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The Band

Francis Cormier
Vocals, Guitar, Lead, Harmony

Francis Cormier was born in Memramcook, New Brunswick in 1961. His musical taste was not too unlike that of many of his peers, he was very interested in rock `n`roll at the time. However, during his late teens he had the opportunity to hear the likes of Flatt & Scruggs, Mac Wiseman, Bill Monroe, etc., through the record collection of a brother-in-law, Bernard Landry. That set Francis off in a very different direction.

Francis was about 18 when he acquired his first guitar, and learning to play bluegrass music became an obsession. In the band, he plays the guitar, sings lead and harmony and does most of the emcee work, and his song writing ability is well worth noticing. Just recently, after having been nominated several times, he was the recipient of the coveted Èntertainer of the Year`Award at the Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Awards Show in Truro, Nova Scotia.

Francis Cormier formed the Original Bluegrass Diamonds in 1984 with his brother, Vincent, and Roger Hebert, soon after to be joined by Jim Warren. For nearly 5 years the Bluegrass Diamonds practiced relentlessly, did a few of the local festivals, benefits and whatever they could do to get exposure. It paid off, because they got to know the legendary Eddy Poirier of the famed Bluegrass `4`, perhaps the most notable and longest continuously operating band in the Maritimes if not in all of Canada. With the departure of Russell Sawler, Ron Savoie and Eddy`s son, Robert, in 1989 Eddy, asked Francis and Vincent Cormier and Roger Hebert if they`d consider joining the band on vocals and guitar, vocals and bass, and mandolin respectively. The Bluegrass `4`, being an inspiration to many of the up and coming young pickers, was no less an inspiration to Francis, Vincent and Roger - opportunity was kicking them in the face! The Bluegrass `4`was now Eddy Poirier, Roger Hebert and Francis and Vincent Cormier, until Roger left and Louis Arsenault (having left in 1984) rejoined in 1993. They were the Bluegrass`4` until Eddy decided to dissolve the band in 1995.

Vincent Cormier
Bass Tenor, Lead, Harmony

Timing might have had some bearing on brother Vincent, born in 1965, not getting quite so caught up in rock `n`roll music. Although Francis was 4 years his senior, Vincent and Francis did spend a lot of time together, doing things together...more as best friends than as brothers. That friendship, and Francis` interest in bluegrass music, were Vincent`s greatest influences. He plays standup bass, and sings a powerful lead and harmony with the Bluegrass Diamonds, and is able to impress everyone, especially the French, with his ability to sing bluegrass in the French language. Several times he`s been nominated for ``Bass Player of the Year`and `Male Vocalist of the Year`and won the latter in 1988. On stage he gets in a few words occasionally when Francis and Louis aren`t talking.

Louis Arsenault
Mandolin, Banjo, Harmory

Louis Arsenault, the old man of the group, redits his Mother, who played fiddle in the Don Messer style, as his first musical influence while still a young boy in Saint Paul, New Brunswick, where he was born in 1942. He could very well be as responsible as anyone for bringing the authentic sound of bluegrass music to New Brunswick and the Maritimes. After all he did spend from 1962 to 1974 in the Boston area of the United States...and he did learn from and pick with the likes of the Lilly Brothers, Don Stover, Joe Val, etc. He might have been one of the very few at the time, upon his return to the Moncton area, to understand the actual mechanics of bluegrass music, despite the fact that there were already many fine pickers in the area; no attempt is being made to lessen the importance of those musicians to the history of bluegrass music.

Louis has been nominated ``Entertainer``, ``Banjo Player`` and ``Mandolin Player`` several times, and won ``Mandolin Player of the Year`` at the Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Awards Show in `94, `95 and `96. Although, having participated in many recording projects through the years it was only in 1997 that he released a solo instrumental cassette recording on which he played most of the instruments, and included two of his many compositions. The fact that he has influenced many a young picker, the widely acclaimed Raymond Legere being one of them, gives him his greatest feeling of satisfaction. Besides being an influence, he`s providing the basics in that he teaches mandolin, guitar and banjo.

Roger Gauvin
Banjo

Roger Gauvin, born in Moncton, New Brunswick in 1954, began taking an interest in music long before he had reached his teens. At the time his family occupied part of a big house where his grandparents and uncles lived, His uncles were musicians, and his Mother played a little, so there was always music around the house. It was a great environment for learning although there was a down side...because there was such an abundance of good pickers the instruments were always in tune, so he didn`t develop tuning skills until many years later.

By the time Roger was in his early twenties he was playing the guitar in a country band, and later a country-rock band. He was in his mid twenties by the time he`d heard the captivating sound of the five string banjo. At about that time Roger and friend, Dave Williams, were playing fiddle tunes using two mandolins, and he decided that he should replace the mandolin with a banjo; the five string banjo and bluegrass music became his passion. He credits exposure to the super sounds of the Mountain Meadow Bluegrass Band and the Bluegrass `4`, two of Moncton`s hottest bluegrass bands of the day, as his first major bluegrass influence. At the Inernational level, the Seldom Scene`s Ben Eldridge might have been his favorite banjo player, but no two players anywhere got his attention more that did Eddy Poirier and Louis Arsenault. Later Eddy would become his instructor, followed by Russell Sawler.

Roger formed his first bluegrass band, ``Just For Fun``, with Vern Maillet, Dave Williams and Maurice LeBlanc in 1984, and later, in 1986 changed the name to ``River Bottom``, and added Robbie Arsenault. In the relatively few years of its existence some of the finest and best known pickers performed under the ``River Bottom`` banner, for example , Lee Alward, Daniel Maillet, Marcel Duplessis and Frank Doody. River Bottom went on to take first prize in the band contest at the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival in 1993. Because of work commitments, etc., Roger departed the band later that same year, and in a roundabout way, perhaps, River Bottom became ``Canadian Grass Unit``. Other than jamming with friends, he didn`t get too serious about performing on stage until being asked to join the Bluegrass Diamonds in 1995.

