Woods Tea Company is an American folk music group based in Vermont. They perform a wide variety of songs, including sea shanties, folk songs, Irish drinking songs, and Celtic music. The group is known for its energy, musical talent and dry sense of humor between songs.
History
Woods Tea Company was started in 1981 in Burlington, Vermont, by Bruce Morgan and Rusty Jacobs.[2] The band got its name from a wooden storage box owned by Jacobs that had "Woods Tea Co." printed on its side.[2] Mike Lussen joined the band several years later.
Morgan left the band in the early 1990s. Howard Wooden officially joined the band in 1992, and Tom MacKenzie a year later. In 2000, MacKenzie left, and was replaced by Chip Chase.
The band became a regular feature at Colgate University, where the students knew the band's material. Between songs, students often shout 'Arrgh!' to poke fun at the group's sea shanties. To honor this, MacKenzie wrote a song called "Aargh!" for the students.[3]
The band suffered several losses in its third decade. On October 6, 2006, Chase died from a massive pulmonary embolism. He had been hit by a pickup truck while riding his motorcycle several weeks earlier.[4] A year later, on August 15, 2007, Jacobs died of a heart attack.[5] In July 2018, Mike Lussen died after a long illness.[6]
Following the deaths, MacKenzie started touring with the group and eventually rejoined the band[7] full-time. In late 2008, Patti Casey became the band's newest member. In June 2010, Lussen retired from the group. MacKenzie left the band again in fall 2013 and was replaced by Pete Sutherland.
Members
There are currently[when?] three members of Woods Tea Company:
Howard Wooden - vocals, guitar, bass,[ambiguous] bodhran
Pete Sutherland - vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, keyboard
This album was released at various times during 2010 for $10, and it has 10 songs on it, hence the name. It is the first CD released without Mike Lussen.
Star of the County Down
The Silver Caravan
Give Me Just a Little More Time
Gander In the Stubble
Ste Joseph / Girl With the Blue Dress/Ste Antoine
Spotted Pony / Sugar Hill
Into This Night
Old Woman / Ten Penny Bit
The Grey Funnel Line
The Dog's Complaint
References
^Irvin, C. Woodward (November 15, 2007). "Live!". Washington Post. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
^"Mike Lussen". vermont.funeral.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
^"Tom MacKenzie - Links". Archived from the original on 2008-07-19. Retrieved December 7, 2007. Woods Tea Company: I'm back! I've rejoined the group full time. Couldn't get enough the first time.
