Ian Anderson's influences

A lot of people know the music of Jethro Tull - composed (and sometimes arranged) almost exclusively by Ian Anderson, who sings, plays flute, acoustic guitar, and even saxophone when he's figured out where they're hiding it from him.
Anderson has dropped hints about two of his major influences - through interviews and/or cover songs.

First: Rahsaan Roland Kirk - the jazz man who allegedly could play over 100 instruments, sometimes playing 3 at the same time. He could circular breathe a note indefinitely on the sax, sometimes holding a note for several hours.. In fact, his playing style on the sax was such that he would _always_ circular breathe - even while playing three at once.
He's definitely worth checking out for many many reasons (his stage banter is among the best), but in the context of Ian Anderson, it's certainly his flute playing that's the initial attraction. Anderson's humming along breathiness, as well as staccato stylings, seems very derived from the way Kirk would sometimes play.
(For as long as it's up there: Roland Kirk's Seasons)

Second: Roy Harper - Roy has a song by Led Zepplin dedicated to him (hats off to harper), and has collaborated with Bill Bruford, David Gilmour, and Jimmy Page on his own albums. Roy from 1971 in many ways does not sound different from Roy in 2006 - which is a good thing.
What does Ian take from Harper? His acoustic guitar styling is very obviously influenced by Harper - the quick scales, the picking style, the vocal style over it. His lyrics are also clearly influenced by Harper's beat stylings - Harper was the strongest influence on Anderson in the early 1970s Jethro Tull material.
(Me And My Woman -- check out the falsetto break in the chorus, then think of A Passion Play or Scenario from the Chateau tapes)

( Jethro Tull - My God)