With
an arsenal of instruments at his fingertips, nothing was
unattainable. The songs are peppered with Cormier's blazing
flattop guitar, mandolin, five-string banjo, keyboards,
bass and percussion. As he says dryly in the liner notes:
"There are no other musicians."
After
he had 23 songs done, the "foolin' around" was
ready to become a record.
"That's
when I started sending it up to Lightfoot." Lightfoot's
manager, Barry Harvey, has been a longtime friend of Cormier
and was very supportive of the project, and encouraged Cormier
to release it.
"Then
Lightfoot became sick and I totally shelved it." Not
wishing to seem opportunistic in case Lightfoot died after
his serious illness, Cormier put the tracks away.
"I
wanted this to be a living tribute. I'm just glad I got
to tip my hat and say thank you to him - that's what this
album is really about."
With
Lightfoot back in good health and performing again, Cormier
decided to release the CD. He's been playing on a Lightfoot
tribute tour through Ontario with several other musicians.
Though
Cormier has earned accolades for his prodigious traditional
instrumental playing and strong rootsy songwriting, he says
Lightfoot's music was his first and biggest influence.
"His
music has always been the gauge by which I measure my own
music. When I'd write a song, I'd think, 'Could this fit
into the Lightfoot portfolio?' He's in his own world - he
has his own sense of phrasing and poetry." >>
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