RedCrow are a new Brisbane-based four-piece group that fuses
Americana, blues and roots music with ambient soundscapes into concise and
melodious 3 minute songs.
RedCrow consists of ARIA-nominated songstress and songwriter
Sarah Calderwood (Sunas, TwoCrows), who weaves her delicate yet dark soaring
vocals with bluesy surgical instinct; Paul Brandon (Sunas), writer, polymath
and player of acoustic and electric guitars shimmers, driven by his ear for
stylistic authenticity; Mirko Ruckels (Pretty Violet Stain, Deepspace) adds to
the prime directive of song by his use of chiming guitars, vocals and ambient
soundscapes; and Markus Karlsen (The Company, Pirate Brides), who rocks the
double bass and plucked his way across the country with the wind in his ‘tash.
Harmonies that make the listener unable to separate the
singers. A wall of pure Americana blues underpinned by ambient soundscapes.
Songs of life and grit - RedCrow will leave you with a smile on your face &
dirt in your soul.
---------------------------
Band Members:
Sarah Calderwood - Vocals, whistles, ukulele
Paul Brandon - Acoustic & electric guitars, percussion
Mirko Ruckels - Vocals, acoustic & electric guitars,
keyboards, banjo
Markus Karlsen - Double bass
“Burning North Sky” is an awesome debut album by Brisbane Australia’s “RedCrow”. The album covers a swath of Americana / Folk / and Roots Rock genres and does it with harmonic vocals, sound, vision and class, a real must listen for Folk and Alternative Country music Fans ~ Stewart Brennan, World United Music
Throw all the genres and hyphenates together you want to
describe her – indie, roots & soul, rock, blues & country – they are
alright, and also not enough. Chastity Brown writes songs that are carried deep
in the American psyche, the hunger, desperation and confidence that runs
through our times. Coming from Tennessee to Minnesota, touring the country,
touring Europe, she has had half her own lifetime and million lifetimes gone
before her to concoct her powerful sound. She's been hailed by NPR, CMT,
American Songwriter, The London Times, and Paste Magazine as a songwriter to
watch, and has recently shared the stage with Michael Kiwanuka, Mike Doughty,
and Leon Russell.
Chastity pulls from a diverse cross-section of talent for
her live shows, playing with Robert Mulrennan (guitarist/producer), keyboardist
deVon Gray (Brother Ali), bass player Jef Sundquist, and percussionist Greg
Schutte (Mickey Hart), resulting in restless, electrifying and enveloping
performances.
British singer/songwriter Alexander McKay was born in
Wellington a small village in Somerset, England. He moved at an early age to
Swavesey, Cambridgeshire and was turned on by his parents to folk heroes John
Renbourn, Nick Drake and American artists Bread, Dylan and Jackson Browne. He
started his musical life in his teens playing in local bars and clubs in
Birmingham and London where he studied at London College of Music. Moving to
Los Angeles in 2001 he travelled through America finding influence and
inspiration for the songs that would later become his debut EP, “Brings Us
Together”. Released in 2015 on AWAL. The EP is essentially a road diary.
Balancing folk and rock accompanied by his raspy voice and rhythmic guitar
finger picking. Unique, soulful and warm.
2015 has seen him extend his talents to the big screen
debuting as an actor in a new independent film titled “Stones” about music,
love and alcoholism. Being cast after director and screenwriters heard him
perform at a party back in 2013.
The Film and soundtrack and film will be released in the
2016.
About:Wheeler Newman and The Cosmic Roots Collective
Wheeler Newman and the Cosmic Roots Collective is an
Orlando, FL-based trio comprising of Wheeler Newman (guitar, lead...vocals), Ronnie Brannan (bass, vocals) and
Paul Mauceri (drums, vocals). As the name implies, their sound is a nod to the
great country rock and roots artists from the late ‘60’s/early 70’s up through
the “alt country” movement from the early ‘90’s through today.
