Grand Union Orchestra: Made By Human Hands

Grand Union Orchestra, which has mentored many young London jazz musicians over four decades, is approximately aligned with the grassroots organisations Tomorrow's Warriors and Kinetika Bloco. The longest established of the trio, Grand Union took wing in 1982, Tomorrow's Warriors in 1991, Kinetika Bloco in 2000. Made By Human Hands is a greatest hits compilation celebrating Grand Union's 40th Anniversary.

The ensemble was founded by trombonist, keyboardist, composer and community activist Tony Haynes, who continues to lead it today. Haynes' extra-musical mission is the promotion of a world free of racial and economic injustices through a multi-cultural form of orchestral jazz. From the band's inception, Haynes has worked tirelessly to this end, undaunted by chronic underfunding, and Grand Union has recorded a prodigious catalogue of often extraordinary music, in which what might be called Indo Jazz Fusion has been a particularly rewarding strand.

Alongside a nucleus of top-ranking jazz musicians, some of whom, such as trumpeter Claude Deppa and saxophonist Chris Biscoe, have been with Grand Union more or less since its formation, Haynes brings in guest singers and instrumentalists from other traditions on a project-by-project basis. Indian, Bengali, Chinese, Caribbean, South American, West African and Turkish players are among those who have figured in the lineup. Haynes engages with each tradition with scholarship and respect and this ensures that it is humanism in action rather than musical tourism or cultural appropriation.

The roll call of jazz musicians who have been associated with Grand Union is too lengthy to list here, but it includes saxophonists Biscoe, Tony Kofi, Jason Yarde, Louise Elliott, Courtney Pine and Ingrid Laubrock, trumpeters Deppa, Shanti Paul Jayasinha, Kevin Robinson and Byron Wallen, and trombonists Rick Taylor and Ros Davies. Some of these musicians are heard on Made By Human Hands.

The album touches down in Jamaica, Trinidad, Ghana, Guinea, Cuba, Puerto Rico, India, Brazil, Turkey, China, Bengal, Portugal and, of course, London. The sixteen tracks are all upbeat and up-tempo. Made By Human Hands is perfect party music and a joy from start to finish.