World-famous jazz bassist Avery Sharpe debuts his latest compositions at the Hampden County jail

In his years touring with some of the biggest names in music, Avery Sharpe has seen discouraging things.

“The last 40 years – especially the last six years – things have gotten a little crazy. The country is more divisive, people are scared of each other — the racism, sexism,” he said Friday. “You know, everything has kind of reared its ugly head.”

Sharpe started composing a work he hoped could bring people together.

“I wrote this as an artist, to kind of remind us of our humanity. We are seemingly losing it more and more,” said Sharpe, a world-renowned jazz bassist.

Sharpe brought a hand-picked group of world-class musicians to join the concert in the jail gymnasium. The eight-piece band Sharpe assembled features a heavy string presence, with Sarah Briggs and Kaila Graef on violin, Gregory Diehl on viola and Dave Haughey on cello.

“This” is his latest musical work, “I Am My Neighbor’s Keeper,” which will be soon recorded as an album of 10 pieces.