Pekka Lehti

Finnish bassist Pekka Lehti was born in 1965, getting his musical start by playing in punk rock outfits as a teenager. Since his meager musical beginnings, Lehti has broadened his musical horizons considerably, touching upon such varied styles as acid jazz and backing up singer/songwriters. In 1990, Lehti helped co-found the anarchistic organ-based jazz trio the JP's, resulting in such releases as Soul Food Party (1994), Do You See What I See (Love) (1998), and Katastrof (1999), receiving quite a bit of acclaim in Japan. In addition to the JP's, Lehti co-founded another band in the early '90s, ZetaBoo, a self-described ethno jazz group that issued a self-titled debut in 1997 and the sophomore release MediZine in 2000. As if his schedule wasn't busy enough, Lehti is also a member of the modernist folklore ensemble Värttinä, a group in which he serves as its arranger, co-leader, composer, and bassist, as heard on the releases Aitara (1994), Kokko (1996), Vihma (1998), and Ilmatar (2000). In 2000, Lehti issued his first solo album, Outo Voima, a collection of duets with both singers and other instrumentalists. ~ Greg Prato