Last Exit - to free jazzowa supergrupa założona przez Billa Laswella. W składzie obok Laswella grali: saksofonista Peter Brötzmann, amerykański gitarzysta freejazzowy Sonny Sharrock i perkusista Ronald Shannona Jacksona. Jackson grał w kilku zespołach Ornette'a Colemana i Cecila Taylora. Natomiast Sonny Sharrock miał już wtedy status kultowego gitarzysty; był ciekawym, lecz poza środowiskami freejazzowymi mało docenionym twórcą, i był wraz z Derekiem Baileyem jednym z pierwszych, którzy grali wyzwoloną improwizację na gitarze. Bardziej niż Bailey wyrażał emocje w swoim graniu. Grał przeważnie na gitarze elektrycznej i, pomijając muzykę awangardową, jego inspiracją był również Jimi Hendrix oraz zespoły rockowe z lat sześćdziesiątych.
Last Exit w prowokujący sposób łączył heavy metal i free jazz w iście szatańską mieszaninę. Wydane płyty Last Exit są przeważnie nagraniami koncertowymi. Zespół przez jakiś czas cieszył się sukcesem, jednak rozpadł się w roku 1994 – roku śmierci Sonny’ego Sharrocka.
Last Exit w prowokujący sposób łączył heavy metal i free jazz w iście szatańską mieszaninę. Wydane płyty Last Exit są przeważnie nagraniami koncertowymi. Zespół przez jakiś czas cieszył się sukcesem, jednak rozpadł się w roku 1994 – roku śmierci Sonny’ego Sharrocka.
Peter Brötzmann — Sax
Sonny Sharrock — Guitar
Bill Laswell — Bass
Ronald Shannon Jackson — Drums
Sonny Sharrock — Guitar
Bill Laswell — Bass
Ronald Shannon Jackson — Drums
"When it comes to avant-garde jazz/rock noise, few bands kicked out the jams better than did Last Exit. A who's-who of jazz players with punk-ass attitudes, Last Exit — guitarist Sonny Sharrock, bassist Bill Laswell, drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson, and saxophonist Peter Brotzmann — could swing, rock, and create an all-out free-jazz din all in the blink of an eye. More important, Last Exit was about was the thrill and danger of total improvisation; so much did they believe in this concept that their debut performance in Zurich in 1986 was completely improvised and unrehearsed. Granted, one person's free improvisation is another's tuneless chaos, but Last Exit, due primarily to the skill of its individuals, only infrequently fell off the precipice into the netherworld of arty wanking. These were four men that emotionally, intellectually, and musically belonged together: Sharrock had gotten his start playing blues, but rebelled against structured, proper guitar technique, preferring to play sheets of atonal metallic distortion; Shannon Jackson grew up playing Texas blues, but through working with players such as Blood Ulmer, explored a percussive world that was not regimented by time and meter; Bill Laswell played and produced rock, funk, and "straight" jazz, and in Last Exit he mashed all of these influences into one feral ball of noise and rhythm; and Peter Brotzmann didn't simply blow sax, he blew it to bits as if his life depended on it.
For a group so driven by improvisation, it is not surprising to find out that much of Last Exit's catalog consists of live recordings. What is inescapable is the band's power; not only did they play ferociously, they played at maximum volume, improvised jazz/rock at Motörhead decibel levels. When angry audience members confronted the band during a gig complaining about the volume, Shannon Jackson not so subtly suggested they take their sorry asses home. The playing is intricate, wildly adventurous, frequently funny, and, perhaps most important, a tribute to musical democracy in action. Any one of these players could take over a tune and dominate, but the reality of Last Exit live was that there was a relaxed, almost intuitive give and take to the performance, as if each musician knew when to blow hard and when to quiet down, when to take the space to solo and when to lay back. What was even more amazing was that Last Exit's audience was becoming younger and less identified with traditional jazz audiences. The band's assaultive approach to improvisation was attractive to punk rockers and adventurous speed-metal fans.
Because of the reputations of the individual players (Brotzmann being the least well known of the group in America), as well as Laswell's position as a big-shot producer (Motörhead, Iggy Pop, Herbie Hancock), Last Exit got a major-label shot with Virgin in 1988. They never became huge, but they continued on devoting touring time in between various solo projects until they called it a career after the tragic death of Sonny Sharrock in 1994. Thankfully, there is plenty of Last Exit to be heard, and, rumor has it, plenty of live recordings yet to be released." AMG
For a group so driven by improvisation, it is not surprising to find out that much of Last Exit's catalog consists of live recordings. What is inescapable is the band's power; not only did they play ferociously, they played at maximum volume, improvised jazz/rock at Motörhead decibel levels. When angry audience members confronted the band during a gig complaining about the volume, Shannon Jackson not so subtly suggested they take their sorry asses home. The playing is intricate, wildly adventurous, frequently funny, and, perhaps most important, a tribute to musical democracy in action. Any one of these players could take over a tune and dominate, but the reality of Last Exit live was that there was a relaxed, almost intuitive give and take to the performance, as if each musician knew when to blow hard and when to quiet down, when to take the space to solo and when to lay back. What was even more amazing was that Last Exit's audience was becoming younger and less identified with traditional jazz audiences. The band's assaultive approach to improvisation was attractive to punk rockers and adventurous speed-metal fans.
Because of the reputations of the individual players (Brotzmann being the least well known of the group in America), as well as Laswell's position as a big-shot producer (Motörhead, Iggy Pop, Herbie Hancock), Last Exit got a major-label shot with Virgin in 1988. They never became huge, but they continued on devoting touring time in between various solo projects until they called it a career after the tragic death of Sonny Sharrock in 1994. Thankfully, there is plenty of Last Exit to be heard, and, rumor has it, plenty of live recordings yet to be released." AMG
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OdpowiedzUsuńCoolest band in the history of the world. Let's hope Laswell opens the archives if indeed there is more live stuff lurking about in there.
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