J.P.
Cormier -
Looking Back
Volume 1 – The Instrumentals
Volume 2 – The Songs
Independent
He is one of the hardest working roots music artists
in the Dominion - a legendary road warrior and a
giant, literally and figuratively, in Cape Breton
music today who’s created seven CDs in less
than 10 years. Given all that, releasing a couple
of compilations marking a decade of work is a great
idea. They sum up his career to date and serve as
a solid introduction for the new members of a growing
audience.
The Songs, as Max MacDonald of the Celtic Colours
Festival says in the liner notes, start from an
inspired concept. Rather than the traditional splice
and dice of a “greatest hits” package,
J.P. has re-recorded the songs entirely. Anyone
who has followed his career will find lots of opportunities
for deep listening, comparing then and now. For
the new listener, it’s a very contemporary
view of an artist and his work.
Given the power of this idea and the energy it brings
to the Songs, he might have done the same with Volume
1. It could have involved musical friends, sitting
down and letting the tape roll.
There’s no doubt about the chops, but maybe
fresh players who – on any given day, might
steal the show – could sharpen J.P.’s
focus some.
As it is, the CD is clearly the work of a master
instrumentalist. It reveals a powerful connection
to Cape Breton and shows how strong an influence
the years in Nashville had on his music. It’s
a good record, but an artist like J.P. has the experience,
skills and musical roots to make a great one.
–
By Ian Kilburn
