Jon Anderson: Yesterday and Today

Of all the majestically beautiful music that Jon Anderson has been a part of over the last 50 years — primarily as lead singer for legendary prog rock gods Yes — leave it to The Beatles to be the ones to make Anderson weep openly at almost 75 years old. And I mean, weep openly.

“I must tell you, I went to see Yesterday the movie last weekend,” the sweet and affable Anderson told me in his high pitched voice, a voice that sounds just like the one on his rock anthems like “Roundabout,” “All Good People” and “Starship Trooper.”

“And I don’t know what happened, but when the guy started playing the song ‘Yesterday’ I started crying, and I went through the whole movie sobbing, I felt like jello at the end, I was a mess. I was with my wife and youngest daughter and her husband, and they just smiled at me and said, ‘What is it, Jon?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, I just feel so proud and so grateful to these songs, because without these songs I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now.’ That movie was fantastic, and you know, it’s part of my life experience.”

Jon Anderson, paying homage while weeping when hearing The Beatles. It’s a stunningly sweet scenario to think about, especially given it’s coming from someone who has no doubt made millions of Yes fans weep over the last five decades with his stratospherically ethereal voice coupled with the heavenly strains of his magnificent band’s sublime music.

But fifty-plus years into his musical adventure, Anderson is not just sitting around weeping at Beatles music, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Oh no, he is still making memorable and yes, eclectic and challenging music of his own, most recently on 1000 Hands: Chapter One, a solo album that was a very long time in the making.

“It just proves that music is timeless, because half of the songs I wrote 30 years ago,” Anderson said. “When I first recorded it, I got Alan White and Chris Squire to play on a couple tracks, and I got Steve (Howe) to play on a track, which was beautiful. And then I put the tapes away in the garage. Twenty-six years later, the producer (Michael Griffin) got in touch with me and said he wants to finish the songs. So we had to record more songs, and then we had an album. The producer knows so many people, so both he and I got so many wonderful musicians to perform on it.” That roster would include a who’s who of rock and jazz, including Billy Cobham, Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Larry Coryell, Edgar Winter, Ian Anderson, Steve Morse, Pat Travers, Tower of Power, Jean Luc-Ponty, and others.”

In addition to those big names, Anderson added some pretty diverse up and coming musicians to the fold, which sparklingly enhanced the overall global musical feel that both the album and his current tour conjure up, a tour that comes to the Birchmere on August 5th.

“World music is part of our lives, and it’s really special to me,” Anderson explained. “We got these wonderful singers, they’re called Zap Mama, wonderful team of girl singers from Belgium, they sang on the album as well. I have a young violin player, she’s from Taiwan, I have a keyboard player from the Philippines, who actually plays trombone and banjo, and we have a percussionist who originates from Trinidad, which is kind of cool. They all help to give the album, and the tour as well, such a different flavor, it’s very, very international.”

And will there be a 1000 Hands Chapter Two anytime soon? The effervescent Anderson is always writing and composing, so the answer is a resounding…yes.

“We’re working on it now, I actually recently sang some parts live from a new song that we have. We have about half a dozen songs and another few more coming in the next six months. So probably a release after touring in spring or summer of next year. Just keeping busy, Steve.”

Inevitably, any chat with Anderson at some point turns to Yes, the band that made him who he is, and who continues to be a part of the lasting classic rock music spectrum. Anderson always seems to enjoy talking about his old band, and who knew during our conversation that he’d have breaking news on a project he is toying with, one that would make any Yes fan salivate.

“It’s funny, this came to me yesterday,” Anderson said excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to go on tour and do seven classic (Yes) epics, which would be ‘Close to the Edge,’ tracks one and four of Topographic Oceans, ‘The Gates of Delirium,’ ‘Awaken,’ and another was ‘Mind Drive.’ These are things I truly have a great feeling for, and of course I’d love to do them with visuals, and do them in surround sound, and really do an incredible version of everything. And I think I’ve found the band the other day, this fantastic band in New York, they play Yes music just like Yes music, it’s unbelievable to hear them.”

So as he plots his next move, which just may include a tour featuring the music he most cherishes from his immortal band, Jon Anderson continues to create memorable music of his own, music that emotes a feeling perhaps a bit different than Yes, but no less special to Anderson’s musical soul.

“(1000 Hands) turned out to be a very, very eclectic album, very different styles of music, so to me, it’s a very entertaining album, and quite a magical album, to be honest. I’m very proud of it. And to make a really special album right now is, for me, well…perfect.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=OiQUeJWyoK8

Jon Anderson with special guest The Eric Scott Trio performs Monday August 5th at the Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria VA 22305. For tickets click here.