Aziz Ibrahim

Aziz Ibrahim might forever be known as the man who took what <a href="spotify:artist:6IRQd80VHepXiTXdmBzk6l">Noel Gallagher</a> called "the hardest job in the world": replacing John Squire in <a href="spotify:artist:1lYT0A0LV5DUfxr6doRP3d">the Stone Roses</a>. Ibrahim was raised by Pakistani immigrants in Manchester, England, and showed a natural musical ability at an early age. His first professional experience was touring with <a href="spotify:artist:1fa0cOhromAZdq2xRA4vv8">Simply Red</a> in the late '80s, and he went on to play with the aging prog rock act <a href="spotify:artist:1bdytLV3FPjyhfrb6BhMej">Asia</a> in the mid-'90s. In 1996, Ibrahim was announced as Squire's replacement on guitar, who had just left <a href="spotify:artist:1lYT0A0LV5DUfxr6doRP3d">the Stone Roses</a> after a messy split. Ibrahim's first and only appearances in <a href="spotify:artist:1lYT0A0LV5DUfxr6doRP3d">the Roses</a> came at the 1996 Benicassim Festival (Spain) and then the Reading Festival (U.K.), generally regarded as the final nail in the coffin for a band, which by then had suffered half a decade of quiet and not-so-quiet implosion. Despite this, Ibrahim's playing faithfully and capably replicated Squire's parts; huge shoes to fill, those of someone considered to be among the pantheon of British guitar gods. Indeed, Ibrahim is quite a virtuosic musician, playing naturally in a style that reflects his Eastern heritage and is situated somewhere between raga and hard rock.

Despite the demise of <a href="spotify:artist:1lYT0A0LV5DUfxr6doRP3d">the Roses</a>, Ibrahim continued to work with the band's singer, <a href="spotify:artist:3s398TKZNahAURRacx7oIT">Ian Brown</a>, who had perhaps a surprising career resurrection as a solo artist beginning with 1998's Unfinished Monkey Business. He went on to contribute to several tracks on <a href="spotify:artist:3s398TKZNahAURRacx7oIT">Brown</a>'s follow-up, Golden Greats, and become a semi-permanent member of <a href="spotify:artist:3s398TKZNahAURRacx7oIT">Brown</a>'s touring band. Also during the late '90s, Ibrahim began his own solo career; debuting with the standout track "Murassi," which featured contributions from Eastern electronic guru <a href="spotify:artist:30Y7JOpiNgAGEhnkYPdI1P">Talvin Singh</a> and ex-<a href="spotify:artist:1lYT0A0LV5DUfxr6doRP3d">Roses</a> bassist <a href="spotify:artist:0LRXomnLLxPKpfrLUiD5py">Mani</a>. Taking time off from work with <a href="spotify:artist:3s398TKZNahAURRacx7oIT">Brown</a>, Aziz Ibrahim released his own solo album in 2001, titled Lahore to Longsight (Lahore being a city in Pakistan, Longsight being the neighborhood of Manchester where he grew up). The album was released on Ibrahim's own Indus Records, an independent label with a roster that includes early-'90s Madchester vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:0DAtSpxItkXtpK4qwk9mzy">Denise Johnson</a>. The all-star musicians Ibrahim was able to pull in to work on his solo debut -- including <a href="spotify:artist:7Lf3LOZp3U3u2f6cWMd3AH">Paul Weller</a> and his compatriot Steve White, as well as the ex-<a href="spotify:artist:3yY2gUcIsjMr8hjo51PoJ8">Smiths</a> rhythm section of Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce -- clearly indicated the high esteem Ibrahim's peers hold him in the realm of British rock. ~ Aaron Warshaw, Rovi