http://www.canadaeast.com/tt/life/ar...rticleID=64841
J.P. Cormier brings his musical gift to Moncton
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Cape Breton performer J.P. Cormier will play in Moncton Nov. 18
J.P. Cormier, the much-lauded, award-winning multi-instrumentalist, says recording his latest album, an album prominently featuring banjo, was only logical.
"It took a couple of years to make it, I wasn't even sure we would release it," says J.P., calling from his home in Cape Breton a few weeks prior to kicking off a Maritime tour that will have him play at the Capitol Theatre in Moncton. "But I figured, I did a record for every other instrument, so why the hell not do a banjo album?"
The album, Take 5... a banjo collection, is the third in a trilogy of albums where J.P. showcases his talent on three of his primary instruments - guitar, mandolin and now banjo. While he plays all kinds of instruments, those three, along with fiddle, are his specialty.
The new disc, released a few weeks ago, comes on the heels of J.P. winning an East Coast Music Awards for Folk Recording of the Year for The Long River:
A Personal Tribute To Gordon Lightfoot.
On Take 5, J.P. runs the gamut of material from traditional songs to fiddle songs arranged for banjo. He even covers material from Bach and We Can Work It Out by The Beatles.
He admits that choosing material for this record was a challenge, but he enjoys challenges. J.P. dismisses the idea that moving from Bach to The Beatles over the course of one album might create a lack of cohesion on the album.
"Not really, that's my audience. I have a very eclectic audience, which is a wonderful thing. I have goths in my audience, and I have priests in my audience. My first goal is to make every album interesting. As long as they're interesting, they'll be cohesive."
On his discography found on his website, many of J.P.'s albums will have "fiddle album" or "guitar album" written beside them, so you'll know what the focus of the album is. J.P. says his audience is part of the reason why he focuses on a particular instrument when recording.
"Well, it's supposed to represent my live show. That's the only way to do it. I have a lot of different sides to my live show. Some people really enjoy one thing, but not another, so I'd rather release a few albums with each instrument represented. They sell better. And people would rather hear a whole album of what they enjoy instead of just one or two songs."
So far, J.P. is right on the money in guessing how he should steer his career. The Cape Bretoner says he's sold 130,000 albums over the course of his career, all from recordings he's made in his secluded home deep in the woods. On one side of his home is a mountain, and on the other is water. It's not exactly conducive to having other musicians on his albums, so it works out that J.P. is able to play every instrument on his records.
"I love to work in seclusion, I'm not watching the clock, no one is waiting for me."
Because of the isolation, only J.P., his wife and his manager hear his songs before they are released to the public or played live.
J.P. recorded his first album, a collection of bluegrass standards, when he was 16. He took it on the road, playing festivals in the U.S. He made a name for himself, which led to playing alongside artists like Waylon Jennings, Bill Monroe, Marty Stuart and others at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. He returned to Cape Breton over a decade ago and has been releasing critically acclaimed albums since then.
"I was born with a gift," he says. "I put a small amount of work into it, but I've been gifted that every instrument I'd picked up, I've been able to play it. I'm not the first person to do this. It's just like some people having a gift, being able to cook great meals."
J.P. will be bringing his gift on the road all November, with a stop in Moncton on Saturday, Nov. 18. He says he's excited to be heading out again.
"I love it. I haven't been around here in six years, so I'm looking forward to it."
J.P. Cormier will perform at the Capitol Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 18. He will be accompanied by Hilda Chiasson-Cormier on piano and harmony vocals and multi-instrumentalist Darren McMullen.
[ November 08, 2006, 06:46: Message edited by: Jesse -Joe ]
