Saxophone, Ewi, Educator, Composer, Author

Centre-Line are a fresh, vibrant and creative jazz group based in London that prides itself on the spontaneity, creativity and empathy among its musicians.

 'The band Centre-Line is a group that deserves to be heard. I am very impressed by the writing and musicianship as evidenced on their new CD recording'
Peter Erskine

The group is made of Band Member Russell van den Berg (sax & EWI), Darren Altman (drums), Jez Franks (guitar) and Jon Harvey (e.bass). This group goes out as either a Quartet or a Quintet. Their second album is due for mid 2010.

Centre Line is directed by Darren Altman and Russell van den Berg and as a collective, its members enthuse to maintain its essential core sound.

The individual members are busy gigging on the UK Jazz scene as well as playing internationally and have played with artists including Robin Eubanks, Trilok Gurtu, Jason Rebello, Michael Cain, Marty Ehrlich, Tim Garland, Gerard Presencer, Stan Sulzmann, Kenny Wheeler, Laydysmith Black Mambazo, BBC Radio Big Band, the Rob McConnell Big Band, Carla Bley, The London Jazz Orchestra, George Martin and many more recording artists.

Centre-Line's repertoire, made of original compositions, shows an empathy among the musicians which is truly exciting. No two gigs are the same, as the musicians have a mutual understanding about the freedom, expression and spontaneity that jazz offers: the group simply open their ears and play! As a consequence, Centre-Line is a new, vibrant, fresh sounding contemporary jazz group that will deliver exciting, creative, organic music to audiences around the world.

http://www.myspace.com/centrelinemusic

REVIEWS

John Fordham, The Guardian: Classy contemporary jazz with a personal stamp

Tim Garland: This band sounds like a unit. Aggressive but playful, this is the language of jazz, but not at the expense of sponteneity.

The Vortex Jazz Club: Centre Line (Wednesday, 3rd October 2007 ) were perfect: sparked by Darren Altman's vibrant drumming and powered by the swagger and pleasing bluster of Russell van den Berg's tenor, they bustled through a number of the saxophonist's rousing but cogent themes, after playing themselves in with an absorbing visit to an intelligently re-jigged 'Softly, as a Morning Sunrise'.
Van den Berg is justly lauded as an ear-catching soloist in the tumultuous, multi-note Brecker mode, but in guitarist Jez Franks and pianist Simon Colam the band have a couple of fine foils to him, each building his solos carefully from ruminative beginnings, but always climaxing satisfactorily. With Nick Pinni's bass driving the band alongside the powerhouse drumming of Altman, and a predeliction for the odd piece of free playing, Centre Line always deliver.
 
Jazzwise Magazine 2007: Heading up the pack of fast maturing London-based bands that are turning their extensive schooling and high-level real world professionalism into their own ensembles, quintet Centre Line have been gaining huge respect over months of steady gigging. Co-led by ex-NYJO drummer Darren Altman and multi-award winning saxophonist Russell Van Den Berg – Altman’s rhythmic bite perfectly complimenting Berg’s harmonic bark – there’s talent more to spare in the shape of guitarist de jour Mike Outram, great bassist Tom Mason and superb pianist Simon Colam all propelling this hugely confident group forward. Balanced by the wonderfully grooving rhythm section, it’s Outram’s chomping guitar and Berg’s explosive chops that maintain a sense of drama and surprise through every twisting bar, this is a band to watch.