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Stella Castellucci is an internationally known harpist, composer, teacher, lecturer and author. She is a native of Los Angeles, California. Music is a part of her family tradition and heritage. At a young age, she started serious studies with different professional harp instructors. When she graduated high school, she started her career in music by becoming a harpist for the American Broadcasting Company Radio Orchestra, West Coast. She then joined Peggy Lee’s touring jazz group and then eventually, she went back to work as a studio musician. Since 1974, Miss Castellucci’s deep interest in conducting workshops in jazz harp has added a new dimension to her career. She is co-author, with the late Verlye Mills, of Rhythm for Harp. Stella published her book An Approach to Jazz and Popular Music for Harp in 1983.

Stella Castellucci tells the story of her remarkable life in music. Born in Los Angeles in 1930 to musician father Louis Castellucci, Stella would go on to continue and further his legacy. Stella joined Peggy Lee’s touring jazz group in 1953. They would form a close friendship that would endure past Peggy’s life. Stella witnessed and took part in a very creative time for Peggy Lee in the 1950’s. They would closely collaborate on the 1958 Decca release Sea Shells.

Stella would also appear on the Peggy Lee albums: Songs in an Intimate Style (Decca, 1954), Black Coffee (Decca, 1956), Dream Street (Decca, 1957), The Man I Love (Capitol, 1957), Jump for Joy (Capitol, 1958), Pretty Eyes (Capitol, 1960) and Christmas Carousel (Capitol, 1960).

Learn the story behind the making of these and other classic recordings, including the Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong album Porgy & Bess. Stella remains a devoted friend to her “Big Sister” Peggy, even appearing for Lee’s 92nd birthday celebrations in North Dakota. This book was created through extensive email exchanges, phone conversations and visits between Stella and Edgar. We hope that the love and joy in writing it carries over to our readers. Fans of Jazz, Peggy Lee, harp music and the album Sea Shells are sure to enjoy the look back.

“Stella Castellucci’s Significant Accomplishments as a Jazz Harpist Will Surely Captivate Readers and Music Lovers Alike, in Her Fascinating Novel “Diving Deep for Sea Shells”

“Diving Deep for Sea Shells” is Stella Castellucci’s remarkable novel. It is both an intimate family story of the greatest American jazz harpist and a key to a nuanced appreciation of iconic figures in 20th century popular culture, spear-headed by jazz singer Peggy Lee.

Castellucci’s title is taken from her account of the development of Lee’s “Sea Shells” album, recorded at Decca Studios in 1955 and released in 1958. Recognizing the artistic importance of that album more than a half-century later, writer and performer Edgar Amaya began a correspondence with Castellucci which has resulted in the present book, a happy occasion for both the casual reader and the scholarly researcher.

The author was born into a family deeply involved in music production and she carried that tradition through her generation, in the process creating the performance category of jazz harp.
Her story opens in the 1880s with the arrival of her maternal great-grandparents from Italy. In between, we are treated to family anecdotes, stories of personal triumphs and tragic heartbreaks, acute insights into the art of music and excellent performance, and sharp first-hand observations on the struggles for dignity that have marked our times.

While there is an appropriate level of informality, her tone throughout conveys intense respect for the people with whom she worked. Readers looking for celebrity scandals are advised to look elsewhere, while the reader looking for a deeper appreciation of the parts played by some major figures in the industry will gain rare insights and signals for further study.”