Indie duo The
Weepies have sold more than a million singles and half a million albums; their
simple, direct songwriting has sent them to the top of the folk charts in a
dozen countries. With more than 100 TV & media placements, they are one of
the most licensed current musical groups in the world.
In 2001, a girl walks into a bar…
Her name is Deb Talan. She’s an up and coming
singer/songwriter who has garnered tremendousword-of-mouth support and critical praise for her debut CD,
Something Burning. Boston’s legendary music venue Club Passim has become her
performing-home, but tonight she’s there to check out a new songwriter she’s
been obsessing over, a musician from New York City named Steve Tannen. She’s
been listening to his debut CD, Big Señorita, non-stop for about a month.
Guy walks into a
bar…
His name is Steve
Tannen. He’s at Club Passim in Boston to play a show supporting his debut
release, Big Señorita. He’s been playing rock and roll in NYC dive bars for a
couple of years, but since the release of his solo CD he’s garnered tremendous
word-of-mouth support and critical praise. He’s nervous because Boston is a new
town for him, but he’s even more nervous once he looks out at the crowded room
and recognizes the pretty young woman down front as singer/songwriter Deb
Talan. In a word, he’s intimidated; he’s been obsessing over her debut CD,
Something Burning, non-stop for about a month.
Deb Talan and
Steve Tannen began writing together the night they first met and soon formed
THE WEEPIES. “We were fans of each other. When we met, there was an electric
connection that made us both nervous. After the show, when everyone went home,
we stayed up all night playing songs for each other, drinking a bottle of wine
and trading an acoustic guitar back and forth in a tiny apartment,” says Talan.
"That night has lasted ten years so far," adds Tannen.
A breath of fresh
air for fans of songwriters, The Weepies features two unique voices and one
unforgettable sound. With a self-released debut and three CDs on Nettwerk
Records, the duo has become an indie success story, each release ranking among
the top 10 digitally downloaded in the US. After a three year touring hiatus –
during which time they got married, had two children and made two records - the
band returned to touring in late 2010, playing 26 sold out shows across
America. The Weepies now live in Southern California and are working on another
album.
Jeff Campbell’s onstage experiences have taken him to coast
to coast countless times and found him sharing stages with John Mayer, members
of Counting Crows, The Grateful Dead, and opening for Train. After being crowned
winner of Guitar Center's National Singer Songwriter Competition out of over
13,000 entrants, his 2013 EP Release,
“In Spite of Everything”, produced by 6x Grammy Winner John Shanks, premiered
at #1 on the iTunes rock EPs and singles charts, following a performance on the
Jimmy Kimmel Live! show.
Watch him strap an acoustic guitar on his back, board a
public bus with 75 strangers, and traipse his way across the country. Here’s a
singer-songwriter who loves nothing more than the sound of his voice reverberating
off a music venue’s back walls. Yes, this is Jeff Campbell’s life, and as he’ll
readily tell you, it isn’t so much a choice as it’s his calling. “This is just
who I am” says the vocalist, impassioned songwriter and lifelong musician who
with The Kitchen Sink, has at long last concocted the album that represents him
at his core and is willing to do whatever it takes to feel the rush of human
connection.
For Campbell, it’s all in the spirit of connectivity:
eliminate as many barriers as possible between the writer and the audience.
Sure, he knows he could record hundreds of videos on YouTube and pray one goes
viral, but that’s not him. Even as his fanbase continues to swell, Campbell
craves intimacy and immediacy. “Performing live is absolutely my favorite part
of this thing.” Campbell says. “Whether it’s a big stage or a small room,
there’s really no better feeling than connecting the music with the audience.
When you know they’re with you, it’s the best ever.”
An emotional, evocative poet with a rock lover’s heart,
Campbell navigated nearly a decade spent nursing a nine-to-five job before
realizing you can only run so long from your true passion. Now, on The Kitchen
Sink, he combines his hunger for stellar songcraft, rope-you-in riffs and
threading melody into his most profound musical statement yet. It’s an album
the soft-spoken singer views as his “…life’s work. So far.” and the passion and
commitment to his craft is supremely evident in its cutting clarity.
