A wild improviser, bassist Jonas Hellborg leans more toward rock than jazz. Drawing inspiration from
Jimi Hendrix, Arabic music, and Lifetime, Hellborg began playing professionally in the mid-'80s. After some session work (including
Pil's Album,
Ginger Baker's Middle Passage and
John McLaughlin), he released The Word on Axiom in 1991. The album features Hellborg's acoustic bass, drums and a string quartet. He remained highly prolific throughout the decade, recording most prominently for the Day Eight label.