Roots music
His performance beginnings were in American Roots music where Tepp learned his trade directly from masters such as Johnny Shines, Bukka White, Earl Hooker, John Lee Hooker, Sippie Wallace, Magic Sam and Shakey Jake Harris. His first instrumental acclaim came on harmonica and clarinet. Working out of Los Angeles, he transitioned to folk, rock and songwriter based music in the mid-1970s, performing or recording with Bonnie Raitt, Leslie West, Iain Matthews, Danny O'Keefe, Spencer Davis Wendy Waldman and others. At this same time, Joel's slide guitar work began to attract attention as well. While certainly facile in traditional blues and rock styles on that instrument, he has gradually developed a signature sound that includes elements of pedal steel and other various unusual harmonics and voicings.