For Campbell, The Kitchen Sink is a wonderful opportunity to
let go of any preconceived ideas of who he was as a musician and “…let the
songs go where they wanted to go. It’s what I’ve grown into”, he explains of
the nine-track LP that melds the Philadelphia native’s longtime love of raucous
rock with his more recent understanding of a lyricist’s poetic power. “I have
to continue down the path that I’m on,” he says proudly of Sink’s potential for
longevity.
“The best music is so often about a story, about the
feelings conveyed by what the writer/performer saying and whether or not they
mean it,” Campbell says; and it’s why he felt compelled to channel the
experience of becoming an uncle into the immensely personal “Fill The Spaces.”
The ear-candy-of-a-rocker is an exploration of how best to “live in the moment
and fill the spaces with what’s around you, versus staring at your device all
the time or worrying about the past or too much about the future.” On
thewinsome “Finger Pictures,” the musician uses a lilting melody as a mask for
a hard-hitting, timely message of equality inspired by female friends he’s seen
bogged down by societal inequality: “I’m surrounded by a lot of great women in
my life. A lot of them are artists and I see what they to have to go through on
a regular basis to be socially accepted,” Campbell says. “Girls have it harder
than guys do in a lot of ways.”
Arriving at such a point of awareness for Campbell was a
journey unto itself. Upon leaving a stable and successful career in investments
in 2009, the then-twenty-something proceeded to pound the pavement for several
years, grinding it out in bars and clubs as he adjusted to his new music-first
life. “It took me awhile to accept that it was no longer something I was doing
for fun,” Campbell admits of writing, recording and performing music full-time.
“It wasn’t just a hobby anymore. It was now my job.” The man who discovered his
voice when swapping his spot behind the drums with his teenage band’s
laryngitis–stricken singer for a gig, had been in rock bands practically his entire
life, but he’d always assumed it was unrealistic to make a career out of his
artistic passion. “Some people, by trade, are carpenters, plumbers, lawyers,
whatever. This is my trade. And it’s how I’m always going to make a living, for
better or for worse.”
Hunkering down with Shanks and a cadre of seasoned session
pros to record 'In Spite of Everything' was a priceless crash course for
Campbell in the art of commercial production and songwriting. And yet he’ll be
the first to admit that he and his band went for a far more raw, spare sonic
aesthetic on The Kitchen Sink. “I like a nice duo of electric or acoustic
guitars and the words and the melody speaking for themselves,” he explains of
an LP written and recorded between his home studio and the home studio of Bay
Area producer/friend Gawain Mathews. This loose approach is evident in the
tender “Jail”, the harmonious “No One Keeping Score” and the airy, suspended
“Overboard.” “I think there’s an art in doing what a band like U2 does,” he
offers. “What you hear live is what you hear on the record: Two guitars, a bass
and drums. If you can fill up the space with as little instruments as possible,
then why the hell not?”
Success for Campbell remains an ever-evolving notion, but
the proud song-spinner knows that no matter what his future holds, he’s now
attacking it as his true self. Campbell concludes. “I’ve landed comfortably at
a position in my life where I’m at peace with who I am. Finally.” - By Dan
Hyman.
Rachelle van Zanten is back with her third full-length
album, "Oh Mother". Known for her powerful live performances and
equally powerful social activism, the acclaimed Canadian slide guitarist/singer
pulls no punches on this record. Produced by multiple award-winner Joby Baker
(The Cowboy Junkies, Alex Cuba, Mae Moore), the album showcases van Zanten's
skills as a guitarist and songwriter in equal measure. "Oh Mother"
blends van Zanten's socially conscious lyrics with dirty guitar riffs and
soulful singing in a way that neatly captures the essence of her northern
British Columbia origins...as well as all the issues the region currently
faces. "Rachelle van Zanten is our voice, the muse of the North. She
writes songs to inspire the wind, give voice to thunder, and fire the hearts of
all those fighting to protect the land she loves so dearly."- Wade Davis,
National Geographic
The 11 tunes on the album are an intense mix of van Zanten's
deep connection to the landscapes of northern BC and her own personal stories
of loss, grief, and joy. "Van Zanten juxtaposes her gutsy guitar playing
with very personal and introspective lyrics." (Guitar Player Magazine)
These stories of new motherhood, loss, and landscape are
captured not only in her raw, moving lyrics, but also in her intricate guitar
riffs and intoxicating vocal melodies.
