| Last Chance Disco | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 May 2005 | |||
| Recorded | December 2004 – January 2005 Eastcote Studios (London) | |||
| Genre | Punk jazz | |||
| Length | 42:57 | |||
| Label | Babel Label | |||
| Producer | Philip Bagenal & Acoustic Ladyland | |||
| Acoustic Ladyland chronology | ||||
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Last Chance Disco is the second studio album by British punk jazz band Acoustic Ladyland. It was released on 16 May 2005 by Babel Label.
Last Chance Disco was created as a reaction to Pete Wareham's frustration with jazz, and his desire to fuse jazz with the "ethic and fun of punk". [1] The album has been called a mixture of "the language of jazz with the rhetoric of instrumental rock" by The Guardian . [2] The album has also been described as being "closer to thrash metal and grindcore than jazz" in an article describing the band as "an electric jazz band that plays dirty rock 'n' roll, or a dirty rock 'n' roll band that plays electric jazz". [3]
The band promoted the album on the UK television show Later... with Jools Holland shortly after the album's release. [4] Last Chance Disco gained critical acclaim from reviewers on release, Jazzwise ultimately naming it the best album of 2005 in their end of year poll. [5] The Observer also ranked the album in their end of year list, calling it the 85th best album of the 2005 (in any genre). [6] As well as receiving praise for the album, the band themselves won 'Best Band' at the BBC Jazz Awards in the same year. [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz |  [3] |
| BBC | Positive [8] |
| The Guardian |  [2] |
| The Jazz Mann | [9] |
| Stylus Magazine | A− [10] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [11] |
John L Walters in The Guardian calls the album "an all-out assault on the senses", stating that "this is the least "smooth" jazz album in years". [2] All About Jazz write that Last Chance Disco is "a near seamless flow of rapid fire explosions, postmodern beats, raucous instrumental exuberance, passion, anger and, indefinably but unmistakably, hope and optimism" and say that this album is a "punk jazz orgasm you don't want to miss". [3] The BBC review states that this album is "the first classic of the post-jazz movement" and describes an album of "life-affirmingly dumb shrieks, stomps and power chords". [8] Ian Mann writes that Last Chance Disco is "one of the albums of 2005 in any genre, and highly recommended to adventurous rock fans as well as hardcore jazz followers" in his review. [9] Stylus Magazine wrote in their review that "the whole damn album is just great ... a relentless ska-punk-jazz-metal conglomeration that shouldn’t work but does". [10]
All songs written by Pete Wareham except where stated. All songs arranged by Acoustic Ladyland
Acoustic Ladyland was a London-based jazz-punk band consisting of Pete Wareham on vocals and saxophone, Seb Rochford on drums, Chris Sharkey on guitar, and Ruth Goller on bass guitar.
Camouflage is an album by Acoustic Ladyland that was recorded in October 2003 and released by Babel Label in 2004. It was the band's first album.
Polar Bear is a British experimental jazz band led by drummer Seb Rochford with Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart on tenor saxophone, Tom Herbert on double bass and Leafcutter John on electronics and occasionally guitar or mandolin.
Sebastian Rochford is a British drummer and composer. He has recorded and released music as leader of the British band Polar Bear, as Kutcha Butcha and as part of numerous collaborations.
F-IRE Collective is a creative music community founded by Barak Schmool. It has been described as the UK's leading and perhaps most influential modern jazz group. The Collective also has a record label.
Skinny Grin is a 2006 album by Acoustic Ladyland, featuring the singles "Salt Water" and "Cuts & Lies". It was recorded at Eastcote Studios in London, engineered by Philip Bagenal and Al O'Connell. James Chance's guest appearance was recorded at The Cutting Room in New York City.
Pete Wareham is a British saxophonist, composer and band leader. He led the genre-defying North African/punk/jazz/dance band Melt Yourself Down and was a member of Nadine Shah’s Mercury Prize-nominated band, Seb Rochford’s Pulled By Magnets and also ran the influential group Acoustic Ladyland. Formerly of Rochford’s now disbanded Mercury Prize-nominated Polar Bear, Wareham has also played saxophone and flute with The Smile, Sons Of Kemet, Mica Levi, James Chance, Supergrass, Ben E King.
Kit Downes is a British BBC Jazz Award winning, Mercury Music Award nominated, solo recording artist for ECM Records.
Living With A Tiger is a 2009 studio album by Acoustic Ladyland.
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Melt Yourself Down are a London-based band who incorporate elements of West African musical styles (afrobeat), punk, jazz and funk. Founded in January 2012, the band is led by saxophonist Pete Wareham, former leader of now defunct jazz/punk band Acoustic Ladyland and saxophonist in British jazz band Polar Bear. The original line-up included saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, drummer Tom Skinner, vocalist Kushal Gaya, bassist Ruth Goller and percussionist Satin Singh.
Melt Yourself Down is the debut album of the London-based band of the same name.
Dim Lit is the debut album by British jazz band Polar Bear, formed and led by drummer Sebastian Rochford.
Polar Bear is the third album by Sebastian Rochford's British jazz band, Polar Bear.
Peepers is the fourth album by Sebastian Rochford's British jazz band Polar Bear.
Held on the Tips of Fingers is the second album by Sebastian Rochford's British jazz band Polar Bear.
In Each and Every One is the fifth album by Sebastian Rochford's British jazz band Polar Bear.
Same as You is the sixth studio album by British jazz band Polar Bear. It was released on 30 March 2015 by The Leaf Label.
WorldService Project is a British band founded and led by keyboard player, vocalist and composer Dave Morecroft. The group plays a combination of jazz, rock, punk and experimental styles and has toured extensively across Europe, Asia and America since its formation in 2009.
