Biography

Huntsville guitarist, Stan Lee, began preparing musical charts of Steely Dan songs during the pandemic shutdown of 2020. Musician friends, Tom Branch (drums), Bob Hawkins (bass), Andrew Littleton (keyboards), Steve Motz (sax), Sandy Roll (trumpet), and rotations of trombone players, Billy Bargetzi, Patrick Sullivan, and Don Bowyer, social distanced together at Sound Cell studio to rehearse and refine Stan’s charts.  Acquainted by common membership in the Rocket City Jazz Orchestra, Daniel Newton accepted Stan’s invitation to be the lead singer.  Daniel’s background is Gospel and R&B. His soulful renditions of Steely Dan songs are the perfect fit for a band featuring the horn section in its arrangements. Shortly before the band’s debut concert in October 2021, Sharla Bell, lead singer and flutist for Stan’s other group, Nossa Samba, graciously agreed to sing back-up with Stanley Dan. Sharla has since become a co-lead singer as the band’s repertoire expands into covers of other soulful, jazzy artists.