The 19 year internationally acclaimed road warrior is now in
the process of creating a children's album. Look for this album come spring
2015.
Request "I Fight For Life" on radio or
purchase the track online and van Zanten will donate all royalties to Skeena
Watershed Conservation Coalition Kids Camps.
Raised between two potato fields on Prince Edward Island, Ashley Condon is
the grandchild of Bill Leblanc, a Canadian country pioneer who once spent the
night in jail with Hank Snow. Like pecan pie – sweet and nutty – Ashley has won
audiences over with her larger-than-life stage presence and down-to-earth
charm. Growing up on everything from old-time country to folk, blues and soul,
her music resonates.
The success of her 2007 EP I’ve Got This Feeling garnered the attention of
Ontario native and ECMA-nominated producer and musician Joel Hunt (Teresa
Ennis, Old Man Leudecke). The two joined creative forces for Ashley’s debut,
full-length album Come In From The Cold, released on June 15, 2010. Since its release
in 2010, Come In From The Cold has been nominated for a 2011 Canadian Folk
Music Award, a 2011 East Coast Music Award and has earned the rising star two
2012 Music PEI Awards for “New Artist Of The Year” and the “Lynn Grishko
Memorial Bursary”. Her highly anticipated sophomore album This Great Compromise
is set for release on May 28th, 2013 and was produced by Condon’s songwriting
hero; three-time JUNO award winning singer-songwriter David Francey . Condon is
backed on the album by Francey’s touring band of Chris Coole (banjo, guitar)
and Mark Westberg (guitar), John Showman (fiddle) and by celebrated Maritime
multi-instrumentalist Darren McMullen.
The signature track on her Francey-produced sophomore album, This Great
Compromise, is “Betty’s Song,” a tribute to Condon’s mother and a wistful
lament over Condon’s inability, as a teenager to appreciate her mother’s
strength and perseverance. Other highlights include “Gentle Man,” a haunting
number about an encounter with a stranger; “We’ve Got Love,” a simple love song
with a very Francey-like sing-along chorus; “I’m Going Home, Amen,” a
rollicking gospel song about moving back to PEI; and the title track, a
sophisticated statement about the impact on relationships when partners must
leave the province for work.
Having lost both her parents by the age of 22, it is not surprising that
Condon’s music is marked by an astonishing degree of maturity and nuance – the
kind almost never heard in emerging artists. She has established a reputation
in the Maritimes as a powerful writer and singer and an uncommonly-talented
entertainer who jokes and tells stories to audiences as naturally as if they
were guests in her living room.
Ashley will be doing a national tour of Canada in fall 2013 to support her
new album and is playing several Canadian folk festivals this summer including
The Stan Rogers Folk Festival, The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival and The
Shelter Valley Folk Festival.
QUOTES:
“The finest writer and performer I have heard in many
years.There is not a song on this record that I wouldn’t gladly claim as my
own.” – David Francey, singer-songwriter
“One of the new leading lights on the East Coast scene” -
Bob Mersereau, CBC
“Ashley Condon brings to the music industry a sweet
down-to-earth tone that truly captivates the listener and brings to light a
joyfulness of acoustic singer-songwriter styles” - Maverick Magazine UK
Plumb was born in Indianapolis and grew up in Atlanta,
singing in church and school. At 20 she moved to Nashville one week before her
21st birthday, working as a background singer for a number of notable artists,
including Bill Gaither and Amy Grant. Following Silvertone Records affiliate
Essential Records mainstream alternative radio success with its debut artist
Jars of Clay in 1995, the label signed Plumb as its second artist. When she was
urged to write, Plumb turned to Matt Bronlewee—an original member of Jars of
Clay who happened to be her next-door neighbor—and the two hit it off. The
debut album, Plumb, was released in 1997, with stage name Plumb coming from the
Suzanne Vega song "My Favorite Plum". Plumb has said subsequently that
the addition of the letter "B" to the end was the idea of her
producer Matt Bronleewe and, in her mind, also represents Bronleewe's important
contribution to her sound.
