Grand Union Orchestra Allstars
The AllStars brings together all the Grand Union Orchestra’s jazz soloists and world music performers into a largely instrumental ensemble principally aimed at jazz festivals and jazz audiences.
The dramatic power of all Grand Union performances is thus concentrated into a unique big band sound. Latin, Caribbean, West African and bhangra rhythms replace the swing and jazz-funk of more conventional big bands as a platform for soloists; Indian ragas and South African township music provide inspiration for the melodic and ensemble material; and the multi-instrumental talents of everyone in the group gives endless variety to the orchestral textures, and a theatrical flavour to the shows.
The typical line-up includes trumpets Claude Deppa, Paul Jayasinha, Kevin Robinson and Byron Wallen; saxophones Chris Biscoe, Tony Kofi and Louise Elliott; and trombones Tim Smart, Ros Davies and Harry Brown, with Andy Grappy on tuba. Gerry Hunt (guitar, saxophones) contributes both to the horn section and to the rhythm section of Andres Lafone and Brian Abrahams. Other performers in the mix include Baluji Shrivistav (sitar, dilruba), Yousuf Ali Khan (tabla, dholak), Richard Scott (voice, tenor sax) and Josefina Cupido (voice, Latin percussion).
The AllStars repertoire is drawn from the best of Tony Haynes’s compositions for the Orchestra’s dozen or more shows over the last 25 years – a mix’n’match selection of old Grand Union favourites alongside challenging new material.
Listen to tracks by the Allstars
Ça Ira
Paradise Awaits
Collateral Damage
The Perfumes of Paradise Blues
Cano
The Song of Reconciliation
Watch videos from the Allstars
Bhangra Brass
Radiance of a Thousand Suns
Collateral Damage
The Perfumes of Paradise Blues
