A lot of musicians like to stay in their lane. Jimi Tenor prefers to swerve all over the road — in more ways than one.
The veteran Finnish musician has lived and recorded all over the globe. He plays multiple instruments, including keyboards, flute and sax. His sound flits between jazz, vintage pop, electronica, Afrobeat and anything else that strikes his fancy. Over the past 30 years, he’s released dozens of solo albums and collaborations with artists like Tony Allen, Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators. And when he isn’t making music, he’s probably taking pictures, building a new instrument, working on his tennis game, designing fashions or writing a book. But this week is a busy one even by Tenor’s standards. Along with his umpteenth album Multiversum — a typically colourful set of sounds and styles — he also released the book Omniverse, a collection of photographs and stories from his incredible life and career. Recently, Tenor Zoomed in from his Helsinki home to talk about both projects, show me his new electric flute, learn about Lizzo, tell me how he wants to die and more. Enjoy.
