Jeffrey Scott Martin ( Brill; born October 2, 1969) is a Canadian guitarist and singer, best known for fronting the rock band

The Tea Party The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with industrial rock, blues, progressive rock, and Middle Eastern music influences, dubbed " Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s and up until 2005, the band re-formed in 2011. The Tea P ...

. He began his career as a solo artist in 2005, when The Tea Party went on hiatus.

Biography

Early years

Martin began playing guitar as a child and in his adolescence played in bands The Shadows, Modern Movement, and The Stickmen. In 1988, Jeff graduated from

Sandwich Secondary School Sandwich Secondary School is a school in LaSalle, Ontario. It has about 1,050 students, and teaches about half of the students in LaSalle, along with St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic Secondary School. Sandwich Secondary School is part of the Grea ...

along with future Tea Party bandmates

Jeff Burrows Jeffrey John Burrows (born August 19, 1968 in Windsor, Ontario) is the drummer and percussionist for Canadian rock band Crash Karma, and The Tea Party. Jeff Burrows begun drumming at eleven years of age and professionally since 1990 when he join ...

and

Stuart Chatwood Stuart Chatwood, (born 22 October 1969 in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England) is a Canadian musician, best known as the bass guitar and keyboard player for the rock band The Tea Party. The Tea Party are known for fusing together musical styles of bot ...

. He went on to study music at the

University of Windsor , mottoeng = Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge , established = , academic_affiliations = CARL, COU, Universities Canada , former_names = Assumption College (1857-1956)Assumption University of Windsor (1956-1963) , type = Public universit ...

before leaving his studies prematurely due to philosophical differences with his music professor. Martin has

perfect pitch Perfect commonly refers to: * Perfection, completeness, excellence * Perfect (grammar), a grammatical category in some languages Perfect may also refer to: Film * ''Perfect'' (1985 film), a romantic drama * ''Perfect'' (2018 film), a science ...

, as highlighted on "The Science of a Rock Concert", an episode of ''

Daily Planet The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...

'' on

Discovery Channel Canada Discovery Channel (often referred to as simply Discovery) is a Canadian specialty television channel owned by CTV Speciality Television Inc. (a joint venture between Bell Media/ESPN Inc. (80%) and Warner Bros. Discovery (which owns the remaining ...

. He also has

synesthesia Synesthesia (American English) or synaesthesia (British English) is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People who re ...

, as heard during an Alternate Tunings Guitar Workshop for Maton Guitars.

Professional career

The Tea Party (1990–2005, 2011–present)

Forming The Tea Party in 1990 after a marathon jam session at the Cherry Beach Rehearsal Studios in Toronto, Martin produced all of The Tea Party's albums, including their debut album in 1991, distributing it through the band's own label, Eternal Discs. In 1993 The Tea Party signed to

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

Music Canada and released their first major-label recording entitled ''

Splendor Solis ''Splendor Solis'' ("The Splendour of the Sun") is a version of the illuminated alchemical text attributed to Salomon Trismosin. This version dates from around 1582. The earliest version, written in Central German, is dated 1532–1535 and is ...

''. Martin employed

open tunings Guitar tunings are the assignment of pitches to the open strings of guitars, including acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and classical guitars. Tunings are described by the particular pitches that are made by notes in Western music. B ...

to imitate Indian instruments such as the

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...

, something he has continued to employ throughout his career. Further developing The Tea Party's sound in 1995, ''

The Edges of Twilight ''The Edges of Twilight'' is the third album by Canadian rock band The Tea Party, released in 1995. The album features many instruments from around the world, giving various songs a strong world music flavour in addition to the rock/ blues infl ...

'' was recorded with an array of Indian and Middle-eastern instrumentation while Martin drew lyrical inspiration from

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

themes and

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

influenced literature. Upon returning from tours in Canada, Europe and Australia in 1996, The Tea Party went on to record ''

Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ar, الْحَمْرَاء, Al-Ḥamrāʾ, , ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the ...

'', an

Enhanced CD Enhanced CD is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players. Formats that fall under the "enhanced CD" ca ...

which features acoustic re-recordings of songs from ''The Edges of Twilight'', followed by a brief tour around Canada known as "Alhambra acoustic and eclectic". ''

Transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission *** ...

'', filled with dark and angry music, was released in 1997; it included Martin's first foray into

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

. ''

Triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek language, Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) t ...

'' followed in 1999; the first single "

Heaven Coming Down "Heaven Coming Down" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tea Party. It was released as a single in Australia and France and as a promotional single in Canada.triptych erThe Tea Party a visual discographyAccessed 19 April 2007 "Heaven Coming Down" ...

