J. P. Cormier
Encyclopedia
J.P. Cormier is a Canadian
bluegrass
/Folk
/Celtic
singer-songwriter
and multi-instrumentalist
. He was born in London, Ontario
in 1969 and began playing guitar
around age five. As a child he displayed an unusual ability to play a variety of instruments by ear and won a guitar contest at age nine.
Mr. Cormier has stated that he learned to play guitar by listening to such noted country
/ bluegrass musicians as Chet Atkins
and Doc Watson
. Other instruments J.P. has played on his albums include fiddle
, twelve string guitar
, upright bass
, banjo
, mandolin
, drums
, percussion, synthesizer
, Cello
, Tenor Banjo and piano
.
By age 16 Cormier had recorded his first album (a collection of bluegrass instrumentals) and he began working the U.S. festival circuit. This led him to move to the United States
and to begin working as a session musician. He continued to perform live on the festival circuit and at the Grand Ole Opry
with country artists Waylon Jennings
, Marty Stuart
, Earl Scruggs
, Bill Monroe
and others.
In 1989 he attended the Northeast Mississippi Junior College (now called Northeast Mississippi Community College
) in Booneville
Mississippi
where he majored in Music Education. At the time, Northeast Mississippi Junior College was one of only three colleges in North America
that offered a specialty in Bluegrass instruments. During his stay at Northeast he began playing the dobro
and piano. It was also during this time he first had the idea for the song "Northwind".
----Albums That Are No Longer Available
In addition, he has won several East Coast Music Awards and the Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia (MIANS) Award in various years.
In 2005 the Bravo! network aired J.P. Cormier - The Man and His Music, a one hour documentary
examining the life and music of J.P. Cormier. J.P. was also featured on Bravo's half hour program "Men Of Music".
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
/Folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
/Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
. He was born in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
in 1969 and began playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
around age five. As a child he displayed an unusual ability to play a variety of instruments by ear and won a guitar contest at age nine.
Mr. Cormier has stated that he learned to play guitar by listening to such noted country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
/ bluegrass musicians as Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
and Doc Watson
Doc Watson
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He has won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's flatpicking skills and knowledge of traditional American music are highly regarded...
. Other instruments J.P. has played on his albums include fiddle
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, twelve string guitar
Twelve string guitar
The twelve-string guitar is an acoustic or electric guitar with 12 strings in 6 courses, which produces a richer, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar...
, upright bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, Cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, Tenor Banjo and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
.
By age 16 Cormier had recorded his first album (a collection of bluegrass instrumentals) and he began working the U.S. festival circuit. This led him to move to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and to begin working as a session musician. He continued to perform live on the festival circuit and at the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
with country artists Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, Marty Stuart
Marty Stuart
John Martin "Marty" Stuart is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for both his traditional style, and eclectic merging of rockabilly, honky tonk, and traditional country music...
, Earl Scruggs
Earl Scruggs
Earl Eugene Scruggs is an American musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger banjo-picking style that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music...
, Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
and others.
In 1989 he attended the Northeast Mississippi Junior College (now called Northeast Mississippi Community College
Northeast Mississippi Community College
Northeast Mississippi Community College, also known as NEMCC, is a public, comprehensive community college. NEMCC is a located in Booneville, Mississippi, USA...
) in Booneville
Booneville, Mississippi
Booneville is a city in Prentiss County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 8,625 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prentiss County....
Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
where he majored in Music Education. At the time, Northeast Mississippi Junior College was one of only three colleges in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
that offered a specialty in Bluegrass instruments. During his stay at Northeast he began playing the dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
and piano. It was also during this time he first had the idea for the song "Northwind".
Discography
- Return to the Cape (1995)
- Another Morning (1997)
- Heart & Soul (1999)
- Now That the Work Is Done (2001)
- Primary Color (2002)
- Velvet Arm Golden Hand (2002)
- X8… a mandolin collection (2004)
- The Long River: A Personal Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot (2005)
- Primary Color: The Owner's Manual (2005)
- Looking Back - Volume 1: The Instrumentals (2005)
- Looking Back - Volume 2: The Songs (2005)
- "Take Five - A Banjo Collection" (2006)
- "The Messenger - J.P. Cormier Sings" (2008)
- "Noel - A J.P. Cormier Christmas" (2008)
----Albums That Are No Longer Available
- "Out Of The Blue" (Out Of Print)
- "The Gift" (Out Of Print)
- "Lord Of The Dance" (Out Of Print)
- "When January Comes" (Out Of Print)
- The Fiddle Album (1991) CBC UG 1003
Awards
He has won or been nominated for the following awards:- Maritime Fiddling Festival- Best Reel - 1989
- East Coast Music Award (ECMA) Instrumental Album of the Year - 1991
- Maritime Fiddling Festival - Best Reel - 1995
- East Coast Music Award(ECMA) Roots/Traditional Artist of the Year - 1998
- Nominated for a Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
in the Roots/Trad recording of the year category for "Another Morning" 1998 - East Coast Music Award (ECMA) Instrumental Album of the Year - 2000
- East Coast Music Award (ECMA) Instrumental Artist of the Year - 2003
- Music Industry Association Nova Scotia (MIANS) Folk/Roots Artist of the Year - 2005
- Music Industry Association Nova Scotia (MIANS) Musician of the Year - 2005
- Canadian Folk Music AwardsCanadian Folk Music AwardsThe Canadian Folk Music Awards are an annual music awards ceremony, presenting awards in a variety of categories for achievements in both traditional and contemporary folk music, and other roots music genres, by Canadian musicians...
- Instrumental Album Of The Year - 2005 - East Coast Music Award (ECMA) Folk Recording of the Year - 2006 (The Long River)
In addition, he has won several East Coast Music Awards and the Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia (MIANS) Award in various years.
In 2005 the Bravo! network aired J.P. Cormier - The Man and His Music, a one hour documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
examining the life and music of J.P. Cormier. J.P. was also featured on Bravo's half hour program "Men Of Music".