Also known as Jaxon Instruments Saxophone, flute Origin England Name David Jackson | Genres Progressive rock | |
 | ||
Birth name David Nicholas George Jackson Born April 15, 1947 (age 77)
Stamford, Lincolnshire ( 1947-04-15 ) Role Composer · jaxontonewall.com Music groups Van der Graaf Generator, The Tangent Albums Prog Family, Fractal Bridge, Pawn Hearts, H to He - Who Am the Only, The Aerosol Grey Mac | ||
Education University of St Andrews Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter | ||
David Nicholas George Jackson (born 15 April 1947), nicknamed Jaxon, is an English progressive rock saxophonist, flautist, and composer. He is best known for his work with the band Van der Graaf Generator and his work in Music and Disability. He has worked with artists including Peter Gabriel, Keith Tippett and Howard Moody.
Contents
- Van der Graaf Generator
- Style
- Other work
- Personal life
- Solo
- DVD
- With Peter Hammill
- With The Long Hello
- With Judge Smith
- Other collaborations
- References
Van der Graaf Generator
Jackson was a member for most of the 1970s and for their 2005 reunion tour. His specialty was then electric saxophones, using octave devices, wah-wah and powerful amplification.
Style
His saxophone-playing is characterized by the frequent use of double horns, playing two saxophones at the same time, a style he copied from Rahsaan Roland Kirk (whose style and technique influenced Jackson). He also plays flutes and whistles. In the NME reviewer Jonathan Barnett called David Jackson "the Van Gogh of the saxophone – a renegade impressionist, dispensing distorted visions of the world outside from his private asylum window".
Other work
In addition to his work in Van der Graaf Generator, Jackson has collaborated with other musicians (frequently with other members of Van der Graaf Generator, as on The Long Hello project). He collaborated on a number of projects with Van der Graaf Generator co-founder Judge Smith. Jackson works often with Italian rock musicians, most particularly Alex Carpani Band from Bologna and Osanna from Naples.
Jackson attended the University of St Andrews, reading psychology, and University of Surrey, Roehampton, studying teaching. He has worked as a mathematics teacher for primary school children in the UK.
He has also worked with physically and mentally disabled people, enabling them to make music through the use of a technology known as Soundbeam. He is also a Soundbeam trainer, system designer and builder. A documentary about his work with autistic children was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1998.
Tonewall is the name for his idea. Apart from Soundbeams this also features Echo-Mirrors and Jellybean Eye. Jackson works together with groups of people of all levels of ability and even profound disability to create music together on stage, accompanied by musicians from diverse styles, such as orchestral and jazz musicians, Caribbean music, and much more.
In 2012 and 2013 he toured the European and American continents with the Italian Alex Carpani Band.
Personal life
David Jackson was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire. His daughter is singer Dorie Jackson, who works with Chris Difford, Francis Dunnery and William Topley among others. His son is recording engineer Jake Jackson.