The Stourbridge bluesman recently brought his one-man band home for a gig at the May Party in The Park event in Norton and the backstage Base Sessions crew caught up with him for a chat.

Ian has an international reputation and is a regular blues cruiser around the globe - taking the stage at a variety of venues in Europe and America.

During the early part of this year Ian played a series of stripped down acoustic shows including a gig at The Globe in Cardiff which was recorded to produce his live acoustic album - The Bare Bones.

Ian said: “The album consists of 11 songs including four previously unrecorded tracks. I've been flirting with acoustic music for years going back to the Sunday lunch time shows we used to do with Parker's Alibi at the original Robin Hood club over a decade ago.

“Since then people have often asked me if I had plans to release an acoustic record, but I guess it has taken the last couple of years of playing lots of acoustic shows for me to build the confidence to do so.”

The Bare Bones was released in March, for details on where to buy a copy, or for more information on ian’s live shows, visit www.ianparker.biz