News flash! In case anyone has failed to notice, it is horrible out in the wider world. Despots in charge, anger, poverty, wars, pending environmental catastrophe and the dystopic possibilities of AI. Musicians are faced with a broad variety of choices: their songs could be a howl of rage, self-pitying whinges, thoughtful analysis of contemporary life, or provide an escape through sunny optimism. On their debut album ‘Selenites, Selenites!’, The Jimi Tenor Band opt for this final option and radiate relaxed good cheer.
A Finnish musician and composer, Tenor has collaborated with many artists including Tony Allen, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, Kabukabu and Freestyle Man. After attracting attention in the 1990s with his fusion of lounge jazz and acid techno on Warp Records, he subsequently focused on African music. That joy in fusing genres and blurring musical boundaries is apparent on the eight tracks that comprise ‘Selenites, Selenites!’ They are songs that had been worked out through playing them live. Often recorded in one take, they capture the sound of virtuoso musicians exploring their potential playing together. They retain, though, a tight structure, all of the tracks completing their journey in less than six minutes and avoiding indulgent lengthy soloing.
The album’s radiant mood is indicated by a glance at song titles which include ‘Sunny Song’, ‘Universal Harmony’, ‘Looking For the Sunshine’ and ‘Shine All Night’. It begins with ‘Selenites’, space age synth squiggles soon giving way to horns that initially essay a traditional jazz sound while the vocals have a laidback quality that sounds almost intoxicated. Swiftly, they venture into a space jazz dimension, fitting with the final line, “radiating the spirit of Ra”, a clear reference to their guiding spirit, Sun Ra, and reclaiming space exploration from its current dystopian associations with Elon Musk.
‘Some Kind Of Good Thing’ sets off with the kind of traditional swing that could have accompanied a guest walking down to the stairs to converse with Michael Parkinson. With Ekow Alabi Savage’s keyboards quickly coming to the fore, it develops a spirited jazz funk groove. Heikki Tuhkanen’s trombone cuts through, enhancing the vibe while harmonious vocals capture the positive mood of romance in the air.
Beginning with flute and birdsong, ‘Sunny Song’ maintains the laidback, soulful vibe. Tenor’s brief flute solo is a particular highlight and the mood is summarised by the closing words, “all worries I had are fading away / riddles replaced by clear skies.” With its mix of Afrobeats and jazz funk, ‘Universal Harmony’ is ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing’ without the soft drink product placement in its plea, “let’s find a piece of music / to wipe away all the lies / humanity needs one sound / to stop war and crime.” The combination of horns, keys and Lauri Kallio’s bass groove has a purifying quality.
The second half of the album heads into deeper, more heavily percussive and often funkier territory. ‘Alice in Kumasi’ swoops into a spiritual jazz zone. It has an emotive string arrangement courtesy of Pauliina Koivusaari while Ville Rauhala’s double bass action gives it added depth. Back in search of summer, ‘Looking For The Sunshine’ is a supreme slice of electro funk which blends drum programming with live percussion and swinging horns as well as offering further proof that the role of flute in popular music is sorely underrated.
Florence Adooni, the queen of Ghanian frafra gospel provides guest vocals on ‘Shine All Night, a tune that is blessed with a deeply divine bass line and horn refrain while the sentiment is, quite literally, that of blind optimism (“I don’t care / if my love is blind / cos I found you.”) The record ends with a frenetic bass and percussion led workout ‘Furry Dice’ which is bolstered by mysterious keyboards.
Over the course of its eight tracks, ‘Selenites, Selenites!’ expertly mixes a variety of styles but what unifies the record is its mood. While the groove can switch between chilled and boisterous, its disposition is always optimistic. Outside, winds may be howling and rains torrenting but with The Jimi Tenor Band there is always sunshine.
The Jimi Tenor Band: Selenites, Selenites! – Out 28 November 2025 (Bureau B)
I was editor of the long-running fanzine, Plane Truth, and have subsequently written for a number of publications. While the zine was known for championing the most angular independent sounds, performing in recent years with a community samba percussion band helped to broaden my tastes so that in 2021 I am far more likely to be celebrating an eclectic mix of sounds and enthusing about Made Kuti, Anthony Joseph, Little Simz and the Soul Jazz Cuban compilations as well as Pom Poko and Richard Dawson.
