Hot on the heels of a series of successful live shows, Jon Anderson has released his 16th solo album, True. Along with The Band Geeks, the former Yes frontman has created a work that celebrates the spirit of his best-known band, but also fits perfectly with his own solo catalogue. Prog catches up with the singer to find out more, and to discover which of his long-awaited side-projects is finally tipped for release in 2025.

Words: Stephen Lambe Portraits: Deborah Anderson

Rehearsing with The Band Geeks. L-R: Andy Graziano, Robert Kipp, Andy Ascolese, Jon Anderson, Richie Castellano, Christopher Clark.

ROB SCHMOLL

The phrase “late-career renaissance” is an overused one, but it’s hard to think of anything better to describe the recent upswing in the fortunes of Jon Anderson. Following a well-publicised brush with severe illness in 2008, which resulted in him parting ways with the band that had dominated his life for 40 years, and the subsequent rebuilding of both his life and his career, he then had to deal with the pandemic and the inevitable consequences that brought to a man in fragile health. However, at the age of 79, Anderson has very much found his mojo in the last few years, thanks to an unlikely source of inspiration.

“During Covid, I couldn’t go out much because, after my illness, I’d be first to go if I caught it,” he explains to Prog, from his instrument-strewn studio in California. “So I thought I’d just upgrade my studio a little bit and try and learn all these instruments that I’ve got because I’ve got them everywhere. At the same time, somebody sent me a video of this guy, who is a phenomenon in the music world, from north London called Jacob Collier. I just thought, ‘Oh, my God, this is the guy.’ I’ve been waiting for somebody to come along and wake me up, and here he was. I’m just fascinated by how brilliant he is. And he’s already done quite an extraordinary amount of work. He’s on tour all the time, and audiences adore him, and I just felt that, well, if he can do it, I can do it.”

“Making an album like True is, I feel, like waving a big flag. Thank you. Thank you very much.”

Jon Anderson: a true visionary.

He has plenty of things to smile about these days!

This new surge in revitalised creativity inspired progress in all kinds of directions. Anderson remains hugely excited about many of his projects, but despite his recent live work with them, a record with The Band Geeks seems to have come out of the blue. Yet here we are: an album with that group of crack musicians is complete and was released worldwide on the Frontiers label in August. Even better, True is an astonishing piece of work. Deeply progressive, it’s both true to the spirit of Yes, and the legacy of Anderson’s prolific solo career. Comprising nine songs, it revolves around two thrilling long tracks: Counties And Countries and the 16-minute Once Upon A Dream. Three other songs –the pop-prog of Shine On, the heartfelt Thank God and the fusion-influenced progressive opener True Messenger –have already been heard live, having been played by the band during their recent live shows in the USA, so it’s these two longer pieces that will really excite Yes fans.

The album wouldn’t have been possible without the talent and virtuosity of The Band Geeks themselves, a group of experienced musicians who came together to record cover versions of rock classics for fun. The singer explains the genesis of his association with his band:

“A friend of mine, John Amick, who works at SiriusXM [US radio station], sent me a video of these guys playing Heart Of The Sunrise. And interestingly, that’s what Paul Green [whose Rock Academy Anderson has toured with extensively over the past few years] sent me as well: his young kids playing the same song. So John gave me Richie Castellano’s number. I rang him up and said, ‘Hey, Richie, I love what you’ve done with Heart Of The Sunrise –it’s so perfect.’ Then I suggested we go on tour, playing the epics and classics of Yes. I told him that his band were great and that he’d have fun.”

Fortunately, The Band Geeks are no amateurs. Castellano has been part of Blue Öyster Cult’s live set-up for more than 20 years, first as their live sound engineer, then as bassist and now as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and occasional lead vocalist. He had access to an astonishing array of musicians, including former Brand X keyboard player Chris Clark. With glee, the band pulled together a set of Yes classics, including Heart Of The Sunrise, And You And I, The Gates Of Delirium and Close To The Edge itself, touring in the USA during 2023 to great acclaim. However, Anderson wasn’t content to leave the collaboration at live shows.

“I started walking just over a year ago. I live in a sort of very similar place to Accrington. The topography is the same. I’m living up in the hills and I’d go for a walk every morning.”