Candycoatedwaterdrops:
In 1999, Plumb released a second studio album titled
Candycoatedwaterdrops, which won the 2000 Gospel Music Association Dove Award
for "Modern Rock Album of the Year". Three tracks from it were later
covered by other artists; "Stranded" and "Here With Me" by
Jennifer Paige and, in 2001, "Damaged" by Plummet. Though the album
won the DOVE Award for Best Modern Rock Album in 2000, and saw strong radio
success with the single "God-Shaped Hole", the subject matter and
approach of much of Plumb's music was often considered too dark and taboo for
the mainstream Christian marketplace. Plumb's tendency to write songs about
deeply personal stories issues, such as international hit "Cut" which
addressed cutting, and "Damaged" which addressed a girl coping with
being molested as a child, led to more enthusiastic reception by fans of
alternative and dance music. Fueling the break from CCM, "Cut" was
also used prominently during a pivotal scene in the storyline of The Vampire
Diaries in the 10th episode of season 1, "The Turning Point".
Beautiful Lumps of Coal and Chaotic Resolve:
Plumb considered leaving the music industry after the 2000
album, but changed her mind after receiving a note from a fan a few hours
before what she thought to be her final concert. The letter was about her song
"Damaged" about a girl coping with being molested as a child. The
note said "Whatever you do, I just want you to never forget that you have
changed someone's life," which inspired Plumb to remain in the music
industry. She signed to Curb Records in 2003, releasing the album Beautiful
Lumps of Coal on March 25, 2003. The lead single, "Real", peaked at
No. 41 in the UK Singles Chart. Her next album, titled Chaotic Resolve, entered
the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 177 on March 9, 2006. "Better"
reached No. 1 on the U.S. Christian airplay chart. The Bronleewe & Bose
remix of her follow-up, "Cut", hit No. 1 on SiriusXM's dance hits
channel BPM, and No. 5 on Billboard's Dance Charts Hot Dance Club Songs.
Blink:
Shortly after the birth of her second child, Plumb recorded
her 5th album, titled Blink, as collection of lullaby inspired songs. It was
released on October 9, 2007, immediately becoming one of her best selling and
most enduring albums to date. Lead single "In My Arms", was used in
conjunction with key plot narratives for both Vampire Diaries and One Tree
Hill, and became Plumb's biggest international hit to date, selling close to
half a million singles in both the United States and Russia. "In My Arms"
received remixes by Kaskade, Scotty K, Bronleewe & Bose, Gomi, and Bimbo
Jones, with the later reaching the No. 3 spot on the Billboard Dance Charts.
Beautiful History:
On May 19, 2009, Curb Records announced that it would
release a career spanning greatest hits album titled Beautiful History, which
was released later in the year and included several new songs.[16] The first
single from Beautiful History, "Hang On", reached No. 1 on US
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in 2009 and reached the top spot on Billboard's
Hot Dance Airplay chart in 2010.
