Cappadocia – Jeff Johnson and Phil Keaggy
Along with Timothy Wenzel’s Running Away, Cappadocia by Jeff Johnson and Phil Keaggy has been in my music rotation for several weeks now.
Cappadocia is the third recording as a duo for Jeff Johnson and Phil Keagqy. The inspiration for the album is Cappadocia, a visually spectacular area in central Turkey. Christians have regarded Cappadocia and the surrounding area, as a place of great spirituality for several thousand years.
About Cappadocia and It’s Impact on Jeff Johnson
The colorful soil of Cappadocia has eroded over the millennia leaving steep cliffs and tall rock spires known as fairy chimneys, and into that rock ancient inhabitants carved houses, churches and even entire communities sometimes partially exposed and other times entirely underground.
Jeff Johnson relates, “My wife and I were invited by friends to travel to Cappadocia in 2017. The first morning we were there we went into a valley full of underground wonders. One particular entry had a wooden bridge and then a stairway inside that took us up to a carved-out basilica within the hillside with a rose-shaped window where the sun’s rays filtered in illuminating the many columns and chambers that made up the church. I was completely overwhelmed by this hidden world. The acoustics were amazing.We sang prayed and sat silently for a couple of hours as we marveled at this extraordinary place and what had gone into creating it.”
Upon his return, Johnson contacted one of his musical collaborators, Phil Keaggy, and told him of the journey. Their conversation led them to record a musical tribute to Cappadocia.
About Phil Keaggy and Jeff Johnson
Phil Keaaggy. 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 electric among others, fretless bass, ukulele and Ebow.
Keyboardist Jeff Johnson moves from piano to synthesizers to layer the music with additional textures. These textures include the sounds of percussion, strings and flute. Both musicians incorporated occasional very-subtle wordless-vocalizations in the background.
About the Music on Cappadocia
Cappadocia has eight tracks. The title tune “Cappadocia” begins the album and is full of mid-Eastern sounds. “Valley of Swords and Roses”( track 3) derives its name from two of the mysterious valleys that can be explored. The first carved-out-of-rock church that Johnson visited was the inspiration for track 6 “Chapel of Stone” The title of “Parousia (A Presence)” has an additional meaning that connotes “a second coming.” There also is a double-meaning in the composition “That Which Is Hidden” referring to both the hidden aspects of God, as well as, the hidden communities and churches in Cappadocia.
According to Johnson, the title ‘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.”According too Johnson “‘Dove Visions’ has a double meaning. First, the song refers to the Dove Valley in Cappadocia. However, it also refers to the idea that in the scriptures the Holy Spirit sometimes takes the form of a Dove ”Trinity.”is the final track on the album.
Johnson states, “The writings of the early Cappadocian theologians were steeped in ideas about the mythical union of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These writers emphasized that love is at the heart of the Trinidadian 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.”
My Interactions with Jeff and Phil’s Music
I haven’t listen to much of Phil Keaggy ‘s music beyond the one time I listened to some Glass Harp. I have listened to and enjoyed one of Jeff Johnson’s previous works Eirlandia. Eirlandia is a collaborative effort with Irish flutist Brian Dunning. When I listened to Eirlandia many months ago I loved it. Why I didn’t write about it is a mystery!
Bottom Line: Cappadocia is an outstanding album!
Ok confession time I don’t know if I ever get the same feeling listening to a musical piece that the composer does when they create it. Does anyone else have this problem??
I have been throughly enjoying the album even if I don’t have the same feelings as Johnson and Keaggy.. I like playing the album as background music or just quiet listening rather than meditation. Why? Because every time Phil Keaggy’s guitar come in my ears perk up and I think ‘Yeah, that’s nice!” Anyway the album is on my iPod and will be listening to it lot in the future.!So Check It Out! Here
Here’s is the song “Chapel of Stone” from Cappadocia……