" rose to #1 on Canadian radio. Lyrically, Martin was less enigmatic than he was on previous albums: on ''Triptych'' he wrote about the experiences of his years in the band. In 1999, Martin performed as part of The White Ribbon Concert at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto."Live Reviews: The White Ribbon Concert The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, Ontario"
''Chart Attack'', June 8, 1999, by Mike McCann After releasing ''

Tangents In geometry, the tangent line (or simply tangent) to a plane curve at a given point is the straight line that "just touches" the curve at that point. Leibniz defined it as the line through a pair of infinitely close points on the curve. More ...

'', a singles compilation, in 2000 and ''

Illuminations Illuminations may refer to: Shows and festivals * IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, a nightly fireworks show currently at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort *''IllumiNations'', original nightly firework show at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort ...

'', a DVD compilation of music videos which Martin remixed in

Surround sound Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener ( surround channels). Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to sur ...

, The Tea Party released ''

The Interzone Mantras ''The Interzone Mantras'' is the sixth album by Canadian rock group The Tea Party, released in 2001. Named after William S. Burroughs' book of short stories '' Interzone'' and the band's interest in eastern mysticism and esoteric philosophies,Davi ...

'' in 2001 and ''

Seven Circles ''Seven Circles'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian band The Tea Party, released in 2004. It was the band's last album prior to their split in 2005. The album continues the style of the band's two previous offerings (''The Interzone Mantra ...

'' in 2004.Band biography: Illuminations The Tea Party Collection 2001, DVD, EMI Music Canada, Mississauga. In October 2005, The Tea Party disbanded due to creative differences. The band members regrouped in 2011 for a series of shows in their native Canada. The success of these dates led to The Tea Party reforming.

Solo career (2005–2008)

Martin's debut solo album titled ''

Exile and the Kingdom ''Exile and the Kingdom'' (french: L'exil et le royaume) is a 1957 collection of six short stories by French writer Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, ...

'' was released in Canada and Australia in 2006. Among those who worked with Martin were Michael Lee and Ritesh Das (Toronto Tabla Ensemble). The first single, titled "The World is Calling", is an open letter to the Bush administration.Bliss, K 2006, Jeff Martin in-studio session, Jam! Music
Jam! Music
Accessed April 5, 2006. During this time Martin was supposed to collaborate with

Scott Stapp Scott Stapp (born Anthony Scott Flippen, August 8, 1973) is an American singer, best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Creed. He has also fronted the band Art of Anarchy and has released three solo albums: '' The Great Di ...

but it did not ensue. In November 2006, Martin released a live album recorded that September, titled ''

Live in Brisbane 2006 ''Live in Brisbane 2006'' (2006) is a two disc live music album from Canadian singer/songwriter Jeff Martin. The album is a complete recording of a live performance full of Jeff's banter with bandmates and the audience, including his thoughts on t ...

''. The two-disc album features Ritesh Das and the Toronto Tabla Ensemble, and consists of both solo and Tea Party songs. The album is a complete recording of a live performance full of Jeff's banter with bandmates and the audience, including his thoughts on the disbanding of The Tea Party and where he sees himself in life. In May 2007, Martin released his second live album '' Live in Dublin'' recorded with drummer Wayne P. Sheehy, while Martin's first solo music DVD Live at the Enmore Theatre was released through Shock DVD in July 2007.

The Armada (2008–2010)

In early 2008 Martin (lead vocals, guitars) and Sheehy (drums) formed The Armada. The band's debut album, which features a similar sound to the Tea Party, was released on November 4, 2008.News About The Armada...
Jeff Martin
Accessed November 21, 2008.

Jeff Martin 777 (2010–present)

In 2010, Martin began work on new music with Jay Cortez and Malcolm Clark (formerly of

The Sleepy Jackson The Sleepy Jackson are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia. The band's name was inspired by a former drummer who was narcoleptic. The band revolves around the distinctive vocal style of multi-instrumentalist ...

) for a new album to be entitled "The Ground Cries Out" under the new band name of

Jeff Martin 777 Jeff Martin 777 was an Australian-Canadian rock band from Perth, Western Australia. The band's name was inspired by Jeff Martin's study of the occult, specifically the work of Aleister Crowley. Martin formed the band with former Sleepy Jackson ...

. On January 10, 2011, the title track from the album was released on Martin's Myspace page. ''The Ground Cries Out'' was released in Canada on March 1, 2011, and has subsequently been released in Australia.The Tea Party's Jeff Martin Forms New Band ...

Accessed November 10, 2010. Following a Jeff Martin 777 Canadian tour, the band toured Australia from May 2011. During the tour Martin announced a reunion of The Tea Party for some Canadian shows in July and August. Following the success of those shows, The Tea Party announced the reunion was permanent.

