www.lenistern.com

Playing live at Cafe Metropol (cafemetropol.com), May 30th & 31st.

Leni Stern's new CD 'Africa' continues to earn praise for its authenticity and for Stern's decision to record the album in Africa, with African musicians, at the pace of African life. Two years in the making, the CD integrates African and Western music forms with such distinction that it may come to be regarded as an 'Audio Documentary' of African musical life. Stern notes: "I want people to hear what Africa sounds like. Africa deserves our respect, not just our mercy."

Without the support of a major label, Leni Stern (a self-professed 'gypsy') has worked for years to keep her releases frequent, of the highest quality, and well noticed. With 'Africa', she has seen major media outlets weigh in with laudatory and in-depth coverage - from The Los Angeles Times toAllMusic, from CNN Radio to Guitar Player, from Downbeat to All About Jazz - Stern is being recognized for both the content of her new CD as well as for the achievement of getting it done.  ‘Africa’ has been described by AllMusic's Thom Jurek as "One of the finest offering of 2007 in any genre."And, in The Los Angeles Times, Greg Burk praised the CD as "A work of variety and complexity."