Last Exit (not the one with Sting)

Peter Brotzmann is usually most thought of for his contributions in the Albert Ayler school of saxophone playing to free blowouts like Machine Gun, but I think he's also relevant to our website because of the avant-garde jazz-rock of Last Exit. Last Exit was a "supergroup" with him, Sonny Sharrock, Bill Laswell (who I think is being considered for inclusion), and Ronald Shannon Jackson (who is under Jazz Fusion). To quote the AMG review of their s/t "In the mid-'80s, Bill Laswell had a great idea. Why not combine rock's raging rhythms and volume with free improvisation's unfettered creativity and ferocity?" This is what it sounded like, (more and just for fun, here is them playing with Diamanda Galas, who is also here) and while I think we can all agree that it's progressive, I also think it clearly rocks hard enough to be considered here. They also have historical importance to the development of prog because they paved the way for Naked City and Painkiller, and The Flying Luttenbachers sound exactly like them, just faster (and they are much worse at it, but that's beside the point).

I think they would probably fit better in Avant than Fusion, but I'm not the expert. ;-)

Edited by Henry Plainview - December 22 2009 at 20:50

Just from the samples you posted, I would say they definitely rock hard enough to be included here. I hope they make the cut.

Since I just borrowed their live album "Köln", I would listen to it. I thought they were plain free-jazz, but it's true that some critics even heard some metal-like riffs in their music. 

As per the last conversation with the Captain and Patdraic, we thought ZART was their best fit on PA.

Sonny Sharrock's guitar playing can be incredible sometimes. It was very strange when he played somewhat commercial pop-jazz with Herbie Mann, he kept his same style and Herbie kept him in the band.

Edited by Easy Money - December 23 2009 at 08:15

Padraic wrote: snobb wrote: About RIO I am not sure, but again, I afraid, that free jazz is to far from RIO/avant interests   You'd be surprised.  Listening to some stuff from their s/t, there's more there than "just" a free-jazz outfit.  It has that NY sort of "punk" edge to it, if you excuse the term.  We're definitely not in Albert Ayler or Ornette Coleman territory here.

You right, I am (pleasantly) surprised!