Jimmy Lee - guitar, vocals
Jim was lucky enough to be a small part of the embryonic folk scene in London in the sixties and cut his teeth alongside legendary artists, McTell, Aungier, Campbell , Brimstone, Silvo et al., and was greatly influenced by the heroes of the that time in both English and American Folk styles .......Over the years Jimmy has developed a style of music that is ' packed ' with emotion, played with a rare simplicity that only those with a ' gifted ' voice and a passion for music can achieve.......With a blend of Traditional, Contemporary, Alternative and Original material, a wealth of experience and great sense of humour, Jimmy is a welcomed guest wherever he goes. MORE ...
Jon Wigg - fiddle, mandolin, banjo
Music was always a part of family life for us Wiggs. The gramophone would be worked hard from dawn till dusk. My Dad would be out on some adventure playing music with my older brother, Ralph. Rehearsals would be held at our house. Banjo, Double bass, Guitars, Accordions, it all seemed quite normal to me when I was seven. Then we went to festivals and what a party we had. By now I played tin whistle. My dad, Stan had a ball now that jigs & reels were part of the wigg offering. My knees would tremble at those early gigs when I was nine. I joined Finbar Fury on stage for an impromptu duet. Its his fault I've been struggling to learn Uillean pipes for years. At the Amberley folk club I met Bill Keith, Rambling Jack, Dave Swarbrick, & hundreds of other great players. I got hooked on Cajun music a picked up the fiddle -thanks uncle Ben, and at 20 went on tour with Amberley regulars Jim Lee & Billy Ayling. For a small town kid this was a great experience. Then White Mansions became part of our daily lives & the stage show slowly took shape. When we took it out on the road the reaction from the audience was something I had never experienced before and seldom since. When the dust from White Mansions settled I spent a few years touring Europe with family band 'the Falloons', recording two cd's with them and enjoying live gigging with them. Since then the music continues to flow and I'm grateful to be working alongside some great musicians who also happen to be good friends. Tours with Colin Hare (Honeybus) are planed for 08. A country music partnership is taking place, I'm running the Amberley folk club (re-born!) with wife, Hannah and Lee's Company is bringing White Mansions back where it belongs - to a live audience.
Clare Juliet - piano accordion
My love of music grew from a classical background. My mother's family, originally from Central Europe, were jazz pianists, singers and conductors. Our house was always full of music - piano playing, folk singing and village choir rehearsals of madrigals and christmas carols. I played the piano from a very young age and when my mum brought an accordion home one day from a junk shop, I took to it quite naturally and could be relied upon to play jigs and reels and Happy Birthday invited or not at any occasion! My accordion playing moved on dramatically when I met and played along with some of the great musicians at the Blue Coconut Club. Soon after that I caught the infectious passion for White Mansions and, luckily for me, the accordion fits well into Paul Kennerley's music. I'm very excited to be part of Lee's Company and feel priveleged to play with such talented musicians. The live gigs are a wonderful contrast to my other passion - growing vegetables!
Melanie Wells - cello
Melanie grew up with music always around her; she loved sitting at the piano with her mother from a young age and playing by ear with her. She also enjoyed listening to her uncles’ play guitar and harmonica and jamming along with them. Melanie learnt the piano classically from the age of 8, and at the age of 9 she was also inspired to learn the cello after seeing a professional cellist play in a concert, which her grandfather took her to. Melanie has always thrived on playing music with others, over the years she has played with various chamber ensembles and orchestras. She has fond memories of playing on tour with the West Sussex Youth Orchestra in Germany and Austria and in various music festivals. She once performed in a concert where the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were present. Melanie chose to pursue her love of music at Cardiff University, specialising in performance and composition and gained a BA Degree in Music. Whilst at university she played cello in the University Symphony Orchestra, Contemporary Music Ensemble and quartet. She was also a guest principal cellist in Cardiff University Baroque Orchestra, as well as local orchestras such as South Wales Symphonia, Llandaff Sinfonia and the Rhondda Symphony Orchestra. Melanie also received a master class from cellist Sharon McKinley. Melanie developed an interest in using music as an expressive language to promote health, development and wellbeing which led her to study Music Therapy at Roehampton University, where she graduated with a Post Graduate Diploma in Music Therapy. During this time she enjoyed performing with semi-professional orchestras in London, including performances at St John’s Smith Square. She also enjoyed performing and recording with various pop/rock artists. She played cello and piano for a chamber pop folk group and performed regularly with them across London and the South East at prestigious music venues, as well as winning ‘Brighton Band of the Year’. Melanie currently works as a Music Therapist in a children’s centre and at a neuro-rehabilitation centre. She also teaches piano and cello privately. Melanie continues to enjoy playing with various musicians and ensembles, and is always keen to be involved in creative arts projects.
Gary Holder - double bass
Gary Holder started bass playing at 16 years old, shortly after leaving school. He began working in his Dad's Barn Dance Band & is still working in that band, the 'Maypole Band' some 28years later! Gary originally started out on electric bass, after buying a secondhand instrument with money he saved from grass cutting during the Summer, as he tried & failed to land his first job. He is still cutting grass & playing bass but is no longer looking for a job. Gary now plays an old double bass c.1900 called Ms Polly, and has enjoyed walking out on many a stage with her, from small clubs out in the sticks to major venues such as London's South Bank Centre - Queen Elizabeth Hall & Purcell Room, plus Theatre & Arts Centre stages too, accompanying Martyn Wyndham-Read & Iris Bishop. Gary has recently opened up a live music club, which is located at Coolham Village Hall in West Sussex. The club promotes top quality music comprising of concert nights & open mic nights. Gary's hero in bass playing is Herbie Flowers.