Album Notes

Steffen Hartleib grew up in the wrong Delta — east of the river Rhine, not east of the Mississippi — but he's been on his way home ever since.

Steffen’s professional career began at the age of 22 when he landed a gig touring Europe as the guitarist in HAIR. He made the move to the US in 1992 and studied guitar at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. His musical education continued during his two year stint in Oxford Mississippi, where he immersed himself in the rich musical culture of the American South and played with (and documented the life of) Blues legend, Junior Kimbrough. He also worked with other notable talents that include Isabelle Boulay, Buddy Miles, Bobby Whitlock and Daryl Johnson.

Steffen has performed extensively as a solo artist. In 1999 he released a solo album of his own songs, Steffen Hartley, on Star Records in Montreal. His song "Married by the Moon" was cut by Isabelle Boulays, and "Straying Angel" appeared in the Canadian short film, La Rage. In 2002 he earned an MBA while playing bars at night — subsequently landing a job at BMG that took him to New York.

Steffen currently works for Sony Music Entertainment by day and writes songs at night. He's based in Harlem, New York.