“Don't become like Satriani or Malmsteen”

Ian Anderson told Loudersound in an interview what approach he wanted to give to the work of Jethro Tull's new guitarist, Jack Clark, involved in the creation of the band's latest album, “Curious Ruminant”, released in March 2025. This is the first album recorded by Jethro Tull with Clark in a stable lineup, even if the musician had already collaborated with the group on several occasions. As Anderson explained, Clark had replaced bassist David Goodier during surgery and joined keyboardist John O'Hara, covering part of his role but as second guitar. An experience that allowed Anderson to also appreciate his solo qualities.
Commenting on Clark's contribution to the new album, the Scottish musician highlighted above all his expressive measure. Anderson spoke of “intelligent and measured” solos, built on effective phrases and the ability to stay on the right note without giving in to the temptation of virtuosity as an end in itself. An approach which, according to him, he explicitly suggested to him when he joined the band on a permanent basis: “If you have a sixteen-bar guitar solo, please don't turn into Yngwie Malmsteen or Joe Satriani”.
The advice reflects a musical vision consistent with the historical aesthetics of Jethro Tull, which has always been more oriented towards taste, the functionality of the sound and the narrative construction of the songs than towards technical spectacularity. Clark, in his early thirties, officially joined the group in 2022 as a replacement bassist and was promoted to lead guitarist in 2024, following the departure of Joe Parrish-James.

Ian Anderson's Jethro Tull will perform in Piazza Duomo for the 45th edition of the festival on 10 July 2026. This is the fourth participation in the festival for Jethro Tull: the band that made the history of British progressive rock has already graced the Piazza Duomo stage in 1999, 2003 and 2008.
The legendary prog band of “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath” has announced that it will continue the “Curiosity Tour” also in 2026 to present its latest album “Curious Ruminant”.
Tickets on sale from 2pm on Wednesday 10 December on the Ticketone, Ticketmaster, Vivaticket circuits and usual presales in the area.

Consisting of nine tracks, with durations ranging from 2 and a half minutes to almost 17 minutes, Jethro Tull's latest album, “Curious Ruminant”, confirms the singer-songwriter identity of the latest works of Anderson's project, author of all the tracks, with his legendary transverse flute raging and decidedly more at ease in the studio than he now appears live, even if he always clings to simple vocal lines, all in the medium-low register.
In addition to current members David Goodier, John O'Hara and Scott Hammond, the album features former keyboardist Andrew Giddings and drummer James Duncan. It also marks the recording debut of guitarist Jack Clark.
The sonic magniloquence of the rock band of “Aqualung” and “Thick As A Brick” resurfaces only at times, but in its artisanal simplicity, “Curious Ruminant” reminds us that Jethro Tull were (also) a great folk band, taking refuge in the acoustic atmospheres of those precious beginnings of the late 60s and early 70s, at the dawn of that prog era that Anderson and Soci would later embrace with enthusiasm, becoming its protagonists undisputed.