Acoustic trio and the electric quartet formats share billing on a Martin Barre live extravaganza.

ALL BASES COVERED

A new double CD live album release by Martin Barre, the much admired guitarist and former member of Jethro Tull for over four decades, who’s been plying a successful solo career over the past decade or so. With the likes of Roads Less Travelled and A Trick Of Memory under his belt, his current solo band is one to be reckoned with and in Dan Crisp he has a singer and stage personality that some might say is missing in the recent touring unit of Jethro Tull.

This new album features a terrific and finey tuned performance by Martin’s acoustic band recorded on 19 April 2025 at The Center For The Arts, Homer, New York and a marvellously vibrant Rock set by his electric band recorded at the Woodstock Forever Festival in Germany in August 2024.

ACOUSTIC

Barre, Dan Crip and Alan Thompson gather in the Center For The Arts, Homer, New York in April 2025 for light touch set. The performance features Martin’s solo work and Jethro Tull classics., with a couple of standards thrown in for good measure. With Thompson switching to the occasional guitar and allow Martin to pick up the mandolin (or flute!) the sound palette is nice balanced and varied.

A relaxed cool from Empty Cafe and Spanish Tears eases the performance in with a focus on instrumental pieces. Dan gets a chance to open his vocal chords on a lovely take on Tull’s Home and a brief nod to Cheap Day Return, plus a nice slow bluesy Still Loving You Tonight.

Covers and classics see the trio polish off a riffy and mando drive Crossroads and Traffic’s Can’t Find My Way Home, while the curio slot is filled by Everything Stops For Tea. Think of the The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles interlude in Thick As A Brick as Dan goes all Noel Coward in the clipped delivery. Don Henley’s New York Minute is a nice shout and nod to the location, yet the delights are very much in the Barre solo pieces and for a star turn, a mention in dispatches to Trinity, where once more, the lively mandolin work is a treasure.

Very much like the main association with Tull, the under the radar acoustic pieces and selections that often provided a breathing point in an album sequence, are just as noteworthy as the big noise Rock songs.

ELECTRIC

The trio is joined by Terl Bryant – not a bad choice to bring on from the bench – for a plugged in quartet gig from Germany in August 2024. Again the set is a mix of covers, solo work and Jethro Tull classics and while a couple of Beatles tunes make the cut, which Martin has often justified at gigs, dedicating the time to a couple of his own songs instead might be better received. Elanor Rigby…funnily enough one that Rick Wakeman often covers…must be something in it…

Meanwhile, Aqualung, the album, gets a fair weighting. The song itself absent for once, as is Locomotive Breath, which is fair enough, so a chance for the spotlight to catch Hymn 43 and Wind Up for once. No complaints here as come decision day, I’d go for those two portions as my choice Tull from ’71, and how pleasing is it to hear the originator of those guitar parts play his riffs rather than a JT hired hand and delivered as guitar/bass/drums Hard Rock belters

Nice to see the band dipping into murkier Tull waters with Sealion from Warchild getting aired. Well suited for the Barre led outfit and also good to hear a couple of selections from Martin’s Back To Steel album. Seamless fits and bridges crossed easily paired with the more classic crowd pleasers and join spotting not necessary.

MANY FACETS

The Acoustic Trio And The Electric Quartet Live In USA And Europe might be long winded, but is a fine souvenir of the many facets of a wonderful musician and his band. A release of his 2025 Cropredy performance with a full Aqualung (hint, hint) would be the icing on the cake.

Here’s the electric quartet ripping up Wind Up:

Martin Barre: Website

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