Need You Now:
Plumb returned to the studio in
2010 with longtime producer and co-writer Matt Bronleewe to begin work on what
would become her 6th studio album, while also changing management and signing
with alternative boutique firm Street Talk Media. The debut single from the
project, "Drifting", a co-penned duet with longtime friend Dan
Haseltine (of Jars of Clay), spread quickly across Christian Rock radio. The
second single, "Need You Now (How Many Times)", went to CCM radio in
early 2012 and has become Plumb's most successful single to date in that
market, rising to number to No. 1 on multiple radio and iTunes charts in both
the United States and Canada by year's end. The single has remained in regular
rotation nationwide for well over a year, selling close to 300,000 singles on
iTunes to date, and is BDS certified at over 100,000 radio spins. The album
Need You Now was released worldwide in February 2013, charting at a career-best
No. 56 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 2 on Christian album charts. The
album received five Dove Award nominations including Song of the Year and
Contemporary/Pop Album of the Year. With her children now all at least grade
school age, and with the massive success of Need You Now, 2012 and 2013 saw the
most aggressive touring of her entire career, playing major festivals
throughout 2012 and 2013, embarking on her first and largely sold-out
headlining tour in the fall of 2013, and joining the massive Winterjam arena
tour for November 2013-14. Exhale:
Plumb released her seventh
studio album, Exhale, on May 4, 2015.
GARY WAS BORN INTO A MUSICAL FAMILY AND HAS GROWN FROM AN
ASPIRING FUSION GUITAR PLAYER (COMBINING JEFF BECK, EDDY VAN HALEN AND ERIC
CLAPTON) AND HAS EMERGED AS A GENUINE SINGER/SONGWRITER/GUITAR PLAYER. HIS
SONGS ARE STORYTELLER REALISM WITH STRONG METAPHORS AND LUSH MELODIC HARMONIES
AND HIS INCREDIBLE TECHNICAL ABILITIES ON THE GUITAR ARE CLEVERLY HIDDEN WITHIN
THE SONGS WITH FEEL AND PASSION.
HE WAS AWARDED THE LENNY BREAU MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP TO MUSICIANS INSTITUTE IN
L.A. TO ATTEND A FULL YEAR AT GIT. THE AWARD CAME FROM GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE
AND MUSICIANS INSTITUTE AND WAS FULL TUITION TO STUDY WITH MANY GREATS IN THE
MUSIC INDUSTRY.
HE PLAYED ORIGINAL MUSIC IN TORONTO AFTER GRADUATING FROM G.I.T. AND MOVED BACK
TO WINNIPEG TO FOCUS ON HIS SOLO CAREER AS A SINGER SONGWRITER / GUITAR PLAYER
/ PRODUCER.
HE RECORDED HIS 1ST SINGER SONGWRITER CD "ONLY IF YOU'RE LISTENING"
AND RECEIVED AN HONORABLE MENTION IN THE BILLBOARD WORLD SONG CONTEST AND AN
HONORABLE MENTION IN THE INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION IN LONDON
ENGLAND FOR HIS SONG "LIKE A STONE". HIS VOCAL ABILITIES AND
POTENTIAL AS A SONGWRITER WON PRAISE FROM LOCAL PRODUCER CHRIS BURKE-GAFFNEY (
CBG ARTIST DEVELOPMENT) AND NASHVILLE SONG PLUGGER SHERRIL BLACKMAN.
21 DAYS KICKED OFF THE WRITING FOR HIS CURRENT 2012 RELEASE "IN THE TIME
THAT MATTERS" AND WON RUNNER UP IN THE OPEN/AOG CATEGORY OF THE
INTERNATIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC AWARDS AND APPEARS ON VOLUME 6 OF THEIR GLOBAL
COMPILATION CD. HIS VOCALS HAVE MATURED WITH HEART FELT UNIQUENESS AND DEPTH
WITHOUT THE AID OF AUTO TUNE AND THE SOUL OF HIS MUSIC IS DIVERSE. THE NEW
SONGS ARE BEAUTIFULLY COMPLIMENTED BY HIS OUTSTANDING GUITAR ABILITIES.
THE NEW ALBUM OF 15 SONGS IS AN ACOUSTIC ADVENTURE IN STYLE DIVERSITY WITH
GUEST ARTISTS ENRICHING THE SONGS WITH FURTHER DEPTH. GARY'S GROWTH AS A SINGER
SONGWRITER / GUITAR PLAYER / PRODUCER AND ENGINEER CAUGHT THE ATTENTION ONCE
AGAIN OF CHRIS BURKE-GAFFNEY . CHRIS AND ARUN CHATURVEDI MIXED THE RELEASE
WHICH WAS A GREAT HONOR FOR GARY FURTHER STRENGTHENING HIS CAREER AS AN ARTIST.
