David Jackson & René van Commenée dig deep and find buried treasure.

Release Date: 2nd February 2024

Label: Talking Elephant

Format: digital / CD

I’ve got a hint of the Davide Coverdale/Jimmy Page album here given the roadsign theme of the artwork. And like the short-lived/ill-fated Coverdale / Page combo, the Jackson / van Commenée partnership is a fascinating one – and with hopefully more longevity. The duo in fact have some considerable history, taking in various forms. It’s quite a backstory to fill.

Rene has worked with Dave with various gigs and tours over the years, even turning his hand to driving the tour bus. Not something you could see Coverdale or Page resorting to. He’s also an important visual artist having designed covers for various Jackson projects. His skill on drums and unusual percussion was a later revelation that led to the duo’s first live CD project together, Batteries Included, in the early 90s.

It goes without saying, although we will, how Jackson was a key member of Prog Rock giants, Van Der Graaf Generator. The sight of his iconic headgear and oft with two instruments packed in between his lips was a common one in the days when Prog was king, as the man once described as “the Van Gogh of the saxophone” added his distinctive sax and flute parts to a series of albums between 1969 and 2005. Add Peter Gabriel, Peter Hammill, David Cross (King Crimson) and Keith Tippett to his CV and you can see why it was such a thrill to see him play with Kaprekar’s Constant at the Brasenose Fringe in Cropredy a couple of times.

Across time, across genres and across countries; the COVID pandemic and social and musical isolation proved scant barriers to the pairing with Jackson using the period to sift through his cupboard full of musical ideas whilst exploring, expanding and orchestrating some of the older dormant recording projects in his archive. Lockdown time also provided the opportunity to consider musical pieces he’d always wanted to attempt and never done. Add a Zoom call to the equation and – long story short – we arrive at Keep Your Lane.

So how sounds this collection of tracks that sees the duo joined by several noteworthy guests – principal players being Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) on bass plus John Ellis (Peter Gabriel & The Stranglers); Andrew Keeling (Composer & Gong Farmers) & Dorie Jackson (Francis Dunnery & Kaprekar’s Constant and of course, Dave’s daughter) – actually sound?

It finds the apple falling not too far from the tree as the pair take up the challenge of creating instrumental works that hold the interest. Taking the occasional turn to nip into the spotlight where the wind or the percussion breaks the surface, Keep Your Lane sees the pieces cleverly and respectfully arranged to ensure a satisfying balance. Get A Grip! – which is playing at this very moment – is a point in case. A straightforward snare rhythm, with the occasional flourish, provides a hypnotic charm along with a repetitive deep resonance while a melody snakes out over the top.

But back to the start; Eternal Caravans glides in on what’s not the first gently swirling desert scene, complete with fanfares and evocative travelogue visions and paired with the more light-hearted Garden Shed, providing advance notice of what to expect. Gateway – the seasonal single – fits the bill very nicely thank you very much. A hint of the sort of organic Tull/Ian Anderson rusticness chirps in for the first of several visits but with comes with a side of some gutsy and busy percussion. Closing piece, Felona also has a strong seasonal vein running through the gentle march, embroidering the tune with a dash of rosy-cheeked jollity.

The boldness of Gridlockdown can’t help but invoke visions of Seventies US cop show funk. There may even be some bongos sitting in the background as the palm trees and oversized flares sway in the Florida breeze while the protagonists chase the bad guys through belly-dancing bars and dark alleyways. By contrast, we get a trip to the Hills Of The North might bring the feeling of comfort and joy with the brass band warmth that (surely?) give the piece its title. Maybe more medieval slow dance than Hovis and cobbled streets; nonetheless, most stately and refined.

Talking of titles, the percussive pattering and layering in Pinball Potter might have been the inspiration for the title. More of a showcase for René this one, including a drum part that adds a kick just when you feel the arrangement has reached saturation point. In a similar vein, the delicacy of the oriental percussion on Waving At Strangers is disturbed by some raw honking that eventually falls into step.

For anyone looking for Dave to call upon his prog roots, the lengthy excursion of the strangely titled ‘Pioneers Over C, 2023’ plays out over ten minutes. Perhaps even a hint of those roots in the title? The brassy and jazzy workout might even see the contemporary influence of the Kaprekar project waving a slight influence alongside some Crimsonesque flourishes. There’s also a riff (or recurring motif?) at around four minutes, repeated later at the nine-minute mark that sounds familiar, like some blast from the past, which I can’t quite place!

Keep Your Lane proves a fine testament to two musicians. Again, to unearth and repeat some ancient music paper quote: “not so much a band, more a meeting place,” their hidden stashes of music and wealth of experience that make it possible for them to come together and create such a relevant piece. With VdGG’s Peter Hammill still beating a bold path, here’s another album that should be devoured by the classic Prog audience.

Touted as “the Christmas single” here’s the radio edit for Gateway:

Dave Jackson online: Website / Facebook / Instagram / X – formerly Twitter / Bandcamp

René van Commenée online: Facebook / Bandcamp

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