Speaking with Louder Sound, Jethro Tull legend Ian Anderson reflected on the band's 1989 Grammy Award win for Best Hard Rock / Metal Performance, beating out Metallica.

Anderson: "I didn't think it was very likely that we would win the Grammy, and yes I was a little perplexed and amused when we were nominated in that category. Our record company told us: 'Don't bother coming to the Grammys. Metallica will win it for sure.' My view is that we weren't given the Grammy for being the best hard rock or metal act, we were given it for being a bunch of nice guys who'd never won a Grammy before. And there wasn't an award for the world's best one-legged flute player; otherwise, I'd have to buy several more fireplaces to have enough mantelpiece space for all the trophies."

Check out the complete interview here.

Anderson and his longtime friend/collaborator Leslie Mandoki have recorded the song “We Say Thank You”, as a dedication to everyone on the frontline, from the doctors to grocery store workers, in the unbelievable Coronavirus battle.

Written by the Hungarian-born/German producer/songwriter/bandleader of Soulmates (which has featured Ian through the years), “We Say Thank You” was written in the context of Leslie’s own isolation in Germany, where his doctor wife, Eva, is a first contact physician.

Using social distancing as the foundation for their collaboration, Leslie emailed tracks to England for Ian to sing and play flute on between April 7 and 8.  

Ian and Leslie have worked together for over 20 years on various collaborations with his jazz-rock band Soulmates featuring the good and great of classic rock and jazz.  Artists in Soulmates (through the years) have included— David Clayton-Thomas, Bobby Kimball, Tony Carey, Jack Bruce, Chaka Khan, Chris Thompson, Steve Lukather,  Eric Burdon, Nik Kershaw, Greg Lake, Al di Meola, Randy and Michael Brecker, , Bill Evans, Mike Stern,  Paul Carrack, Peter Frampton and Jon Lord.

Mandoki’s Soulmates toured North America in 2018.

In addition to the brave, hardworking front-line medics and care workers the lyrics reference the police, grocery clerks, supermarket workers too. Ian adds the dark reference to the speculators making a killing from the current crisis. Ian says, “They know who they are.”

“To all, we say, thank you,” says Ian Anderson and Leslie Mandoki.