GARY IS CURRENTLY SHOWCASING HIS MUSICAL TALENTS LIVE WHILE PURSUING
CO-WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PLACEMENT IN FILM/TV.
J.P.
Cormier appears from the shadows at the side of the stage—an unsmiling mountain
of a man in dark glasses—and stalks almost angrily to his seat in the
spotlight. He picks up his instrument, adjusts his mic stand and asks the
audience: “How’re ya now?” in a rumbling baritone.
Then he
starts to tell his story.
His lyrics
and melodies illicit every emotion you can muster as he paints picture after
picture of loves lost, towns disbanded, fishermen killed by their trade and the
most important moments of his own life. His voice is surprisingly sweet and
soft-sounding, completely unexpected coming from his 6’4” frame.
He begins
an instrumental on one of the five or six instruments he may have on stage with
him and you realize that this man is not just a singer or a songwriter. As his
fingers fly, with such speed and precision, upon each instrument in turn, you
get another picture—one of pure joy and boundless energy; total spiritual
abandon bordering in its execution on genius. It’s a word that is used to
describe him again and again.
Then just
as you think you’ve seen everything, he begins to speak to the audience. He’s
more comfortable now. He’s getting over the shyness he feels when meeting new
people. Now he feels he can connect safely. Opening up with a few one-liners,
he moves on to amusing anecdotes and true tales from his own past. Some bring a
roar of laughter from the audience that can be heard outside the theatre,
others bring a tear to the eye. He’s home now, his banter is easy as he draws
the crowd into each song and tune. The connection is complete and he is one
with his audience. Even behind his dark glasses, you can tell that he too sheds
a tear when his audience does.
J.P. has a
profound effect on audiences, but those who know him know his heart far exceeds
his stature. His acts of random kindness in and out of the music industry are
legendary. There are many stories of the “big fella” going to play for someone
on their deathbed, helping fledgling artists, or generally standing up for
people who couldn’t do it for themselves. He spent two weeks in the theatre of
war entertaining the NATO troops in Afghanistan and is always quick to do what
he can for a good cause. Maritime artists like Dave Gunning, Darren McMullen,
Douglas Cameron and many others have benefited from J.P.’s assistance and
patient guidance. His charity work is endless, once raising 4 tons of food for
Feed Nova Scotia. A man well aware of the plight of the needy, he celebrates
his birthday each year with a fundraising concert for Christmas Daddies in Cape
Breton.
Accolades
for J.P. have come from far and near over the years. He’s been described as
“the quintessential Maritime musician” and having “the ability to make the
brilliant appear effortless”. His early years playing in Nashville and the
southern states have earned him high praise from folks like long time pickin’
partner and collaborator Marty Stuart, who says, “He’s just incredible, one of
the best players I’ve ever seen.” Country music legend Waylon Jennings has
said, “I would be proud to share the stage with this man anywhere, anytime”,
and J.P.’s greatest hero, Chet Atkins has honoured him as “…one of the most
important guitarists of his generation.” Closer to home, former Governor
General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson proclaimed, “What you have to say as an
artist is incredibly important and a treasure to our Nation” and Gordon
Lightfoot reveals, “I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Cormier.”
J.P. takes
it all in stride.
He still
has his ritual three beers before the show, and prefers to be outside the venue
where he can smoke and talk to folks as they enter. He’s either there or
hanging out backstage with the fans and fellow musicians who show up and don’t
feel there’s any reason why they can’t go right back stage and see him. There
are no real walls around J.P. and he likes it that way. This may be why he’s
stayed so far from the mainstream. He never wanted the barriers that great fame
brings between an artist and their audience. The people who listen to J.P.’s
music are his lifeline and his inspiration. One man’s simple story might
inspire the next great J.P. song. Another’s may be about someone whose life has
been changed by something that he wrote or played. He likes to hear about these
things first-hand. But if the compliments get too heavy, he’ll just look
uncomfortably at the ground and say, “I didn’t write nothin’, I just held the
pen.”
