Thompson Strickland

With electronic fusion on the wane and the "young lions" of the '80s reaching middle age, a new hybrid of jazz cropped up on albums and in jazz clubs. This combination of styles borrows its harmonic qualities from post-bop but melds it with the rock-solid foundations of funk and soul. Increasingly, we are hearing a kind of hopped-up mixture of James Brown meets John Coltrane. The result is a rather provocative and fresh reading of jazz in the 21st century. Lonnie Plaxico's MELANGE is just that: a cornucopia of musical styles woven together forming a new and colorful musical fabric.

Many artists achieve greatness but very few produce work that is so moving it's considered sacred. Whether you choose to call them hymns, psalms or spirituals, their songs are a healing force for troubled times. We feel close to these prophets, in recognition of their uncommon labours. It is as if they have given all of themselves, body and soul, through music.