Ian A. Anderson
Encyclopedia
Ian A. Anderson is an English
magazine editor, folk music
ian and broadcaster
.
based country blues
scene of the mid to late 1960s, performing live and on record, both solo, with Al Jones
and Elliott Jackson as the trio "Anderson Jones Jackson", and as a duo with Mike Cooper
. The middle initial was added at a later date to avoid confusion with Ian Anderson
of the band Jethro Tull
. In December 1969, with John Turner of Pigsty Hill Light Orchestra
, he conceived the record label The Village Thing
, for which he was also a producer. The label's first release was in 1970. Village Thing "championed" a number of folk musicians, predominantly from the Bristol area.
to Farnham
, Surrey
, performing with Maggie Holland
as Hot Vultures and coining the term "English country blues" before becoming immersed in world music
and forming a number of collaborations with musicians from various nations and genres. He was instrumental in founding the Farnham Folk Festival which was held annually at Farnham Maltings
for some years.
where he made the magazine a monthly publication and became well-known not only for its authoritative writing and outspokenness but for its campaigning for wider acceptance of both British folk music
and world music. It is now renamed fRoots. Anderson has actively promoted world music, supporting tours by artists, particularly from Africa, who were previously unknown in the U.K.
's Baaba Maal
, Madagascar
's Tarika
, Gambian kora duo Dembo Konte and Kausu Kuyateh, and Tex-Mex
accordion
ist Flaco Jimenez
. He has also founded a record label, The Weekend Beatnik
, which specialises in the reissue of folk and world music albums in CD format.
, hosted a World music program on "Jazz FM" and then spend 10 years broadcasting on the BBC World Service. He now hosts "fRoots Radio" on the web.
Currently he is collaborating, as one third of Blue Blokes 3, with Lu Edmonds (formerly of the Mekons, Billy Bragg
’s Blokes, 3 Mustaphas 3
, The Damned, Kirsty MacColl
's band and others) on vocals, cumbus
, saz
, guitar and more, and Ben Mandelson
(Billy Bragg’s Blokes, 3 Mustaphas 3, Tiger Moth, and more) on vocals, mandolin
, baritone bouzouki
, banjo
, tenor guitar, etc.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
magazine editor, folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
ian and broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
.
Country blues and The Village Thing
Anderson first performed in his home town of Weston-super-Mare as a member of the Backwater Jooks Band and came to prominence as a member of the BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
based country blues
Country blues
Country blues is a general term that refers to all the acoustic, mainly guitar-driven forms of the blues. It often incorporated elements of rural gospel, ragtime, hillbilly, and dixieland jazz...
scene of the mid to late 1960s, performing live and on record, both solo, with Al Jones
Al Jones
Alun Ashworth-Jones , known as Al Jones, was an influential English folk and blues songwriter, guitarist and singer, noted for his distinctive and original folk-rock guitar style and his often darkly humorous lyrics.-Early career:He first came to prominence in the Bristol folk scene in the...
and Elliott Jackson as the trio "Anderson Jones Jackson", and as a duo with Mike Cooper
Mike Cooper
Mike Cooper is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995.-Background:...
. The middle initial was added at a later date to avoid confusion with Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson (musician)
Ian Scott Anderson, MBE is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as the leader and flautist of British rock band Jethro Tull.-Early life:...
of the band Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
. In December 1969, with John Turner of Pigsty Hill Light Orchestra
Pigsty Hill Light Orchestra
The Pigsty Hill Light Orchestra were an eccentric band of British musicians, who joined together in early 1968 to play a fusion of comedy, jazz, and folk music, in a unique style which has been compared with the Temperance Seven and the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Many of the songs performed dated...
, he conceived the record label The Village Thing
The Village Thing
The Village Thing was an independent record label in the United Kingdom which published folk music, blues and acoustic music between 1970 and 1973, under the tag of "The Alternative Folk Label".-History:...
, for which he was also a producer. The label's first release was in 1970. Village Thing "championed" a number of folk musicians, predominantly from the Bristol area.
