Leni Stern

Born in Munich, Germany, Leni Stern started playing piano at the age of six and guitar at 11. At the age of 17, she formed her own acting company. Her radical productions sold out houses across Europe and attracted press and TV coverage. In 1977, she turned her attention to music and left for the United States to study film scoring at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Film scoring gave way to her love for guitar and in 1981, Leni moved to New York City to play in a variety of rock and jazz bands.

In1983, she formed a group of her own with Paul Motion on drums and Bill Frisell on guitar. Leni’s 1985 release, Clairvoyant, was her first solo instrumental recording. Eight albums and 12 years later, in 1997, she released “BlackGuitar,” her first vocal full-length release. Since starting her own label, LSR, back in 1997, Stern has released two critically acclaimed albums, 1998’s Recollection, and Kindness of Strangers in 2000. The latter release inspired the New York Times to say that “…her multi-faceted talent is shining in ways it never has before.” Fast forward to 2004: Stern re-releases Clairvoyant, and unveils When Evening Falls, a new collection that showcases the vocal and instrumental sides of this multi-faceted jazz talent.  www.lenistern.com