Jeff Johnson (New age artist based in Camano Island, WA, USA)

Jeff Johnson (born 1956) is a recording artist, composer, and producer who has released numerous solo and collaborative recordings. Born near Portland, Oregon, he currently resides on Camano Island in the state of Washington. His early work was vocal progressive-rock, but his sound has since evolved to jazz, new-age, instrumental, contemplative and Celtic styles. His works also include several musical releases based on books penned by fantasy author Stephen Lawhead. Johnson's instrumental releases cover a broad spectrum of Celtic, new-age, jazz and world music genres. In addition to recording, Johnson has led a Christian contemplative worship service called Selah featuring music, scripture, poetry and silent prayer. Ark Records publishes most of Johnson's albums. Jeff Johnson produced music since his early teens, and started Ark Records in "a small studio in our house with a friend back in 1977" (Tigard, Oregon). Learning the recording process in a pre-PC age helped him hone his skills. "Back then, it was all tape-based and the curve was high in learning how to record, edit and mix music." Ark Records has produced and distributed more than 50 albums. Around 1998, Johnson moved Ark Records to the San Juan Islands in Washington State. Johnson's early vocal recordings were stylistically progressive rock. The lyrics were inspired by a diverse group of authors, artists and historical figures including C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, George MacDonald, Blaise Pascal, Francis Schaeffer, Tom Stoppard, William Shakespeare, Auguste Rodin, Paul Gauguin, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Ludwig II of Bavaria. His first recording efforts, The Anvil Of God's Word and Please Forgive Us, Lord were released on vinyl in 1976 and 1977. A selection of the two album's songs were compiled on a CD entitled Early Songs as part of the ArkMusic Special Editions series. His first album, The Face of the Deep (1980), managed to conjure aural landscapes in the ears of his listeners with his synthesizer infused progressive rock renditions of fantasy works. The album begins with the pensive image of Rodin's The Thinker. Songs are inspired by writings such as Charles Williams' All Hallows' Eve, and by the paintings of Gauguin and Renoir's The Moulin de la Galette. Johnson completes his treatment of these aural landscapes with on-location recordings of atmospheric sounds such as rain storms and creaking gates, incorporating them into the music in an artful way. On his second album, he collaborated with Sandy Simpson to record Through the Door (1982), which took up the theme of spiritual quest inspired by the novels of George MacDonald (The Golden Key). It also continued the use of synthesizers in the slightly sci-fi themed song, The Jupiter Effect. Johnson continued the theme of the spiritual quest on albums such as: Fallen Splendour and Pilgrimage. Incorporating influences from several of the Inklings, including a song inspired by C.S. Lewis — Dream of the Island (Similitudes). His more recent vocal works are more liturgically inspired. Lyrics include passages from the Biblical Psalms as well as prayers by early Irish saints Columba and Patrick as well as Teresa of Ávila and Francis of Assisi. While Johnson performs and records some solo material, most of his recent work features collaborations with other Celtic, rock, contemplative, and World musicians. In an interview with Patheos, Johnson said, "Collaboration sometimes brings the best out of us. It also helps you feel that you are contributing to another's gifts and creativity." Sandy Simpson Johnson first met Oregon guitarist and singer, Sandy Simpson, in 1979 while working as composers at a Portland Oregon commercial music company, Alpha Seven Productions. They would record two fantasy based releases, "Through the Door" (1982) and "The Awakening" (1986). Simpson also made significant contributions as a producer and performer on Johnson's "Shadow Play" (1983), "Icons" (1984), "Fallen Splendor" (1986) and "Pilgrimage" (1989). The pair would also produce and record a string of contemporary instrumental recordings together including "No Shadow of Turning" (1985) featuring Dieter Zander and Kathy McClatchy, "Why Should the Heart Not Dance?" (1988) featuring Kathy McClatchy, and "This Mystery I Pose" (1988). David Friesen Oregon jazz bassist, David Friesen first appeared on Jeff Johnson's "Shadow Play" (1983). The two would go on to enjoy a fruitful collaboration with new age instrumental recordings, "Born of Water" (1986) with Dave Hagelganz and "Inner Voices" (1987) with Paul Horn. Johnson would engineer and coproduce three additional Friesen jazz instrumental releases, "Other Times, Other Places" (1989) with Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Denny Zeitlin and Alan Jones, "Departure" (1990) with Uwe Kropinski and "Long Trip Home" (1992).\ Dallas McKennon Jeff first met actor/voice talent, Dallas McKennon in 1982 when he and Sandy Simpson asked him to perform the wizard's voice for "Through the Door". McKennon would again appear as the wizard on "The Awakening" (1986) and would recite all of the poems for "Centerpoint – Poetry and Music for Christmas" (1990). Brian Dunning His work with Irish flutist Brian Dunning began on the 1991 album Great Romantics and continued through several albums, including the 2018 release Eirlandia. The Smooth Jazz Ride calls the collaboration on Erilandia, "a great reunion of musical minds bent on excellence". Johnson and Dunning were joined by Belfast violinist, John Fitzpatrick on a compilation of the favorite hymns of Ruth Bell Graham (Mrs. Billy Graham) entitled "A Quiet Knowing - Canticles for the Heart" (2000). The recording was made into a film of the same name released by Thomas Nelson Publishers featuring live performances of Johnson, Dunning, Fitzpatrick and Portland, Oregon guitarist, Tim Ellis. Johnson, Dunning and Fitzpatrick also created "The Katurran Odyssey" (2004), an accompanying instrumental release for the children's illustrated book by Terryl Whitlatch published by Simon & Schuster (2004). Music by Johnson and Dunning has been featured in numerous soundtracks, the most significant being their song, "Vows" (2020) which was heard in the Martin Scorsese film, Gangs of New York. Johnson and Dunning released a series of Celtic Christmas instrumental recordings including "A Quiet Knowing Christmas" (2001), "Stars in the Morning East - A Christmas Meditation" (2005) and "Dreams of a Christmas Night" (2007). Jeff and Brian were joined by violinist, Wendy Goodwin on "Under the Wonder Sky" (2010). Many of the songs from these ArkMusic releases were licensed by Windham Hill Records for the "Celtic Christmas" and "Winter Solstice" compilation releases. Violinist, Wendy Goodwin joined Johnson and Dunning on the instrumental recording, "Winterfold" (2013). The title was inspired by the stories and poetry of Orkney Island's writer, George MacKay Brown. The trio released two other instrumental recordings. "If I Do Not Remember …" (2016) and "Kohelet" (2020). Johnson and Dunning's final collaboration was a musical rendition of the W.B. Yeats (1865–1939) "The Lake Isle of Innisfree". After Dunning's death in 2022, Johnson released two retrospective albums featuring the duo's 35-year collaboration. "Coming, Going" and "Winter Songs" Janet Chvatal Soprano Janet Marie Chvatal was first featured on "Psalmus" (1996). Ms. Chvatal also made significant contributions to Johnson's "Prayers of St. Brendan - The Journey Home" (1998), "Vespers - light into Light" (2005), "Standing Still" (2007, "Journey Prayers" (2009), "Broken, Gazing" (2014), "Lauds" (2020), "Caim" (2021) and a single release of Albert Hay Malotte's "The Lord's Prayer" (2023). Janet also regularly contributed to the Contemporary Celtic releases by Johnson and Brian Dunning. In 2009, Johnson and Chvatal were joined by Dunning and German baritone, Marc Gremm for a concert at Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Germany. This would lead to the formation of the