Mr. Cormier has stated that he learned to play guitar by listening to such noted country / bluegrass musicians as Chet Atkins and Doc Watson. Other instruments J.P. has played on his albums include fiddle, twelve string guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, drums, percussion, synthesizer, and piano.
By age 16 Cormier had recorded his first album (a collection of bluegrass instrumentals) and he began working the U.S. festival circuit. This led him to move to the United States and to begin working as a session musician. He continued to perform live on the festival circuit and at the Grand Ole Opry with country artists Waylon Jennings, Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe and others.
In 1989 he attended the Northeast Mississippi Junior College (now called Northeast Mississippi Community College) in Booneville Mississippi where he majored in Music Education. At the time, Northeast Mississippi Junior College was one of only three colleges in North America that offered a specialty in Bluegrass instruments. During his stay at Northeast he began playing the dobro and piano. It was also during this time he first had the idea for the song "Northwind".
He has won the following awards:
* East Coast Music Award (ECMA) Instrumental Album of the Year - 1991
* East Coast Music Award (ECMA) Roots/Traditional Artist of the Year - 1998
* East Coast Music Award (ECMA) Instrumental Album of the Year - 2000
* East Coast Music Award (ECMA) Instrumental Artist Award - 2003
In addition, he has been nominated for the East Coast Music Award and the Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia (MIANS) Award in various years.
Blue Angel
J.P. Cormier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out on Chesapeake Bay
With her white patent boots
And her blouse red lame
A table top dancer
She would smile on cue
Oh those lips of an angel
She'd been dancin for ages
Through cities of bars
She was kickin' the habit
Of scoring in cars
She'd been drained of her spirit
All caged up in this zoo
A wild cat angel
Angel in blue
And as she stared out into nowhere
I thought yes I thought she might break down and cry
Oh when I whispered I thought I could love her
She just said, "Baby don't even bother to try"
And I watched as she spoke
Her words chilled my bones
All her friends did her favors
That were really just loans
And she never had dreams
So they never came true
Oh the palest of angels
Angel in blue
And the bees they had stung her
The birds they had flown
There were guys she could number
But none had she known
And she never had dreams
So they never came true
Oh my fade away angel
Angel in blue
Angel in blue
Angel in blue
Angel in blue
The song "Blue Angel" by J.P. Cormier begins with describing the meeting of the singer and the titular character in a bar near Chesapeake Bay. The Blue Angel is described as someone who wears white patent boots and a red lame blouse. She is a table top dancer who would "smile on cue" and has "lips of an angel," but her life has been filled with struggles. She has been dancing for years in different bars all over cities, trying to kick a habit of scoring in cars. She is drained of her spirit and feels caged in her current life, like a wild cat.
When the singer tries to show his affection for her, the Blue Angel rejects him and tells him not to bother. Although she had friends who sometimes lent her money, they never helped her realize her dreams. The bees, birds, and guys that had once been in her life have all left, and she has never fulfilled any of her own dreams. The Blue Angel is a symbol of someone who is struggling to gain their independence and find their own passion in life, but fate and other circumstances keep them from doing so.
Line by Line Meaning
We met in a bar
The singer and the woman met in a bar on Chesapeake Bay.
With her white patent boots
And her blouse red lame
The woman wore white patent boots and a red lame blouse.
A table top dancer
She would smile on cue
Oh those lips of an angel
Angel in blue
The woman was a table top dancer who could smile on command, and the singer thought her lips made her look like an angel.
She'd been dancin for ages
Through cities of bars
She was kickin' the habit
Of scoring in cars
The woman had been dancing for a long time across many bars, and was trying to quit her habit of having sex in cars for money.
She'd been drained of her spirit
All caged up in this zoo
A wild cat angel
Angel in blue
The woman felt like she had lost her spirit and was trapped in her job as a dancer, but the artist thought of her as a wild and free angel despite her sadness.
And as she stared out into nowhere
I thought yes I thought she might break down and cry
Oh when I whispered I thought I could love her
She just said, "Baby don't even bother to try"
The singer thought the woman looked like she was about to cry as she gazed off into the distance, and when he tried to express his love for her, she rejected him.
And I watched as she spoke
Her words chilled my bones
All her friends did her favors
That were really just loans
The singer observed that the woman's words made him feel cold inside, and that her so-called friends only gave her loans disguised as favors.
And she never had dreams
So they never came true
Oh the palest of angels
Angel in blue
The woman never had any dreams, and as a result, they never came true. Despite being like a pale angel, she was still very sad and lonely.
And the bees they had stung her
The birds they had flown
There were guys she could number
But none had she known
The woman had been hurt by others in the past, and although she had been with many men, she hadn't truly known any of them.
And she never had dreams
So they never came true
Oh my fade away angel
Angel in blue
Angel in blue
Angel in blue
The woman's dreams still remained unfulfilled, and she was like an angel that was slowly fading away as she continued to live her life as a dancer.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MU JIN JANG, SETH JUSTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Earl Holley, New Waterford
Love having the lyrics to sing along to... Any chance you could produce "My Highland Dreams" as well. It's the first J.P. song (among many others) that I wanted to learn.
Malcolm Benn
Such a beautiful sounding guitar and very pretty to look at as well. I started watching these videos on the Boucher guitars you own yesterday and had to go out and find one to play today. I visited Brickhouse Guitars in Kitchener Ontario this afternoon and played three models and I was very impressed ... you were right on the money JP, these guitars are amazing ... thanks for the heads up.
whosiskid
I've been saving to get a Boucher for a few months now. Not sure what I'm going to get, but I'm leaning towards a Heritage Goose with mahagony backs and side and a Master Pack. And I hope that won't be my last Boucher.
Robert Slover
love the bach groove on this jam! some more classical and jazz stuff would be great!!!
Todd Johnson
JP! I was at your show in NJ last week, it was a pleasure to listen to your talent and entertaining stories, great stuff man. Appreciate all that you do!
williss
JP thank you so much! You are a monster talent and 100% right about Boucher guitars. In fact you deserve part of the credit for me choosing to purchase a twin sister to 'Yogi.'
You see, I heard you play a store owned 12 fret triple 000 Boucher at a live store promotion.
I was blown away by your playing and the guitar. In a similar fashion to the way you describe being smitten with 'Yogi' I was instantly head over heels with the feel and sound of this Boucher guitar. This triple '000' felt and sounded better to me than any guitar in the store. Some costing thousands more. I know because I checked. I have never heard such a great sounding guitar. I called the store before opening the very next day. Albeit, I wasn't the only customer to recognize the qualities of this Boucher because it had already been sold.
Keeping on the sunny side I was able to order another triple '000' build.
Now waiting for the build is like waiting for the birth of a child.. Great things are expected Thanks again JP.
S Willis
Awesome guitar and player! I liked the guitar so much I bought Yogi’s twin brother. Every word you spoke about this guitar is true. I’ve never played better.
Steadfastly
Love this series JP!
Barry Johnson
you are the best guitarist I've seen on here brilliant 👏
Paul Fowler
I recently purchased an HG56 and, too, am blown away by its tone and volume. Fantastic guitar!