As a record producer

Martin was nominated as producer of the year at the 2000 Juno awards. Martin has produced albums for Hundred Mile House's EP, The Jay Murphy Band's ''Propaganda'', The Eternal (band), The Eternal's 'Under a New Sun' and Tenth Planet's ''The Prophet Curse EP''. He also played upon Roy Harper's '' The Green Man''. Martin recently produced the new album for Australian

dark rock Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of lighting, illumination, an absence of visible spectrum, visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown. Human visual perception, vision is unable to di ...

band The Eternal (band), The Eternal called 'Under A New Sun'. The album features a duet with singer Mark Kelson on the track 'The Sleeper'. Martin worked with emerging Australian band Lepers and Crooks to produce their debut album in 2016. Martin's most recent work as a producer was with Australian indie-folk / rock duo Secret Solis. Jeff produced their debut EP, 'Deep Down' at River House Studios lending the band his instrumentation and voice as well. Martin plays all the heavy guitars, Hurdy Gurdy and synths including his Theremin.

Equipment

Guitars

*1916 Gibson

Harp guitar The harp guitar is a guitar-based stringed instrument generally defined as a "guitar, in any of its accepted forms, with any number of additional unstopped strings that can accommodate individual plucking." The word "harp" is used in reference to ...

*1964

Gibson J-50 The Gibson J-45 is a dreadnought style acoustic guitar manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. It is generally regarded as Gibson's most famous and widely used acoustic guitar model. The J-45 is part of Gibson's round-shoulder "jumbo" ...

acoustic *Gibson

12-string A twelve-string guitar (or 12-string guitar) is a steel-string guitar with 12 strings in six courses, which produces a thicker, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. Typically, the strings of the lower four courses are tuned in o ...

*Three Les Paul Classic 1960 reissues *Gibson 1971 Les Paul Recording *

Gibson EDS-1275 The Gibson EDS-1275 is a doubleneck Gibson electric guitar introduced in 1963 and still in production. Popularized and raised to iconic status by musicians such as John McLaughlin and Jimmy Page, it was called "the coolest guitar in rock." His ...

Gibson Explorer The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar model by Gibson guitars, released in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Flying V, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which ...

* 1971 Fender Telecaster Parsons White B-Bender * Fender Stratocaster XII

twelve string guitar A twelve-string guitar (or 12-string guitar) is a steel-string guitar with 12 strings in six courses, which produces a thicker, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. Typically, the strings of the lower four courses are tuned in o ...

Rickenbacker Rickenbacker International Corporation is a string instrument manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. The company is credited as the first known maker of electric guitars – a steel guitar in 1932 – and today produces a range ...

360/12 JetGlo *

Danelectro Danelectro is a brand of musical instruments and accessories, founded in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1947. The company is known primarily for its string instruments that employed unique designs and manufacturing processes. The Danelectro company was ...

*Ellis Guitars 7 string

resonator guitar A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar that produces sound by conducting string vibrations through the bridge to one or more spun metal cones (resonators), instead of to the guitar's sounding board (top). Resonator gui ...

Maton Maton is an Australian musical instruments manufacturing company based in Box Hill, Melbourne. It was founded in 1946 by Bill May and his brother Reg. The name "Maton" came from the words "May Tone" and is pronounced ''May Tonne''. Products ...

12 string electro-acoustic guitar

Effects

Dunlop Cry Baby The Dunlop Cry Baby is a popular wah-wah pedal, manufactured by Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. The name Cry Baby was from the original pedal from which it was copied, the Thomas Organ/ Vox Cry Baby wah-wah, first manufactured in 1966. Thomas Organ/ ...

*Early 1970s Memory Man analog delay unit *Reissue Small Stone *Early 1960s

Echoplex The Echoplex is a tape delay effect, first made in 1959. Designed by Mike Battle, the Echoplex set a standard for the effect in the 1960s—it is still regarded as "the standard by which everything else is measured." It was used by some of the ...

Matchless Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models were produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc Four-stroke cy ...

line switcher (with valves) * DigiTech 2112 Effects processor unit *

TC Electronic TC Electronic (sometimes stylized as t.c. electronic) is a Danish audio equipment company that designs and imports guitar effects, bass amplification, computer audio interfaces, audio plug-in software, live sound equalisers, studio and post-pro ...

G-Natural *TC-Helicon VoiceWorksPlus

Amps

*Two Fender 100 watt combo *Four

Superchief 120 watt *No Name 1960's Tube 25 watt *Chute CC-04 * Urei 1176 leveling amp * Teletronix LA-2A

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Video albums

Extended plays

References

External links

Jeff Martin official website
at the Ellis Guitars website {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Jeff 1969 births Living people Canadian expatriates in Australia Canadian male guitarists Canadian male singers Canadian record producers Canadian rock guitarists Canadian rock singers Canadian songwriters Musicians from Windsor, Ontario Sarod players The Tea Party members