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Last Exit was an avant-garde jazz supergroup composed of electric guitarist Sonny Sharrock, drummer/occasional vocalist Ronald Shannon
Jackson, saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, and bass guitarist Bill Laswell. They were active from 1986 to about 1996, releasing primarily live
albums recorded in Europe. Sharrock’s death in 1994 caused the dissolution of the band, though touring had not occurred for several years
before his passing.
The band was known for its uncompromising musical ferocity, fueled by the band members’ confrontational attitudes. Greg Kot writes that
they brought a le ...read more
Last Exit was an avant-garde jazz supergroup composed of electric guitarist Sonny Sharrock, drummer/occasional vocalist Ronald Shannon
Jackson, saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, and bass guitarist Bill Laswell. They were active from 1986 to about 1996, releasing primarily live
albums recorded in Europe. Sharrock’s death in 1994 caused the dissolution of the band, though touring had not occurred for several years
before his passing.
The band was known for its uncompromising musical ferocity, fueled by the band members’ confrontational attitudes. Greg Kot writes that
they brought a level of “volume and violence that makes most rock bands sound tame.” Their music was largely improvised; John Dugan
writes “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 … The playing is intricate, wildly adventurous, frequently funny, and,
perhaps most important, a tribute to musical democracy in action.”
Far louder than most jazz bands (even than most free jazz groups) Last Exit found a modest following among some more open-minded
hardcore/punk fans. The band released five live albums, one of which, 1986’s The Noise Of Trouble, contains guest appearances from
Herbie Hancock and Akira Sakata. Most of their albums were released on Enemy Records, but the band’s sole studio effort, Iron Path, was
released in 1988 on Venture, a subsidiary of Virgin Records. « hide |
Similar Bands: Peter Brotzmann, Bill Laswell, Sonny Sharrock, Ronald Shannon Jackson, The Thing Contributors: loulou, BMDrummer, ziroth, TheWrenKing, ziroth,
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