According to the Encarta® World English Dictionary, North American Edition:

rev·e·la·tors [ révvə làytərs ]  noun

Definition: persons or things believed to reveal divine truth
[15th century. < late Latin < Latin revelat- past participle of revelare (see reveal1)]

"THE REVELATORS BAND… [is] the fusion of four singularly distinctive, divergent, and multifaceted musical souls hell-bent on breathing new life into a peculiar repertoire of classic rock 'n' roll and Americana.  They're the real deal."    Danforth Pendleton, music critic, Creemed Korn Review

THE REVELATORS BAND is composed of York, Pennsylvania, musicians Jeff Leaman, Jim Williams, Jud Conway and Mike Becker.  The quartet, sans Becker, began playing together as members of THE SWAMP MONSTERS, a York, PA, garage band that also included drummer Tom Dawes, currently of THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE BLUES BAND, and the late John Livingston, on bass guitar.

The trio continued to meet for weekly rehearsals while THE SWAMP MONSTERS went on indefinite hiatus, in 2004.  These practice sessions morphed into an altogether different kind of musical project forgoing the traditional drum-and-bass rhythm section to emphasize more expressive guitar playing and vocal work.   The trio began to augment new arrangements with Dobro, harmonica, ukulele, lap steel and other instrumentation to flesh out the essence of particular songs. They found that that they could mine the rich discography of rock 'n' roll, country, folk and blues for new material while continuing to play more familiar classic rock songs.  Best of all, the new arrangements were ready-made for performing at smaller venues where the music complimented rather than eclipsed the social scene. The trio spent the next few years playing well-received shows in the York, PA, area, arranging "new" material, and cultivating a growing loyal fan base.

In May of 2008, THE REVELATORS decided to expand their sound and add harder-edged classic rock material to the mix.  The new group was dubbed THE REVELATORS BAND, when York, PA, drummer Mike Becker joined the fold.  The band's progression was both logical and seamless.  All three original members shared bass responsibilities.

THE REVELATORS BAND performs select songs by, among others:

Rolling Stones, Gram Parsons, Flying Burrito Brothers, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Cream, Everly Brothers, Pink Floyd, Van Morrison, The Byrds, Roy Orbison, Neil Young, Steve Earle, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ryan Adams, Whiskeytown, John Mellencamp, Warren Zevon, Hank Williams, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Woody Guthrie, The Kinks, The Who, Tom Petty, George Jones, Chris Isaac, Howlin' Wolf, Merle Haggard, Son Volt, Chuck Berry, Traveling Wilburys, The Band, Eagles, Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, Roger Miller, BR-549, The Fendermen, and many others… including a few original tunes

Jud Conway, a talented and prolific singer/songwriter in his own right, will release his debut solo album of original material, SOUTHERN BOUND, in October of 2008.  The album was produced bassist/producer/engineer/brother Dan Conway  and boasts an awesome guest list of session musicians.  Visit Justin's website at www.judconway.com to hear sample tracks and to learn more about his solo work.

Jud Conway:  Back to Top

• Plays acoustic and electric six-string flat-pick and finger-pick guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, electric bass guitar, harmonica, and Twang Thang.  Is learning the banjo at this very moment.
• Contributes lead, harmony, and backing vocals
• Started playing guitar at age fourteen and has studied under the tutelage of local York, PA, guitarists Scott Anderson and Ray Eicher
• Musical influences include Richard Thompson, Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, Jay Farrar, Ryan Adams, and Steve Earle
• Former bands include Mastiff and The Swamp Monsters

Jeff "The Chef" Leaman:   Back to Top

• Plays acoustic and electric six-string and twelve string flat-pick, finger-pick and slide guitar and bass guitar 
• Contributes harmony, backing, and occasional lead vocals
• Started playing guitar at age nine and has over twenty-eight years experience.  Musical influences include Led Zeppelin/Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith/Joe Perry and especially Kiss during his formative years
• Formerly in The Swamp Monsters band and numerous other forgotten configurations of local musicians that never made it out of the basement and onto the local music scene.

Jim Williams:  [aka "Jim Williams"]  Back to Top

• Plays acoustic and electric six-string flat-pick and slide guitar, bass guitar, banjo, ukulele, lap steel, maracas, and official "Lawrence Welk" spoons
• Contributes harmony, backing, and occasional lead vocals
• Started playing guitar at age sixteen
• Musical influences include Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, and Mance Libscomb
• Former bands include The Whizz Kids, Bronx Cheer, Amish From Outer Space, The Casuals, The Swamp Monsters and The Peeps

Mike "Beer Man" Becker:  Back to Top