Jeff Johnson

In 2019, he will be releasing a third collaborative work with Phil Keaggy, a collection called Cappadocia, inspired by Johnson's recent visits to Turkey.

Sample any of his 50 albums that he has recorded and sold through Ark Records, and you’ll hear hints of Irish folk, modern pop, jazz, mystical world music, and historical Christmas tunes. He’s recorded concept albums based on Stephen Lawhead books, ancient prayers, and iconic figures. All of this variety isn’t just to be clever; rather it’s a celebration of the many nuances that good music can absorb.

Johnson's recordings have been licensed and featured on numerous commercials, compilations, spoken word and movie soundtracks including the Martin Scorsese film, "Gangs of New York," Ruth Bell Graham’s "A Quiet Knowing," the Hearts of Space "Celtic Twilight" and Windham Hill "Winter Solstice" and "Celtic Christmas" series, Eckhart Tolle’s "Music to Quiet the Mind," Angela Elwell Hunt’s "The Tale of Three Trees," Keith Patman's "Centerpoint: Poetry & Music for Christmas and Scott Cairn’s "Parable"

In 2018, he released Eirlandia, an instrumental release of Modern Irish music. The album was inspired by the Stephen R. Lawhead novel of the same name.

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).

Johnsons's music has been dubbed 'intelligent pop', 'new age', and 'jazz lite' — but he is quick to point out that his records have nothing to do with the New Age movement. "I was doing my style of music before anybody was talking about the New Age Movement."

In 2009, he contributed the track "Heaven's Door" for Eckhart Tolle's Music to Quiet the Mind.

More recently, he appeared with Phil Keaggy on the instrumental albums Frio Suite (2009), and Water Sky (2012) - chosen for the 25 Essential Echoes CDs: The Best of 2012.. A third colloboration with Keaggy is scheduled for Spring 2019.

In 2002, he contributed an original tune with Brian Dunning on the Gangs of New York (soundtrack), alongside artists such as Peter Gabriel.

Around 1998, Johnson moved Ark Records to the San Juan Islands in Washington State.

Through his career, Johnson has collaborated with a diverse range of artists and musicians. In 1991, he played with Derri Daugherty (The Choir); jazz players David Friesen and Dave Hagelganz; and rock drummer Mark Schulman.

His work with flutist Brian Dunning first 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." |The Smooth Jazz Ride

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. It was also on this album that Johnson first recorded his personal 'theme' - 'Someday someday' — a song he would record in several versions throughout his discography.

His first studio album, 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.

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." Since then, Ark Records has produced and distributed more than 50 albums, and gained international recognition and distribution.

His first recording efforts, The Anvil Of God's Word and Please Forgive Us, Lord were recorded in 1976, when he was a "young teenager" [1] and were never officially released on CD. After many years, they were made available on a CD entitled Early Songs as part of the ArkMusic Special Editions series.[2]

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 in the San Juan Islands in the state of Washington