Bios |
Band Bio By mixing Celtic roots with rock, pop, folk, jazz, and funk, Green Tea has built a new generation of Celtic music. With players originating from New York, Wisconsin, and Illinois, this Wisconsin-based group has made a name for themselves in the Midwest and continue to astonish audiences with their dynamic and high-energy shows. In any case, Green Tea will knock your socks off! And that includes socks of all ages: college students, children, and parents may be found dancing on the same eclectic dance floor when Green Tea performs. Green Tea’s first album’s name? ALL AGES, of course! The second album, Beautiful Fault - released in 2007, combines the traditional with the progressive to achieve a bold, new Celtic fusion and also features World-Class piper Peter Purvis from Gaelic Storm! Their 2009 Synergy EP was released last year and includes some new music, crowd favorites, 2 live tracks from The Cedar in Minneapolis, and the featured single "Shafted" received "Honorable Mention" in the 17th Billboard World Song Contest. The new disc also includes a crowd-pleasing cover, “Locomotive Breath” by Jethro Tull. A recent review of the new EP by Jim Tarbox of the Irish Gazette (in St. Paul) proved to be very positive. “It’s a terrific introduction, blending as it does, their rock/jazz/blues influences. I missed their recent appearance at The Fine Line, but I’ve got to get out to one of their shows. If you’re a fan of contemporary Celtic sounds, you should too.” Known for its diverse array of instrumentation, Green Tea serves up new sounds and new concepts with every performance. Not to mention John Coletta, the flute/whistle player, is considered one of the best hands players in the world. John plays melodies and jams on his hands during Green Tea's performances, astonishing audiences every time. You have to see it to believe it! Jonathan Overby of Wisconsin Public Radio’s live variety show Higher Ground reacted to Green Tea's live music by saying, “Wow, they get us going, don’t they? Let’s all storm State Street!” In addition to Green Tea’s performance on Higher Ground in 2005, their live show has been causing a stir at venues such as their performances at the world’s largest Irish Fest, Milwaukee Irish Fest, in 2006, 2007, and main stage in 2009. This veteran yet fresh Celtic band has also performed at many other festivals and venues across the Midwest such as main stage at Irish Fair of MN 2009, Iowa Irish Fest 2007, main stage at Blissfest 2010, Madison Celtic Fest 2008, Fitchburg Days 2006, 2007, & 2009 headlined Wisconsin’s largest St. Patty’s Fest, New Dublin Irish Fest in 2008 (in front of over 3,000 fans), and performed at the Green Bay Packers Tailgate Party 2008. Being a smash hit at Universities, they also brought their high-energy show to NACA Northern Plains 2009 for a high spotlight showcase. The group has shared stages with Rusted Root, Solas, John Hiatt, Cherish the Ladies, The Elders, Patty Larkin, The Irish Descendants, The Glengarry Bhoys, Sons of Maxwell, Makem & Spain Brothers, DRUM!, the Young Dubliners, La Bottine Souriante, Kris Demeanor & the Crack Band, Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, Green Fields of America, Sisters 3, My Dear Disco, The Killdares, & Rising Gael. Plus they have played the same stages as Melissa Etheridge, Nickel Creek, Indigo Girls, Blues Traveler, Guster, Richie Havens, Violent Femmes, & more. Chad Chad brings it all to the stage: piano, keyboards, accordion, and a melodica. Laying down the band's fat foundation Chad lends complementary elements from a world of genres beyond Celtic tradition: rock, folk, funk, etc., but nevertheless, he'll rip through Cape Breton tunes with the best of them. Hannah Hannah, a classically-trained violinist, quickly broke out of her shell when she discovered the Celtic fiddle style at a young age. With music running thick through her bloodline, she has recorded and/or performed with Americay, The Scott Kirby Band, Contagious Remedy, and The Chieftan's. Now, flying on the fiddle for Green Tea, Hannah grounds the Celtic tradition in much of the group's music. John John, an outstanding flutes/whistles and “hands” player (who needs flutes and whistles when you can blow into your hands for free?), couldn’t fully escape his musician father’s classical training and jazz-playing influence. So, when John’s clarinet died and returned to live a double life as a pennywhistle and a keyless Irish flute, listeners still hear the resonance of “classical jazz.” He has also performed with Future Man (Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), Trevor Garrod (Tea Leaf Green), Dan Lebowitz (ALO), and members of Fat Maw Rooney as part of the Everyone Orchestra in 2009. Zach Zach, a self-taught musician, has been playing drums since he could lift a pair of sticks. Inspired by his listening to a wide range of bands across a broad spectrum of musical genres, Zach’s own style of playing fuses jazz, funk, rock, and punk. From such a fusion comes a percussive palette of extraordinary richness, one that produces unique percussive patterns creating never-before-heard rhythmic landscapes. As the poet John Keats writes, “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard / Are sweeter.” Indeed, the dude’s rhythmic riffs are sweet! Playing with passion and intensity, Zach helps Green Tea achieve its aesthetic goal: Rock those reels! Trevor Trevor, Green Tea’s rhythm guitarist, drives the music with innovative chord progressions and rhythms that will make old tunes new again. A brilliant song writer and innovator, Trevor can sometimes also be seen jamming his bodhrán (Irish drum) on stage.
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The 8th Annual Winter Fest was a blast! Thanks for joining us at our annual celebration of music and dance! A special thanks to Johnny B., Glen, Jerry, An Blas, Cashel Dennehy Irish Dancers, O'Dell Irish Dancers, Marti, Greg, Julie, Laurie, & Clark... We couldn't have succeeded without you! An Blas put on a phenomenal show with their elegant singing and supportive instrumentation. The audience was swept away to Ireland! The O'Dell Irish Dancers took over the stage by leaps and steps (bounds)... The youngins were adorable... Cashel Dennehy rocked the evening with their fast paced & high energy dance sets... It reminds me of Milwaukee Irish Fest! Congratulations to Keith & Patricia Williams for winning a copy of the new album! See you soon, ~ Trevor from Green Tea |