Born on August 10: Ian Anderson leads Jethro Tull with the baton but especially with the flute

Ian Scott Anderson was born in 1947 in Dunfermline, Scotland, and has led Jethro Tull since 1967.

Born into an Anglo-Scottish family, he grew up in Edinburgh before moving to Blackpool. Naturally, he was passionate about music from childhood. Now 78, this passion still burns within him and drives him on the road, even if he now adopts a more leisurely pace.

He is influenced by jazz, classical music, and the blues. He eagerly rummages through his father's plethora of diverse music. Without preconceptions or blinkers, he amassed the best of every genre he encountered. This largely explains Jethro Tull's unclassifiable side.

In the 1960s, while playing guitar and harmonica in several rhythm 'n' blues bands, he realized he could never compete with the virtuoso guitarists of the time. This is how he came up with the idea of changing instruments. It was a form of modesty that led him to choose the flute. "I quickly realized that I would never become as good as Eric Clapton. When I started playing the flute, I had no idea what could be achieved with the instrument. Of course, I had some vague references to folk or even classical music. But it was really an unlikely instrument for a rock band. I must admit, that's precisely what attracted me! At first, I couldn't get a decent note out. So I put my instrument away for six months, until someone explained to me that you shouldn't blow into it, but through it. Suddenly, I was able to get one sound, then another... Within a week, I could play blues solos."

The English band's unique sound was thus born, guided by circumstances. He produced memorable albums such as "Aqualung" (1971) and "Thick As A Brick" (1972), as well as a handful of classic tracks such as "Reasons For Waiting," "Bungle In The Jungle," and especially "Locomotive Breath" and "Bourée."

More than ever, the sole master on board, Ian Anderson is the only original member still part of the Jethro Tull adventure, as his current bandmates have only been with him for a few years at best...

Concert :

11 September - Cirque Royal - Brussels (Belgium)

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Phoro : © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Ian Anderson with Jethro Tull on stage at Forest-National in Brussels (Belgium) in April 1982