Guitar legend Martin Barre (of Jethro Tull) is taking Aqualung on tour to celebrate it’s 50th anniversary. Ahead of his Ottawa stop (July 6 at the Shenkman Arts Centre) we covered his early influences, whether or not he enjoyed working with Tony Iommi, how much fun this tour is going to be & what it means for diehard Tull fans. Martin also reveals his ‘eureka!’ moment with bluegrass prodigy Billy Strings.

 

Martin and his band will be performing his 50th Anniversary Celebration Tour of the iconic Tull album Aqualung in Ottawa at the Shenkman Arts Centre on July 6.

Martin’s special guest band member for the celebration of this historic album will be original Tull drummer Clive Bunker.  Aqualung will be played in full and in sequence for the first time ever.  The band will also be performing additional Tull classic tracks and some Martin Barre originals as well.

Aqualung is Tull’s fourth studio album and was released on March 19, 1971, by Chrysalis Records. Aqualung‘s success signaled a turning point in the career of the band, which went on to become a major radio and touring act.

Recorded at Island Records‘ studio in London, it was their first album with keyboardist John Evan as a full-time member, their first with new bassist Jeffrey Hammond, and last album featuring Clive Bunker on drums, who quit the band shortly after the release of the album.

Aqualung is Jethro Tull’s best-selling album, selling more than seven million units worldwide. The album spawned two singles, Hymn 43 and Locomotive Breath and, of course, the title track is an iconic song on its own with Martin’s solo on this track considered as one of classic rock’s greatest guitar solos ever.

Martin and the band will also be performing a career-spanning set of many of the Tull classics fans have loved for so many years, along with deep catalog tracks from the band’s various albums.

 

One of the top rock guitarists ever to grace our planet, Martin’s dynamic, expressive, explosive guitar playing was paramount to Jethro Tull’s live and recorded sound, starting with his debut on the band’s classic second album, Stand Up, right up to the band’s eventual demise in 2011.

His unique sound and style contributed enormously to their success, which includes several chart-topping albums, eleven gold and five platinum albums, a Grammy Award for Crest of a Knave in 1988, and album sales exceeding 60 million units. Tull’s music continues to be played worldwide, representing an important part of classic rock history that remains noteworthy today.

He’s on a short list of amazing, one-of-a-kind, original, influential, rock ‘n’ roll guitarists that have fortunately graced our presence over the years.

 

Connect with Martin Barre online via MartinBarre.com or find him on Facebook.

 

Filed under: aqualung, classic rock, guitar, guitar player, interviews, jethro tull, live music, martin barre, Music, Ottawa, prog rock, shenkman arts centre