Maxim Cormier releases new CD
Maxim Cormier is a young man of distinct talent and many musical interests.
A wonderful guitarist, he’s equally at home with jazz, classical and traditional music and has proven that with his earlier recordings.
On his latest project, “Cape Breton Guitar,” he is joined by his father Gervais, himself a great instrumentalist with a varied musical past that ranged from folk and traditional to rock.
“Cape Breton Guitar” sticks with Cape Breton fiddle tunes, with Maxim doing the guitar lead and Gervais adding backup guitar, mandolin and harmonica.
There are some great sets here — traditional jigs made famous by Winston Fitzgerald, jigs written by David Greenberg, tunes from Jerry Holland, John Morris Rankin, Dan R. MacDonald, Dan Hughie MacEachern and Marcel Doucet.
It’s all good stuff and I enjoyed every bit of it, but my favourite cuts are a version of “Tears” (composed by the late Jerry Holland and played here on the harmonica) and a group that includes a pair of J. Scott Skinner tunes, “The Forth Brig” and the “East Neuk O’Fife,” an intricate composition with more twists and turns than the Cabot Trail.
Cormier’s latest CD is bright and bouncy and enjoyable from end to end. Unadorned by fancy production or over dubs, “Cape Breton Guitar” is the real thing, with great tune selection and great playing. Check it out so you can enjoy it yourself.
I didn’t make it to either of last weekend’s shows at Breton Brewery that featured JP Cormier and friends — Brian Cathcart and Colin Gillis from Pretty Archie and Jordan Musycsyn.
The shows were billed as the launch of the Cape Breton Guitar Night Campaign, an event in support of Loaves and Fishes. This takes place Saturday, March 31 at Membertou Trade & Convention Centre. That night Cormier will be joined by The Elliot Brothers, Pretty Archie, Jordan Musycsyn Band, Curtis Matheson, Joe Waye Jr. and Glenn Parker MacNeil.
The events were livestreamed so I (and many others who didn’t make it to either of the sold-out shows) actually got a chance to enjoy the music live and almost in person. From the comments on the site I’d say that folks watched all or part of the show from places across Canada and even further afield.
I want to mention the passing of two men who both had an impact of the local cultural scene.
Byron MacPhee was a fiddler, perhaps best known for his work with The Ranch Boys. In 1998, the group (formed in the 1950s and heard frequently on local radio and TV) was honoured by the East Coast Music Association with the Stompin’ Tom Award.
A professional truck and school bus driver, he still found time to play and teach music for many years. He was 84.
The passing of Weldon Bona at the age of 63, leaves a hole in the Cape Breton cultural community that will be hard to fill.
A firm supporter of anything artistic or musical, Bona was highly regarded for his work, first as a graphic designer and most recently as the director of communications at Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources.
“Cape Breton Guitar” is the real thing, with great tune selection and great playing.”