Ian Anderson: Poet with Guitar and Flute

On November 13, 2009, I was extremely pleased to attend a lively performance by Ian Anderson, the British musician and songwriter who has been known to the public as the leader of Jethro Tull since 1968. The singular performer, who achieved extensive renown as a wild-eyed purveyor of heavy rock 'n' roll during his younger years in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and has, in his older years, taken to touring under his own name, appeared at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, where he was handily backed by a collection of musicians on guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and viola, along with members of the Oregon Symphony.

Ian Anderson was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. His family later moved to Blackpool, England, where he first displayed his ambitions as a musician. In an attempt to set himself apart from other players in rock 'n' roll, he took up the flute, thereby establishing a particular musical style that has, ever since, served him well. In 1967, Jethro Tull, with Ian Anderson as lead singer, acoustic guitarist, and flutist, came together in London, releasing their first album, This Was, in October, 1968. Many more albums followed, from Stand Up in 1969 to The Jethro Tull Christmas Album in 2003. The singer, wearing a frock coat, breeches, and knee-high boots, cut an eccentric figure during his heyday, coming across as an odd, and perhaps not entirely reputable, character from an earlier century.

Although Ian Anderson is now sixty-two years old, he continues to be an active musician. His hair and beard, once long and ragged, are now much shorter, and the fanciful attire of his youthful days has given way to a sober wardrobe of less imaginative clothing, but his fiery spirit was much in evidence during his appearance in Portland. In spite of being in his sixties, he remains an extremely compelling performer, still able to enhance his music with a range of broad gestures, and still fond of playing his flute while standing on one leg. He also has lost none of his wicked humor, as evidenced by his sly comments in between songs.

He performed several pieces from his own albums, such as "Griminelli's Lament" from Rupi's Dance, but it was the songs of Jethro Tull that most excited the audience. In the first half of the concert, "Life is a Long Song," "Mother Goose," and "Bouree" all benefited from the orchestral setting. In the second half, "Thick As a Brick," which took up both sides of an LP when first recorded, was delivered in a shorter form. "My God," a song that sneers at the hypocrisy of religion, was suitably bitter, and "Aqualung," probably the most famous song ever recorded by Jethro Tull, was given an extended rendering, with heavy riffs provided by the electric guitar of Florian Opahle. The final song, "Locomotive Breath," had the audience vigorously clapping to the beat as the drums pounded, bringing the evening to a rip-roaring conclusion.

Ian Anderson's performance in Portland was clearly a rewarding occasion for his local fans, and offered a wealth of living proof that good music only gets better with age. After four decades of strutting in a number of spotlights, continually plying his distinctive trade on stages throughout the world, he is now an assured expert at what he does, and it shows. His unquestioned talent, combined with his abundant showmanship, marks him as a true entertainer, but the timeless qualities of his compositions, and the depth of fearless thought expressed within them, prove him to be something more: a poet with a guitar and a flute.