{"id":5069,"date":"2021-10-30T08:21:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-30T08:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/?p=5069"},"modified":"2021-10-28T14:24:10","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T14:24:10","slug":"an-interview-with-musician-jeff-johnson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/2021\/10\/30\/an-interview-with-musician-jeff-johnson\/","title":{"rendered":"An Interview with Musician Jeff Johnson"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This is an interview I did back in 2012. I thought it deserved new life, so I&#8217;m presenting it here again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/248746097_264315848968242_4807096206806812747_n-1024x711.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5077\" width=\"625\" height=\"434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/248746097_264315848968242_4807096206806812747_n-1024x711.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/248746097_264315848968242_4807096206806812747_n-300x208.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/248746097_264315848968242_4807096206806812747_n-768x533.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/248746097_264315848968242_4807096206806812747_n-1536x1066.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/248746097_264315848968242_4807096206806812747_n-850x590.jpg 850w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/248746097_264315848968242_4807096206806812747_n.jpg 2028w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><figcaption>Photo provided by Jeff Johnson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Today I&#8217;m blessed to be bringing you my interview with musician Jeff Johnson, who has a remarkable Celtic voice. I have been a fan for a long time. If you&#8217;re not familiar with his music, this will help explain why I find it so inspiring. (With the talented Brian Dunning.)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"The Enduring Story - Brian Dunning and Jeff Johnson - Songs from Albion\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Aj325RJ3Zd4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hello, Jeff! You\u2019ve been called a musician\u2019s musician, someone who writes and performs a variety of music. How would you describe your musical style?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#\"><\/a>I\u2019ve always been a bit of a minimalist whether I\u2019m doing my solo, conceptual projects, collaborating with Irish flutist, Brian Dunning or working with Phil Keaggy on the new release. The older I get, the more I\u2019m interested in all that is subtle and the space between things. I suppose that reflects my attitude about things in general these days &#8211; there\u2019s nothing more that I like to do than to just be still and listen. That\u2019s pretty significant since I\u2019ve always been quite driven and goal oriented.Technically, I\u2019m still interested in melody, composition and texture of sound. Yet I find that I\u2019m more influenced by the song of bird than a song from a CD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How has Ireland, its music and people and culture, affected your music?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/247594512_5222181511131908_6053269588095501707_n-1024x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5079\" width=\"630\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/247594512_5222181511131908_6053269588095501707_n-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/247594512_5222181511131908_6053269588095501707_n-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/247594512_5222181511131908_6053269588095501707_n-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/247594512_5222181511131908_6053269588095501707_n-850x565.jpg 850w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/247594512_5222181511131908_6053269588095501707_n.jpg 1355w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><figcaption>Photo provided by Jeff Johnson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, I\u2019ve collaborated with an Irishman (Brian Dunning) for many years now so that\u2019s one major influence! Yet, Brian and I have never viewed ourselves as \u2018traditional music\u2019 players &#8211; our music is very contemporary in composition and production. Yet, in much of the music from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Brittany and Galicia, there is a rich tradition of melody, whether it be a jig or a lament and that has influenced me strongly.<br>I\u2019ve also been influenced by the Christian traditions from these regions. I find the many Celtic traditional prayers from Patrick, Columba, etc. share a similiarity with the Psalms by David in the Bible. There\u2019s an earthy, organic quality to this spirituality that appeals to me very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>How did you get connected with Irish flutist Brian Dunning?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I grew up and began my career in Portland, Oregon where Brian lived and was based with the group,&nbsp;<a href=\"#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nightnoise<\/a>. In 1989, I hired Brian to play on a children\u2019s project that I was producing,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Tale-Three-Trees-Traditional-Folktale\/dp\/0745945937\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Tale of Three Trees<\/a>.&nbsp;<em>(Cindy&#8217;s note: this was based on the book by Angela Hunt.)<\/em>&nbsp;It wasn\u2019t long after that a project was presented to me that married music with the first book of the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.stephenlawhead.