Lee Bates & Billy Newton

Billy has a career spanning over 30 years. As a teenager he followed Sonny and Brownie around soaking up the sounds and learning from the master. Billy has lent his formidable harp playing skills to countless bands and duos over the years. Including; The Jellyroll Blues Band, the Acme Blues Band, Acme Blues Duo (with longtime musical partner Neil Dalton)and the hugely popular Scandalous Bachelors. Billy has played with and shared stages with many of the Blues world's finest... William Clarke, Little Charlie and the Nightcats, John Hammond, Steve Rye, Jo Anne Kelly and Steve Phillips to name a few.

Described by some as the "Bastard son of Jim Murray", Lee is one of the Northeast's finest slide guitarists. Playing the music of Son House, Bukka White, Fred McDowell and the like, Lee made his first on stage appearance aged eighteen with the legendary Brian Cookman. Since then Lee has gone on to appear with many of today's Blues greats, such as; Bob Brozman, Kent Du Chaine, Catfish Keith, Woody Mann as well as homegrown talent like; Ray Stubbs, The Hokum Hotshots and Steve Phillips. More recently Lee's signature slide-guitar featured on singer/songwriter Richard Dawson's debut album. From the Delta to Chicago, Ragtime and Shuffles Lee can play it all!