Raised in darkest

southwestern Ontario,

Ian Bell has none-the-less performed across Canada and in the United States since the late 1970s On his own and with a number of different ensembles, he has appeared at numerous folk festivals (Winnipeg, Mariposa, Edmonton, Ottawa, Yellowknife, Owen Sound, Lunenberg , Montmagny, and others) and in concerts and dances in venues ranging from Roy Thompson Hall to Randy Haskell’s barn.

With the group Muddy York, and along with Wade Hemsworth (composer of the Blackfly Song, Log Driver's Waltz), Ian performed for two weeks in the Folklife Pavilion at Expo 86 in Vancouver, BC. In 1993 Ian was named "Folk Artist in Residence" for that year at Joseph Schneider Haus Museum, in Kitchener, Ontario. In 1985 Ian served as artistic director for the Mariposa Folk Festival.

Over the years Ian’s accompanists and band-mates have included: Oliver Schroer – violin, David Travers-Smith –trumpet/producer,  Geoff Somers – fiddle/mandolin, Anne Lederman – fiddle/ piano Brian Pickell – guitar mandolin, Tom Leighton - piano, James Gordon singer, guitarist

As a long-time freelance broadcaster, Ian has worked on many occasions with Stuart McLean on CBC Radio's Vinyl Café. Ian has co-written and served as musical director for five Vinyl Café national concert broadcasts. For seven years Ian was a regular contributor to the weekend Fresh Air program on CBC radio. Over the years, Ian Bell has been a repeat visitor to many CBC programs including Ideas, Gabereau, Crossroads, This Morning, and Radio Noon. He also appeared numerous times on Peter Gzowski's Morningside.

Ian has also contributed to numerous film scores and performed period music for and occasionally appeared in the TV series, The Road to Avonlea.

Ian performs material from a large repertoire that includes both Canadian traditional music and his own songs and instrumental compositions.  Ian’s original songs have been performed and recorded by: Anne Lederman, Ian Robb, Bobby Watt, Allison Lupton, Lee Murdock and others.

In 2004 Ian performed as part of the "Roots of American Music" Festival at Lincoln Centre in New York City. In July 2005 Ian travelled to Estonia with long-time collaborator Anne Lederman to perform at the Viljandi Folk Festival. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist (guitar, button accordion, mandolin, harmonica, fiddle, pipes) Ian appears on dozens of recordings as sideman as well as many under his own name.

Following the release of three CDs of well-received original songs, Ian has returned to his roots with a new CD of traditional songs and tunes – My Pious Friends and Drunken Companions. Ian was joined on this recording by many musical friends including Geoff Somers, Anne Lederman, Oliver Schroer, Denis Rondeau, Shane Cook, The Bilge Rats and James Gordon.

Ian also performs with The Friends of Fiddler’s Green, Enoch Kent, The Allison Lupton Band, and  Patio Dave & The Lanterns,

Ian is also the Curator of the Port Dover Harbour Museum www.portdovermuseum.ca

Electronic Press Kit with music samples at http:/www.sonicbids.com/ianbell

For bookings contact Ian Davies Entertainment Agency www.iandavies.com

E-mail Ian at ian.bell@sympatico.ca