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stephen Lawhead<\/a>&nbsp;trilogy,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Song_of_Albion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Song of Albion<\/a>. I approached Brian about collaborating with me on this since the story had a very Celtic slant to it. Little could I have imagined that that would be the beginning of a rich, musical collaboration between myself, Brian and Steve, as well as a great friendship that we all share with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>You\u2019ve written music inspired by books written about Ireland\u2019s past. What is it about Ireland\u2019s history that inspires you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I do love much of the literature that has come out of Ireland, but it\u2019s been more about the Lawhead stories that have inspired the albums that Brian and I have created. And personally, my favorite one is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Byzantium-Jeff-Johnson-2001-01-26\/dp\/B01K8M5J5U\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Byzantium<\/a>, even though I think that what Brian and I did for \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Raven-Vols-Johnson-Brian-Dunning\/dp\/B001FAYKGO\/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=king+raven&amp;qid=1635379833&amp;s=music&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">King Raven<\/a>\u201d was pretty cool, too! I love the scope and range of Steve&#8217;s storytelling and I&#8217;ve found it quite inspiring to create music to go along with the stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>I love those too, and Byzantium is also my favorite!Tell us about your newest release.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><a href=\"#\"><\/a>\u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/WaterSky-Jeff-Johnson-Phil-Keaggy\/dp\/B008YGTGQ6\/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=water+sky&amp;qid=1635379875&amp;s=music&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">WaterSky<\/a>\u201d continues the rich collaboration between myself and guitarist,\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.philkeaggy.com\" target=\"_blank\">Phil Keaggy<\/a>. PK and I were always fans of each other but we finally had a chance to spend some time together at a conference center in Texas called\u00a0Laity Lodge\u00a0in early 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/246888567_411441047207233_5591902251112034529_n-1024x750.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5078\" width=\"596\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/246888567_411441047207233_5591902251112034529_n-1024x750.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/246888567_411441047207233_5591902251112034529_n-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/246888567_411441047207233_5591902251112034529_n-768x562.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/246888567_411441047207233_5591902251112034529_n-1536x1124.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/246888567_411441047207233_5591902251112034529_n-2048x1499.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/246888567_411441047207233_5591902251112034529_n-850x622.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 596px) 100vw, 596px\" \/><figcaption>Photo provided by Jeff Johnson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<br>We began sending music back and forth to one another just to see what might happen. It all just seemed to \u201cwork\u201d and that music eventually became&nbsp;<a href=\"#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Frio <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Frio-Suite-Phil-Keaggy-Johnson\/dp\/B002LCJMHW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Suite<\/a>. The new one was recorded the same way with PK and myself sending tracks back and forth and then me producing and mixing the final compositions. We were never in the same room recording on either of these CDs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, may I say, it\u2019s not that we don\u2019t like being with each other and, Phil and I have performed a few things together recently and there are some plans to maybe put together a tour of this music. There\u2019s a tremendous musical trust that we share and that has carried over into the process of the actual creation of this music. I can\u2019t begin to describe how much fun it\u2019s been!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Incredible that you and Phil were able to create a CD like that. It reminds me of how I co-authored a book. Everyone reading this absolutely should not miss&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/49259461\" target=\"_blank\">this video where you can hear Jeff and Phil talk about the creative process<\/a>. When they speak about the landscape, I&#8217;m reminded of the Celtic concept of a thin place. What\u2019s next?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brian has been writing some new music and I intend to jump in when I\u2019m ready to. I also lead contemplative worship (<a href=\"https:\/\/selahservice.bandcamp.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Selah<\/a>) at many churches and conferences and that keeps me quite busy. Right now, I\u2019m savoring the completion of WaterSky, though!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>That sounds wonderful. Thanks so much for visiting with us, Jeff! Many blessings on your musical journeys!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Jeff has a newer CD out with Phil Keaggy titled <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Cappadocia-Jeff-Johnson-Phil-Keaggy\/dp\/B07MHQ42BC\/ref=sr_1_17?dchild=1&amp;keywords=jeff+johnson&amp;qid=1635380402&amp;sr=8-17\" target=\"_blank\">Cappadocia<\/a>.<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/jeffjohnsonarkmusic.bandcamp.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Find all his music here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is an interview I did back in 2012. I thought it deserved new life, so I&#8217;m presenting it here again. Today I&#8217;m blessed to be bringing you my interview with musician Jeff Johnson, who has a remarkable Celtic voice. I have been a fan for a long time. If you&#8217;re not familiar with his&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[448],"tags":[450,449,268,451,452],"class_list":["post-5069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music","tag-brian-dunning","tag-jeff-johnson","tag-music","tag-phil-keaggy","tag-stephen-lawhead"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5069"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5069\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5081,"href":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5069\/revisions\/5081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyswriting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}