It’s unarguable that the saxophone is one of the greatest instruments ever. A billowing force of nature and the individual’s mastery, it carries an authority that is hard to miss, that is hard to not succumb to. Since he was a teenager, Fransax has found himself drawn to the saxophone, an urge he has followed to the present day, now acclaimed as one of the best saxophonists in gospel.

Giving praise and worship to God undoubtedly inspires the emotive sax-playing of Fransax. In his music, one hears a grateful spirit, ever open to new strains of divine inspiration. Beyond the positive messages propagated in these songs however, it is undeniable that the artist born Francis Okeowo is first and foremost a technician. To get into those high levels of inspiration, one must be diligent with the works of their hands, and Fransax embodies that dedication.

When he started learning the mechanics of music-making, he would often draw from the works of established practitioners such as Harold Rayford and Michael Akiode, mostly learning the turns of their melodies. However, Fransax goes one step further by blending the stylistic conventions of several genres into his music. Gospel is the undeniable center, but listen well and you’d hear the throb of African traditional sounds, such as the bata and other such percussive instruments. Fransax also incorporates the long-winded melodies of Soul into his music.

All these qualities are to be found in ‘Praise Expression’, a fourteen-minute masterpiece from the artist. With audible ease and entry into the gospel songs that are rendered on it, he uses his saxophone to give even more electric vibes to the records. Alongside the drums, Fransax’s playing is like a heavenly procession, giving an air of exaltation to the earthly presence of the other instruments.

What a performance like ‘Praise Expression’ shows is the fine ear of Fransax, in that he’s able to play extensively without impeding on the songs that are covered. Listening to this expression, it’s almost as though these songs have always sounded this way. One feels that this is the right way it should be played and heard. There’s no doubt one is in the presence of God, brought closer by the hand of a masterful instrumentalist, and thereby embodying the perfection of the Lord, who is the King of all forces, including music.