Dissonance squared - a Vandenberg concerto

Russell van den Berg - sax / co-leader
Darren Altman – drums / co-leader
Jez Franks – guitar
Jon Harvey – bass
 

Russell van den Berg blows from the heart – that may be one reason why there were quite a number of musicians and music students in the audience ..... he is highly respected and a musician’s musician.

The set at Seven on Sunday 17 January was the first gig in their tour, during which they will be giving workshops as well. I have no doubt they will be well attended, as the group have a lot to offer both collectively and individually.

There were 10 compositions in total – 5 in each set, most if not all  penned by members of the band. There was plenty of time given to exploring each tune with solos across the band. The set kicked off with Jez’s Birthday before moving on to Virtual Joyride and then Saturday.

The next composition Sensor Check had something of a South African “township” feel to it and the set closed with a new composition Counter Culture.

The second set opened with Gracie’s House, followed by a slowing down of the tension with the ballad Keep Warm. The third composition was a number entitled Boy With Nails in His Eyes .... for me that title gives an idea of how I personally experienced the overall feel of this gig in as much as it was a little uncomfortable to my ears. On the other hand it may just have been the prescription drugs kicking in!

There is a strong connection between mathematics and music. In numerical analysis, errors either magnify or cancel each other out .... there is a symmetry to both. Expressed musically, it could determine the level of harmony / warmth in the music or the level of dissonance .... which in turn affects how the listener’s ear perceives the music.

Of the final two numbers, one was named after a beach in Greece and the last one In Pursuit had something of a “crime jazz” feel to it. It certainly attracted the attention of a toddler who made a number of attempts at crawling to the stage – only to be retrieved by his father.

For me, Centre-Line play slightly outside my own personal margins .... which in my own case - considering the music of John Coltrane - lies somewhere between A Love Supreme and Ascension / Meditations. Whilst it wasn’t quite to my own taste, I was in the minority as the set was well received.

Thanks again to Seven and Centre-line .... it’s still not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon and after all jazz is a music of personal taste, experiences and opinion.