Bonus Episode 3: Jeff Martin & Jeff Burrows – The Tea Party

The Tea Party.

Listen to the Trusty Chords podcast via your preferred platform of choice here.

Yes indeed, welcome to another bonus episode of the Trusty Chords podcast. This week, I’m chatting to the fine Jeff Martin and Jeff Burrows of Canadian outfit The Tea Party. 

This was actually the episode that launched the series of bonus episodes, but due to the magic of recording, editing, and other technical reasons, it’s arriving third.

The reason for this one being a tad short is namely, as Jeff Burrows told me, they had a hockey game to watch, so I didn’t want to keep them too long.

But who are The Tea Party? Well, if you’re listening to this podcast in Australia, there’s a chance they’ve played more live shows in this country than you’ve had hot dinners. That might sound impressive, but it’s all the more admirable given they’re a Canadian outfit who have been on the scene since 1990.

Formed by Jeff Martin, Jeff Burrows, and Stuart Chatwood (who apparently didn’t get the memo regarding his name), The Tea Party made a name for themselves thanks to their unique musical style they’ve dubbed ‘Moroccan-roll’. 

Across their discography, they’ve shown elements of progressive rock, industrial music, and acoustic compositions, too. Check out albums like Transmission and Triptych, and classic songs like ‘Temptation’, ‘Fire In The Head’, ‘A Certain Slant Of Light’, and ‘Heaven Coming Down’ for an example of what I’m talking about.

In 2005, the group announced their split, and Jeff Martin went out on his own, kicking off a solo career, and performing as part of The Armada, and Jeff Martin 777. In 2011 however, The Tea Party got back together, and they’ve been going strong ever since. With a bunch of releases being shared since then, and a return to relentless touring, it’s just like the good old days.

Now, ahead of their latest Australian tour, Jeff Martin and Jeff Burrows were lovely enough to donate a small portion of their time to chat about their own Trusty Chords.

The audio is a little bit rough from Jeff Burrows’ side, but hey, that’s what you get sometimes. I also had to guess the specifics of a couple of his albums, so here’s hoping I got them right. You’ll find the aforementioned specifics over on this podcast’s blog. Jeff Martin, however, couldn’t be convinced to choose a fifth song, so we’re a bit uneven on the count as a result. Oh well.

Anyway, give The Tea Party some of your time, and once you’re done, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Jeff Martin & Jeff Burrows’ Trusty Chords

Jeff Martin’s One Influential Artist

1. Jimmy Page

Jeff Burrows’ One Influential Artist

1. Rush

Jeff Martin’s Three Impactful Albums

1. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (1975)

2. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

3. Django Reinhardt – Anthology (2002)

Jeff Burrows’ Three Impactful Albums

1. Rush – Permanent Waves (1980)

2. Echo & The Bunnymen – Porcupine (1983)

3. Sade – Diamond Life (1984)

Jeff Martin’s Five Four Trusty Songs

1. The Beatles – 'Within You Without You' (1967)

2. Led Zeppelin – 'Kashmir' (1975)

3. B.B. King – 'The Thrill Is Gone' (1969)

4. Django Reinhardt – 'When Day Is Done' (1937)

Jeff Burrows’ Five Trusty Songs

1. Rush – 'The Spirit Of Radio' (1980)

2. Led Zeppelin – 'Down By The Seaside' (1975)

3. Sade – 'Smooth Operator' (1984)

4. Gordon Lightfoot – 'Beautiful' (1972)

5. Neil Young – 'Harvest Moon' (1992)