ArtistInfo

Jeff Johnson, Phil Keaggy
Cappadocia

Album US 2019 on Ark Records label
Electronic, Folk, World and (New Age)

Phil Keaggy: "I played a Gibson Les Paul, Fender Strat, Gibson G3 bass & Yamaha fretless bass. Also featured were the Oceana ukulele (thanks Zac Steimle), Turkish cümbüş (thanks Kyle Jones) & the Loar mandolin (thanks Mike Pachelli). I recorded my tracks on Pro Tools 11 using the Vox AC 30, Vox MV50, the LaChapell 992 Tube Preamplifier & Audix & Audio Technica Microphones" Jeff Johnson: "I recorded my tracks using Logic X and the UA Apollo 8 interface utilizing programs from Spectrasonics, Synthogy, Korg, Native Instruments, Celemony and United Audio. I mixed digitally via a T.C. Electronic Finalizer into an Alesis MasterLink using Yamaha NS10s and Stax Headphones for monitoring. My keyboard controller was a Yamaha P250." Johnson and Keaggy’s new recording conveys the deep spirituality that emanates from that region, and also seeks to spotlight the history, geography and geological beauty. The duo presents it as exquisite, delicate, new age music, with world music inflections, to paint their musical portrait. Phil Keaggy, a master of acoustic and electric guitars, utilizes a wide variety on this recording including classical and Spanish-style acoustics, a Turkish chumbus, a 12-string acoustic, Les Paul and Zion electrics among others, fretless bass, ukulele and Ebow. Keyboardist Jeff Johnson moves from piano to synthesizers to layer the music with additional textures that include the sounds of percussion, strings and flute. Both musicians also incorporated occasional very-subtle wordless vocalizations in the background. The eight compositions on Cappadocia include the title tune with its mid-Eastern sounds, “Valley of Swords and Roses” (so-named for two of the mysterious valleys that can be explored), and “Chapel of Stone” (inspired by the first carved-out-of-rock church that Johnson entered). The title of “Parousia (A Presence)” has an additional meaning that connotes “a second coming.” There also is a double-meaning in “That Which Is Hidden” which refers to both the hidden aspects of God as well as the hidden communities and churches in Cappadocia. According to Johnson, “The title of ‘Quo Vadis (Where Are You Going?)’ comes from Peter’s question to Jesus during the Last Supper.” Keaggy says about the piece, “This is a real joyful fusion of Eastern Europe meeting Spanish and Western pop.” Johnson says, “The tune ‘Dove Visions’ refers to the Dove Valley in Cappadocia as well as idea that in the scriptures the Holy Spirit sometimes takes the form of a dove.” The album ends with “Trinity.” States Johnson, “The writings of the early Cappadocian theologians were steeped in ideas about the mystical union of the Christian idea of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These writers emphasized that love is at the heart of the Trinitarian union. And it’s this love, with all of its beauty and cause for wonder, that is behind the music that Phil and I create.”

Musicians

	Jeff Johnson key, *1956 keyboards, percussion, vocals, producer, recorded by, photography by, album by
	Phil Keaggy g, voc, *1951 US guitar, bass, percussion, vocals, producer, recorded by, oud, cümbüş, album by

Producers

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