06/04/2026
J.P. Cormier is a Maritime music icon who is lauded for his incredible songwriting, live performances, and guitar playing skills, alongside his talents with a banjo, fiddle, and more!
📈 Exposed to a lot of music growing up, J.P. taught himself to play his brother’s guitar at just 5 years old. By 8, he had learned entire Chet Atkins albums, by 9 he had won his first guitar competition against musicians of all ages, and by 16 he released a debut album of bluegrass instrumentals called ‘Out of the Blue’.
🎶 Shortly after, he began working on the U.S. festival circuit and as a session musician, playing the famous Grand Ole Opry with artists including Waylon Jennings and Marty Stuart. It wasn’t until he returned to Canada however that he forged a solo career.
📀 ‘Another Morning’, his first album as the sole lead singer, was nominated for a JUNO Award and won an East Coast Music Award (ECMA), and is highly revered. J.P. has since released more than a dozen albums, including releases with Dave Gunning, collecting 14 ECMAs and other accolades in the process.
🪕 With many of his songs inspired by real-life events, the storytelling and lyricism in his work is vivid. Whether listening to recordings or live performances, the speed and intricacy with which he plays his instruments stands out.
🎸 Although J.P. has played many different guitars, he has always gravitated towards Yamaha Guitars after first laying eyes on his brother’s prized custom FG-1500. That association has persevered, as he’s promoted guitars in clinics, or created informative guitar reviews on his YouTube page to help viewers decide which guitar is right for them. (www.youtube.com/)
🆕 You can hear J.P. and JT catch up and chat about the inspiration behind some of his songs, his love of the guitar, and his favourite guitar players on the show! On top of hearing music picked out by J.P., we’re also spinning an exclusive first play of his brand-new song, ‘Oceans of the Heart’!
📡 Tune into Julian Taylor’s Jukebox this week to hear Julian’s interview with one of his favourite guitar players!
