Similitudes

Description

Similitudes is an instrumental album by the American singer, songwriter, keyboardist and producer Jeff Johnson, independently released on his own label Ark Records in 1989.

Few artists are capable of putting out more than one album per year that is front-to-back exceptional. In less than that amount of time, Jeff Johnson has released the mostly vocal ‘Pilgrimage‘ and the all-instrumental ‘Similitudes’.

Part of the beauty of instrumental music – particularly Jeff’s – is that one is free to invest oneself fully in the listening process, and perhaps to take away something totally different with each hearing. Johnson is especially adept at matching song titles with musical themes. This begins with the name of the whole project, which invites us to draw comparisons between a number of different biblical and literary inspirations.

In some ways, ‘Similitudes’ is less anchored and more abstract than Johnson’s previous instrumental efforts; as if one were listening, in John Bunyan’s words, “in the similitude of a dream.” «Musescape» features a watery keyboard sound, subdued sax phrasing (by guest Dave Hagelganz) and delicate percussion shading, that creates an atmosphere into which one can indeed, escape and muse. «The Dream of the Island» takes a more ethereal approach. Waves crash over the track’s dream-like state. «Dream» segues into «Cathedral», and the keyboards take on an almost reverent tone, with a chiming sound that gives way to a majestic, fullbodied organ. Also of note are «Treasure in a Field» and «Paradox Lost». Both come nearest to being based on a “riff” or “hook”, and both swing with a jazz-like intensity.

The most complex track may be «Two Perspectives of Time», which opens with clocks ticking in two conflicting rhythms. These are joined by a “music box” and a rapidly strummed stringed instrument, perhaps a mandolin or dulcimer. This flows into an extended keyboard discourse, which comes back around to that same pattern at the end, commenting on the constant nature of time, and the fact that it can be both friend and foe. Without over analyzing what are essentially “sound landscapes”, several of the pieces on ‘Similitudes’ rank among Jeff’s best non-vocal compositions. If you’re not familiar with Johnson’s music, this is as good a place as any to start. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, April 1990]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/similitudes/58213216)

CD tracklist:

01. Chase The Morning Star – 3:02
02. Mabinogion – 2:31
03. Musescape – 2:51
04. The Dream Of The Island – 5:11
05. Cathedral – 1:58
06. Treasure In A Field – 2:25
07. Two Perspectives Of Time – 6:41
08. Paradox Lost – 2:10
09. A House On The Rock – 2:15
10. The Dream Of The Island (Reprise) – 3:35

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Ark Records. Available at Bandcamp: https://jeffjohnsonarkmusic.bandcamp.com/album/similitudes