David Jackson & Rene Van Commenee
Release Date: 02 February 2024
Label: Talking Elephant
Packaging Type: Digipak
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 5028479048823
Genres: Rock Progressive Rock
Description
Saxophonist, flautist and composer with Van der Graaf Generator; (9 major albums between 1969 - 2005). Jackson has also played with Peter Gabriel (Genesis), Peter Hammill (VdGG), David Cross (King Crimson), Keith Tippett amongst many others. During the 2020/2021 world Covid Lockdown and the resulting musical isolation, David Jackson started to sift through some recent unfinished and jettisoned musical ideas. He also started to explore, expand and orchestrate some of the older dormant recording projects in his archive. He also thought about musical pieces he'd always wanted to attempt and never done. But he was working alone - without his mask - grabbing horn, after horn! Multi-tracking had always been a Jackson obsession and was already a by-word, even back in the early Van der Graaf Generator days.
David and Rene have known each other for a very long time. They have a great friendship and long and complimentary association on many levels. Rene has helped Jackson at various gigs and tours over the years, even driving a tour bus; he's also been an important visual artist and has designed covers for Jackson projects. His skill on drums and unusual percussion was a later revelation which led onto their first live CD project together, 'Batteries Included'. In this project Rene also proved his exceptional organisational and production skills alongside his unique musical talent. Rene was immediately intrigued by what Jackson was describing during a friendly Zoom to Holland and he was tempted to take a peak! They were soon sharing files. Rene offered his help and it immediately seemed like a project that was inevitable. He started to add drums and percussion and his natural producer role soon kicked in, also tempting Jackson with wonderful new parts from his astonishing collection of instruments stored in his newly built Lockdown studio:- The Backery (an old bakery). Then Rene started sending David fresh new ideas of his own.
The tracks they chose are from across time, across genres and from various countries. A few fantastic guests wound up on the album too; the principal being Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) on bass. John Ellis (Peter
Gabriel & The Stranglers); Andrew Keeling (Composer & Gong Farmers) & Dorie Jackson (Francis Dunnery & Kaprekar's Constant).
Tracklisting
Simon Care And Gareth Turner
Medicine Head
David Jackson & Rene Van Commenee
Rainbow Chasers
Stray
The Albion Band
Carla Fuchs
Astralasia
Eela Craig
Pallas
Jade Warrior
Fernando Perdomo
Al Stewart
Chapman - Whitney
Michael De Albuquerque
Yes