English country blues and world music
In the 1970s he moved from the West CountryWest Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
to Farnham
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, performing with Maggie Holland
Maggie Holland
Maggie Holland is an English singer and songwriter. She was born and raised in Alton, Hampshire and became involved in the local folk club scene in the late 1960s. She has played in a number of bands and formed a number of collaborations with other artists, but has become well-known in recent times...
as Hot Vultures and coining the term "English country blues" before becoming immersed in world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
and forming a number of collaborations with musicians from various nations and genres. He was instrumental in founding the Farnham Folk Festival which was held annually at Farnham Maltings
Farnham maltings
Farnham Maltings is a creative arts centre in the heart of the market town of Farnham, Surrey, England that was saved by the community in 1969. Its buildings comprise a range of large rehearsal spaces, Great Hall, 15 artists studios, pottery, cafe and cellar bar...
for some years.
fRoots magazine
In 1979 he founded Southern Rag, as a local quarterly folk music magazine, in a simple A5 format. After 13 issues it had become very popular and respected well beyond the local area so Anderson took the decision to make it a glossy, A4 sized magazine with national distribution, under a new title, Folk Roots. Anderson moved to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he made the magazine a monthly publication and became well-known not only for its authoritative writing and outspokenness but for its campaigning for wider acceptance of both British folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and world music. It is now renamed fRoots. Anderson has actively promoted world music, supporting tours by artists, particularly from Africa, who were previously unknown in the U.K.
Rogue Records
As a spin-off from these activities in the 1980s, he founded an independent record label, Rogue Records, which provided a platform for both established and new artists, concentrating on world music. The label was the first to release recordings in the U.K. by SenegalSenegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
's Baaba Maal
Baaba Maal
Baaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.-Biography:Born 12 November 1953...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
's Tarika
Tarika (musical group)
Tarika is a musical group from Madagascar. The group's predecessor, Tarika Sammy, formed in the 1980s, but as Tarika they debuted in 1993. At that point they had relocated to London. Their second album Son Egal was a collaboration with Senegal musicians and dealt with the 1947 Malagasy Uprising in...
, Gambian kora duo Dembo Konte and Kausu Kuyateh, and Tex-Mex
Tex-Mex
Tex-Mex is a regional American cuisine that blends food products available in the United States and the culinary creations of Mexican-Americans influenced by the cuisines of Mexico.Tex Mex may also refer to:...
accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
ist Flaco Jimenez
Flaco Jiménez
Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez is a Tejano music accordionist from San Antonio, Texas. Jiménez's father, Santiago Jiménez Sr. was a pioneer of conjunto music. He began performing with his father at age seven and recording at age fifteen, as a member of Los Caporales...
. He has also founded a record label, The Weekend Beatnik
The Weekend Beatnik
The Weekend Beatnik is an independent record label in the United Kingdom, which specialises in the reissue of albums within the world, folk, blues and acoustic music genres, often issuing albums in CD format for the first time. The company policy is to provide "maxi-length, mid-price CDs with...
, which specialises in the reissue of folk and world music albums in CD format.
Broadcasting
Anderson has presented the occasional series for BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
, hosted a World music program on "Jazz FM" and then spend 10 years broadcasting on the BBC World Service. He now hosts "fRoots Radio" on the web.
Currently he is collaborating, as one third of Blue Blokes 3, with Lu Edmonds (formerly of the Mekons, Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
’s Blokes, 3 Mustaphas 3
3 Mustaphas 3
3 Mustaphas 3 is a British World music band formed in 1982. Core members are Ben Mandelson , Tim Fienburgh Colin Bass , and Nigel Watson , around which orbit many other Mustaphas – all supposed to be the nephews of Uncle Patrel Mustapha...
, The Damned, Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter.MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s...
's band and others) on vocals, cumbus
Cümbüs
The cümbüş is a Turkish stringed instrument of relatively modern origin. Developed in the early 20th century by Zeynelabidin Cümbüş as an oud-like instrument that could be heard as part of a larger ensemble. In construction it resembles both the American banjo and the Middle Eastern oud. A...
, saz
Baglama
thumb|180px|Cura and bağlamaThe bağlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia....
, guitar and more, and Ben Mandelson
Ben Mandelson
Ben Mandelson is an English world musician, and also manager and producer.-Punk and New Wave years:...
(Billy Bragg’s Blokes, 3 Mustaphas 3, Tiger Moth, and more) on vocals, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, baritone bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, tenor guitar, etc.
External links
- Ian A. Anderson website at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Ian A. Anderson 1995 interview at Dirty Linen
- Village Thing discography
- Village Thing website at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- An appreciation by Scott Miller