On Stage or off, Roger doesn`t make a whole lot of noise. Because he`s essentially shy...and not overly tall...he`s usually the brunt of Francis`good-natured ribbing. He was the proud recipient of the ``Banjo Player of the Year`` Award at the 1998 Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Awards Show.

The Diamonds

        There never has been a period in the history of bluegrass music that everything has gone especially easy.True...there have been good times, relatively speaking, but compared to most other types of music the going has been rough and continues to be so.Good bands have come and gone for various reasons: poor management, unrealistic goals, an unwillingness to make the extreme sacrifice necessary to succeed, etc. It`s probably fair to say that the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) has raised a greater awareness to bluegrass music than anything else ever has. Still many of the same old problems continue!

        The bluegrass music community in the Maritime Provinces seems to be perhaps the most active in Canada, despite the fact that the population is much less than that of any other part of the country. Maybe it can be attributed to the French, Irish and Scottish infulence. There`s a festival or campout nearly every weekend throughout the summer, there`s nearly a dozen active bluegrass associations, and there may very well be more active bluegrass bands in the Maritimes than in any other area of Canada. New Brunswick`s `Bluegrass Diamonds`, without a doubt is the most active of them all.

        The bluegrass seed was planted while the Cormiers were still in their teens and started to germinate with the Original Bluegrass Diamonds. However, it was during their tenure with the Bluegrass `4`that the seed really began to sprout. The Bluegrass Diamonds was reborn with Louis Arsenault and Roger Gauvin, and in three short years has become one of the busiest and most professional bands in the area. There`s no way to predict for certain just how far the Bluegrass Diamonds will go in this uncertain world of bluegrass music. The band is extremely serious about its music and how it presents itself; and is willing to present itself whenever and wherever it can. Francis and Vincent don`t mind admitting their time with the Bluegrass `4`proved to be a great learning experience. For much of its more than twenty year history it was the busiest band in the area, working practically every weekend throughout the year. The Bluegrass Diamonds has adopted a similar attitude...be aggressive and give it all you got!

        While the Bluegrass Diamonds is a co-operative effort, Francis is generally left with the task of lining up engagements. Mind you, lining up those engagements is getting easier all the time. In the short period of the band`s existence it has done remarkably well. In 1997 it was nominated in several categories, and won the ``Most Promising Band`` Award at the Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Awards Show. For quite some time most of the weekends during the off season have been booked for 1999, and the festival season is completely booked. Several of those engagements are in the United States, and that`s worth bragging about. As well, some dates are already booked for 2000. It could be there was some luck involved - there usually is - but mostly it was the practice and the making sure they did the right things right that made them lucky!

        The Bluegrass Diamonds feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when they`re asked to do a show; most satisfying feeling of all comes when they're asked to do an encore, and know the`ve earned the right to be asked. They know that satisfying the person who hired them is of the greatest importance, and the only way to do that is by satisfying the fans who paid to see them. They know that many of the most successful bands are successful not just because they may be particularly accomplished in a certain area, but because they are adequate in many. That`s what the Bluegrass Diamonds are aiming for at present!

        In 1994, Francis, Vincent and Louis Arsenault, as part of the Bluegrass 4, earned the right to perform in the Pizza Hut Showdown in Owensboro, Kentucky. It would be any bluegrass fans dream just to attend the Showdown and the IBMA Convention, and it was no less theirs. However, of greatest value was the evaluation of all aspects of their performance by professionals in the industry. They took the constructive criticism seriously and have applied as much of it as possible to the Bluegrass Diamonds Show. The dress, the rapport with the audience, on stage and off, the respect for the music, and much more, make up the Bluegrass Diamonds.

        Francis, Vincent, Roger and Louis are more than satisfied with their induvidual accomplishments and the success of the Bluegrass Diamonds. In 1997 the band participated in ``La Vague Acadienne``, an 18-cut compilation CD of various styles of music sung in Acadian French. Their contribution was ``Dans Un Rayon De Lune``, which held the Number One position for three of the more than ten weeks it was on the Radio Beausejour (CJSE - 89.5 FM) charts. Of course they are especially proud of the June 1998 release of their CD, ``Memories To Hold``, which is getting a tremendous amount of air play in the Maritimes and in various other areas of Canada and the United Atates, even on programs that do not cater exclusively to bluegrass music. The CD leans toward the traditional style of bluegrass music and contains twelve selections, five of which have never before been recorded, including ``Bluegrass In Heaven``, which took home the ``Song of the Year`` Award, and written by Nova Scotia native, Sharon Ogilvie. They will soon be working on two new bluegrass recording projects, one in each of Canada`s two Official Languages.

        To further their efforts to preserve and promote bluegrass music, the host, the ``Memramcook Valley Bluegrass Campout``, a family style festival held on the second weekend of June and now in its 10th year. They are in the process of arranging a bus trip to the 1999 IBMA Trade Show in Louisville, KY. Also, while Francis and Vincent have been doing sound at various bluegrass events for the past three years, they`ve now decided to add recording capabilities. Francis is also the official Canadian East Coast representative for the IBMA"

        The goal of the Bluegrass Diamonds is simple...to do their little bit to preserve and promote bluegrass music. They`re very fortunate in that they can easily arrange time away from their day jobs, and their families are their greatest supporters. They want to continue to learn and grow, and will consider any opportunity to perform, near or far, big or small. They want to have fun, and they realize their obligation to the talent buyer hasn`t been fulfilled until the audience has had its fun. It`s then that the Bluegrass Diamonds are having fun!

Marie & Gerald Pike