The group of Colorado experimentalists known as Thinking Plague explore jazz, rock and folk with increasingly symphonic contexts, around the aegis of guitarist and composer Mike Johnson. The band was initially formed in the early '80s by Johnson and bassist/drummer Bob Drake; after releasing an album titled "...a thinking plague" on their own Endemic Records, the duo added vocalist Suzanne Lewis and released Moonsongs in 1987 for the British label Dead Man's Curve. Critical praise for their avant-fusion was glowin, but Thinking Plague continually added members -- reed player Mark Harris, keyboardist Shane Hotle -- and recorded Another Life for ReR in 1989. Though Lewis and Drake later left the area for other projects, drummer David Kerman (of 5uu's), vocalist Deborah Perry and bassist Dave Willey joined for 1998's In Extremis. The Early Plague Years followed two years later. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide