MP3 Stephanie Teel - More Than A Dream

Folk / rock pop music, portraying songs about sailing, surfing,life and love.

10 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Folk Rock, POP: California Pop



Details:
Stephanie Teel is a native San Franciscan, and still lives in the City, across from Ocean Beach. Her grandfather, who in the 1930's was an NBC radio singer, first introduced her to the guitar. It was an old Dobro guitar. He taught her how to play Tom Dooley, and she became hooked on guitar from then on. She started guitar lessons with San Francisco guitarist, Paul Miller, at the age of 14. Her early musical influences were all the "folkies" at the time i.e., Peter Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, and Joni Mitchell. Through her parents, she attended concerts by Ella Fitzgerald, guitarists; Kenny Burrell, Andre Segovia, and Joe Pass. But when she heard Jimi Hendricks play and Janis Joplin sing, she bought an electric guitar. As a teenager, Stephanie would play guitar in the Golden Gate Park, for change to spend at Playland at the Beach. Her father, a renowned San Francisco musician (sax and clarinet), saw that Stephanie was becoming a no good hippie! He persuaded her to join the Musician's Union. (local #6). She recalls auditioning for the union, being surrounded by older men dressed in suits and smoking cigars, as she sang and played "House of the Rising Sun". With her father's help, she put together her first rock band, and played a USO dance, for the wounded young Vietnam Vets. She continued playing in the City for debutant parties, proms, fashion shows at the Fairmont, Mark Hopkins, St. Francis and other major hotels in the city. Other shows have included playing for the Italian Festival in North Beach and two art festivals in civic center.
In the early 1970's Stephanie got a call from an agent in Las Vegas, to join an all female band, to front the Al Bello Revue. So Stephanie drove her father's convertible through the desert to Vegas. The band's leader and drummer was Jennie Jones, who is now a TV talk show host and personality. " The stage attire was difficult for me to get used to coming from living in the Haight Ashbury district in the 1960.s to glitzy artificial Las Vegas!" says Stephanie. In Jennie Jones' book she writes, " Being in the band was rough on Stephanie, who was really a hippie, a naturalist. She had to wear glitzy costumes - some of which I made myself- style her hair every night, and put on makeup. Lots of makeup" The band was booked solid for two years playing in several casinos in Vegas, Reno, Tahoe, and clubs in New Mexico and a tour of eastern Canada. By that time Stephanie had her own convertible!
Stephanie retuned to San Francisco and in the 1980's, she put together the "Stephanie Teel Band". She played the dance club circuit, five nights a week throughout the Bay Area. Top quality musicians were always part of her band. Jeremy Cohen (bass), Tom Marken (drums), Steve Lee, and later Roscoe Gallo (keyboards), [Jules Broussard band]. She also took a band on the road playing in Tahoe, Reno, Laughlin and Hawthorne, Nevada, and in Springfield, Oregon and Hollywood, Calif. Ranzel Merritt (drums) [David Murray band] Mike Athans (keyboards), Myron Edwins (bass), and Ian Wilson (sax).
In 1990, Stephanie was the lead guitarist for the Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra. The band featured some of the best musicians and vocalists in the area. She also played for Linda Tillery at the 1990 Michigan Women's Festival.
Stephanie's later bands included; keyboard players-- Mark Gelfand, John Sepala, sax players: Tom Politzer (Huey Lewis), Eddie Minninfield (Stevie Nicks), and drums--Mark Vrudny, and Steve Cameron.
Currently Stephanie plays with" The Fabulous Cruise Tones," and has recently toured northern Italy with Berkeley-based, "Gwen Avery and the Blues Sistahs."

ABOUT THE CD
" More Than a Dream" is my first CD.
I am an avid sailor and surfer. In 1992, I sailed with Jill Patton, to Mexico and back for a year. During that time I hooked up with a mandolin player, Steve Gale who was also sailing. Together we played yacht clubs and funky bars in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallerta and La Paz. In Puerto Escondido, we did a gig with Jeff Cook, guitarist in the country/western band Alabama.
One night, while anchored in the calm waters of Matanchan Bay, I wrote "More Than a Dream." The dolphins swimming around our boat and leaving their phosphorescent glow through the water inspired me. I also wrote "Matanchan Bay Yacht Club Song," about the other sailors we met. That song is not on the CD. But, if requested, I will sing it at my gigs.
" Desolation Cove" came about when my friend "Sparky" asked Dana Messing (Cruise Tones) and me to play some surf tunes for a local TV spot. So I quickly wrote a fun song about a female surfer riding at a hidden surf spot. That one has become a favorite with all my young surfer friends.
I wrote "Arizona Bound" after driving to Sedona with a long time friend, Thea Vierling. Together with her brother and some students we set out for the Hopi Indian reservation and participated in building a structure for the Indians to store thier tribal costumes.
I called my long time friend, guitarist/recording engineer, Garth Webber from Red Rooster Studio. He in turn introduced me to, Keyboardist/producer Tony Lufrano. Tony brought in drummer, Trey Sabatelli and bassist, Robin Sylvester(Rat Dog). With a solid rhythm section we added Dave Stone (Huey Lewis) on sax,. John Sepala laid down a piano part on "Love Me Still," Megan Lynch plays fiddle on "Fragile", Dana Messing played a keyboard part on "Desolation Cove", and Garth added a slide guitar part on "Teaser" with Stephanie playing all the other electric and acoustic guitar parts. Stephanie also plays a flute part on "Arizona Bound".
"Music and the ocean are my spiritual fulfillment!"
S.T.