Album Notes

This is the 9th release of a Woods Tea Co. recording. In the fall of 2003 the Woods Tea Co. released a DVD titled “An Evening With The Woods Tea Co – from the Vergennes Opera House.” It was the last release of the Rusty, Mike, Howard & Chip quartet.

A busy and exciting touring schedule delayed our next project. At the beginning of 2006, plans were made to produce a new studio recording and some initial tracks were completed. In July 2006, Chip was hit by a truck while on his motorcycle near his home in New Hampshire and died in October. We managed during the next 10 months to sustain our schedule with numerous guest artists. On August 15, 2007 Rusty died of a sudden heart attack. Our founder and leader was taken from us and the process of grieving and surviving began again.

Tom MacKenzie, has rejoined WTC and as before we arm-twisted an incredible pool of talented “substitute fourths” using most often fiddler Jason Bergman and musician extraordinaire Pete Sutherland.

It would have been easy to postpone this recording; instead we’ve used this project to focus on the future and allow the spirits of our late comrades to guide us. The last two pieces presented on this CD are from them. Both were recorded for a never released Christmas album. Chip kept a fully decorated Christmas tree in his home all year round. He believed in keeping that spirit alive. It is fitting that we include them on this project keeping their spirits with us. Chip appears on two other tracks (Saratoga and December’s Child),