An incredible classical reimagining of Jethro Tull's best songs called 'Jethro Tull: The String Quartets' has soared to the top of the Billboard Classical Charts this week. The album was arranged by Ian Anderson in collaboration with the Carducci String Quartet.

Ian Anderson tops the Classical Chart with new albumIan Anderson tops the Classical Chart with new album

Unsurprisingly, 'Jethro Tull: The String Quartets' has become a chart sensation, not only reaching number one on the Classical Charts, but also 16 on the Independent charts (number 6 in the UK) and number two on the UK Classical Chart. 

Released in March 2017 and conducted by John O'Hara, the 12-track album marks the band's lead singer Ian Anderson's first collaboration with the Carducci String Quartet and features songs such as 'Living In The Past', 'Aqualung' and 'Bungle in the Jungle' re-titled as 'In The Past', 'Aquafugue' and just 'Bungle'.

Ian has previously topped the Classical Charts with 1995's 'Divinities: Twelve Dances with God', and Jethro Tull's 1973's 'A Passion Play' and 1972's 'Thick As A Brick'. 

Ian has also previously worked alongside the London Symphony Orchestra with their 1985 classical collection 'A Classic Case'. In 2005, he released a self-explanatory live album and DVD entitled 'Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull' featuring the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt and performed in at the Rosengarten in Mannheim, Germany the previous year.

Jethro Tull are set to embark on a tour this year, performing at theatres across the US in cities such as Orlando, Baltimore, Chicago, Austin, Grand Rapids and Albuquerque. He'll kick off the tour on May 23th 2017 with a show at Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City, Utah, and concludes on November 11th at Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton, Florida.

Jethro Tull released thirty albums since forming in 1968 and have sold over 60 million copies across the world. On the new tour, Ian will be joined by bandmates David Goodier on bass, John O'Hara on keyboards, Florian Opahle on guitar and Scott Hammond on drums.  

Tour Dates:
05/23: Red Butte Garden; Salt Lake City, UT
05/26: Red Rocks Amphitheater; Morrison, CO (with the Colorado Symphony)
05/27: Route 66 Casino; Legends Theatre, Albuquerque, NM
05/28: Plaza Theatre PAC; El Paso, TX
05/30: Smart Financial Centre; Sugar Land (Houston), TX
05/31: ACL Live at the Moody Theater; Austin, TX
06/01: Choctaw Casino, Choctaw Grand Theater; Durant, OK
08/08: Bethlehem MusikFest; Bethlehem, PA
08/15: Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands PAC; Canandaigua, NY
08/18: Meijer Gardens Amphitheater; Grand Rapids, MI
08/19: Chicago Theatre; Chicago, IL
08/22: First Niagara Presents Tuesday in the Parl; Lewiston, NY
11/01: Count Basie Theatre; Red Bank, NJ
11/04: Foxwoods Resort Casino - Grand Theatre; Mashantucket, CT
11/05: France-Derrick PAC-Hippodrome; Baltimore, MD
11/07: Daily's Place; Jacksonville, FL
11/08: Walt Disney Theater; Orlando, FL
11/09: The Mahaffey Theater; St. Petersburg, FL
11/10: Mizner Park Amphitheater; Boca Raton, FL