Leni Stern (born 28 April 1952) is a German

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

guitarist and singer.

Early life

Stern was born Magdalena Thora, in Germany on 28 April 1952. She was interested in music from an early age, beginning piano studies at the age of six and taking on the guitar a few years later. She was an actress in Germany, including appearing on television, then enrolled at the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

in 1977. She lived in Boston until 1980, then moved to New York.

Later life and career

In 1983, she formed a band of her own with

Paul Motian Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer of Armenian descent. He played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties. Motian first came t ...

on drums and

Bill Frisell William Richard Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is an American jazz guitarist. He first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts, notably as a participant ...

on guitar. Vocals became a more important part of her music from the 1997 release of ''Black Guitar''. She is married to guitarist

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, re ...

Discography

* ''Clairvoyant'' (Passport Jazz, 1986) * ''The Next Day'' (Passport Jazz, 1987) * ''Secrets'' (

Enja Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Jap ...

, 1989) * ''Closer to the Light'' (Enja, 1990) * ''Ten Songs'' (Lipstick, 1992) * ''Like One'' (Lipstick, 1993) * ''Words'' (Lipstick, 1995) * ''Black Guitar'' (1997) * ''Kindness of Strangers'' (Leni Stern, 2000) * ''Finally the Rain Has Come'' (Leni Stern, 2002) * ''When Evening Falls'' (Leni Stern, 2004) * ''Love Comes Quietly'' (Leni Stern, 2006) * ''Africa'' (Leni Stern, 2007) * ''Alu Mayé (Have You Heard)'' (Leni Stern, 2007) * ''Sa Belle Belle Ba'' (Leni Stern, 2010) * ''Sabani'' (Leni Stern, 2012) * ''Smoke, No Fire'' (Leni Stern, 2012) * ''Jellel'' (Leni Stern, 2013) * ''Dakar Suite'' (Leni Stern, 2016) * ''3'' (Leni Stern, 2018) * ''4'' (Leni Stern, 2020)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stern, Leni 1952 births Living people German jazz guitarists German jazz singers German women jazz singers German women guitarists Women jazz guitarists Musicians from Munich Sedgwick family Ngoni players