Electric guitarist and singer-songwriter Leni Stern is celebrating the release of her latest album Dakar Suite (2016). One of New York’s most innovative musical creators has delivered her tour de force, at once a summing up of a 20-year global musical adventure, and a glimpse of the music of the future. In an age of forgettable trends, her artistic longevity is due to her ever evolving style developed from years of study in the jazz, Indian, blues, rock and African traditions. She has had five consecutive wins of Gibson’s Female Jazz Guitarist of the Year. Leni plays with varying line-ups of master African musicians and jazz heavyweights including Mamadou Ba, Leo Genovese, James Genus, Alioune Faye, Kofo, George Brooks, and others.  She can deliver anything from an intimate evening of thoughtful listening to a groove rich percussion driven concert and everything in between.   “l Iike it when musicians surrender to the emotion of the moment, the way guitarist-singer Leni Stern did…combine that with the thoroughly African flavor of her songwriting the last five years, and we got something extra-extraordinary.” - MetalJazz Greg Burk Leading the Charge in the New `Folk Jazz,' a mature and worldly composer. The Boston Herald Dignified, achingly captivating.' - Jazziz An inspired, elegant and surprising CD. - The Washington Post Born in Munich, Germany, Leni started playing piano at the age of six and guitar at eleven. At seventeen, she formed her own acting company, and her radical productions sold out houses across Europe. In 1977, she turned her attention to music and left for the United States to study film scoring at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Scoring gave way to her love for guitar and in 1981, Leni moved to New York to play in a variety of rock and jazz bands. I n 1983, she formed a group of her own with Paul Motion on drums and Bill Frisell on guitar. As a recording artist, she originally made a name for herself in jazz circles (her first nine albums were instrumental,) then crossed her talents over into the singer-songwriter realm, garnering consistent praise in the process. Critics have said her music incorporates “intelligent lyrics and beautifully drawn vignettes” (Washington Post), “crystalline, jazz-meets-blues guitar lines” (Guitar Player), and “thoughtful structure, evocative moods, attention to groove” (San Francisco Bay Guardian). A “Fleet and Lyrical guitarist”, (The New Yorker). “A Gifted Singer-Songwriter with a Wide-Ranging Sensibility and Sophisticated Guitar and Harmonic Chops” (The Boston Globe). Leni runs her own label, LSR/RED.         Click here to contact Janet Williamson for artist availability and booking information.