When you talk about elder statesmen of music, there are a mere handful that are worthy of the title. One of that elite few is keyboard ace Ian 'Mac' McLagan. Noel Gallagher is quoted as saying: "As a musician you hope to maybe to be part of one great band in your lifetime. Ian McLagan was in two!" And he isn't wrong, writes Joe Hawkins.

McLagan's career started with The Small Faces, who bizarrely had to wait until the ninieties for any real recognition of their inventive and innovative music. Incidentally, one of The Small Faces' biggest hits, Itchycoo Park, contains a line or two that refer to this fair city of ours!

When the late, great, Steve Mariott left The Small Faces to form Humble Pie, The Small Faces began The Faces. Rod 'The Mod' Stewart replaced Mariott on vocals and Ronnie Wood coming in on guitar.

During the early seventies The Faces notched up a series of international hit singles and albums a list that includes Every Picture Tells A Story, as well as Maggie May, Stay With Me and You Wear It Well.

Since The Faces called it a day McLagan has been based in America, initially in LA, and more recently Austin, Texas.

He's worked in the studio and on tour with real heavyweights such as Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones hooking up with old Faces' buddy Ronnie Wood, Bruce Springsteen and Rod Stewart. That's to just name but a few!

Ian has also released a trio of solo albums, namely Troublemaker, Bump In The Night and Last Chance To Dance.

Along with the Bump Band McLagan released a new album, Best Of British (dedicated to his old friend Ronnie Lane who died of MS in 1997), in February this year, coinciding with the publication of his autobiography, All The Rage.

McLagan and the Bump Band Don Harvey, Scrappy Jud Newcomb and Sarah Brown are playing a short series of UK dates currently, one of which is at The Zodiac on Saturday.

Old mates such as Ronnie Wood, and more contemporary musicians such as Noel Gallagher have been known to guest at Bump Band performances.

But to see who, if anyone, guests at the Oxford visit, you'll just have to be there!