With all of
that said though, his modesty belies a long list of accomplishments. J.P.’s
impressive body of work has earned him a vast and loyal fan base around the
world and he has played extensively throughout Canada, Great Britain, Europe,
and the USA. His songs have been number 1 hits on American and European radio
and he’s won 12 East Coast Music Awards, 5 Music Nova Scotia Awards, and a
Canadian Folk Music Award. His album, Another Morning, was nominated for a Juno in 1998 and has since sold nearly 100,000
copies. Performing countless times on television and radio, J.P. released 13 solo
albums since 1995 and won more than 30 awards in 20 years of fiddle, guitar,
banjo, and song-writing competitions.
In the 30
years since he made his first paycheck at a “Union” gig, going professional at
the tender age of 13, he’s traveled hundreds of thousands of miles spending
months at a time on the road. It’s no wonder he looks a little tired sometimes!
No matter
what you call him–genius, recluse, friend, foe, outgoing, unapproachable,
giving, kind, or thoughtful–there is so much more beneath the surface.
Celebrated as a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, recording
artist, teacher, collaborator, innovator, and award winner, J.P. Cormier’s
talent is comparable to none. He’s praised in superlatives, but even these
don’t do the man justice. The best way to get to know J.P. is to listen to his
music. That is where his real heart lies. It is a world where everything is
done fairly, no one wants, and there are no broken hearts allowed. In his song
“The Messenger” he speaks not from himself but something much greater when he
says:
“I am just
the Messenger
I speak to every man
Every woman, every child
Who lives upon the land
My face is often hidden
Many do not wish to see
But when you’re in the mirror
Sometimes you look at me.”
J.P.
Cormier is not to be missed. Stuff this good only comes around so often
The Messenger – J.P. Cormier Sings (2008) Noel – A J.P. Cormier Christmas (2008) Take Five – A Banjo Collection (2006) 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) X8… a mandolin collection (2004) Primary Color
(2002) Velvet Arm Golden Hand (2002) Now That the Work Is Done (2001) Heart & Soul (1999) Another Morning (1997) Return to the Cape (1995)
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
Psychedelic, Alternative, New Wave, Dark Wave – (2000 to 2019)
Psychedelic, Alternative, New Wave, Dark Wave – (2020 to 2029)
Rock, Alternative - (2010 to 2019)
Rock, Alternative – (2020 to 2021)
Soft Rock, Lite Rock, Alternative – (2010 to 2019)
Soft Rock, Lite Rock, Alternative – (2020 to 2021)
Pop Rock – (2000 to 2019)
Pop Rock - (2020 to 2021)
Folk Rock, Acoustic – (2010 to 2019)
Folk Rock, Acoustic – (2020 to 2021)
Hard Rock, Heavy Metal – (2000 to 2019)
Punk Rock, High Energy Rock n Roll – (2000 to 2019)
Southern Rock, Alt Country – (2000 to 2019)
Classic, New Age Classic
New Age Alternative
Ambient, Electronic, Relaxation
Music for the Revolutionary Mind
Welcome!
World United Music (W.U.M.) was dedicated to promoting a variety of music by Independent, Signed, and Unsigned artists. The goal of this project was to help artists gain recognition for their music by Fans across the World while also offering additional support to established artists that continue to create.
World United Music gathered the very best music and put it right here in one place to help listeners discover new music.
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I'm not in phase with what mainstream mediums have to offer, nor do I like being lied to. So I decided to build my own World where creativity, music, and truth prevail. Therefore I’m a photographer, Writer, Video Producer, News Reporter, Music Promoter, Radio DJ, Poet, Activist, Critical Thinker, and Problem Solver. Be sure to visit all my websites linked below for more of my world.
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