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. The band got its name from a wooden storage box owned by Jacobs that had "Woods Tea Co." printed on its side. 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. 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. A year later, on August 15, 2007, Jacobs died of a heart attack. In July 2018, Mike Lussen died after a long illness. Following the deaths, MacKenzie started touring with the group and eventually rejoined the band 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 three members of Woods Tea Company:

Discography

1983 - Where Am I To Go?

1995 - Side By Each

1995 - Journey Home

1999 - The Wood's Tea Co. - Live!

2001 - This Side of the Sea

2003 - Standing Room Only

2003 - An Evening With Woods Tea Company (DVD)

2007 - The Passage

2009 - A Lively Evening with The Woods Tea Co.

This album was released on February 20, 2009, as a DVD and CD combo.

2010 - 10 For 10

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.