Ian Anderson Reimagines Jethro Tull Classics For New Album

(Prog) Jethro Tull leader Ian Anderson has unveiled an album of reworked classic tracks with string quartet. He's collaborated with the Carducci Quartet, along with longtime colleague John O'Hara, to create 12 reinterpreted pieces for Jethro Tull: The String Quartets, to be released on March 24 via BMG.

In the video , Anderson explains how he encountered violinists Matthew Denton and Michelle Fleming, violist Eoin Schmidt-Martin and cellist Emma Denton via a "rather unlikely" contact, and how he went about "putting them to the test" creating "quite authentic classical-style arrangements."

Anderson also says: "A couple of years ago I came up with the idea of recording a dedicated string quartet album in a contemporary but classical setting, with brief appearances from myself.

"John came up with a few suggestions of his own which presented challenges. All had an intimacy and presence which I looked forward to recapturing in the cozy and very personal space of my office desk where I did the overdubs." Read more and watch the video here.