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February 4 2003

Cape Breton's Cormier keeps it in the family - Guitarist/fiddler duets with his pioneer uncle
by Stephen Cooke - Entertainment Reporter, Halifax Herald

Cheticamp musician J.P. Cormier is known throughout the folk music community for his ability to play the heck out of any instrument he lays his hands on.

But besides musical multi-tasking, the ECMA-winning performer - and double 2003 nominee for instrumental and male artist of the year - also has his hands full managing every aspect of his career with wife and pianist Hilda Chiasson-Cormier. Together they handle merchandising, mail-order, publishing, booking and publicity, on top of recording sessions and an annual 300-day performance schedule.

Starting tonight, J.P. and Hilda play a four-night stint at Halifax's Old Triangle Irish Alehouse.

"It's keeping us way too busy," says Cormier, heading home to Cap LeMoyne after playing through the winter storm in Moncton. "We're just doing so many different things. My Web store (www.jp-cormier.com) is opening in a couple of weeks, and that's expected to be very successful because we're already backordered by hundreds of units.

"I've got about seven albums in the can that I'm working on that are in varying stages of completion. We're just waiting for the proper time and reason to put them out."
Those projects include a record highlighting Cormier's mandolin playing and a tribute to the music of Cape Breton fiddle legend Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald. While those inch closer towards being released, Cormier also has a new position as an instructor at Buckley's Music on Quinpool Road.

"I'm going to be teaching all the stringed instruments, and with me and people like Dave Burton teaching drums, the faculty's going to be totally populated with professional road guys. I think it's an awesome idea, so on what little down-time I have left I'll be at Buckley's with a full load of students." >> more