Christian artists Jeff Johnson, known for his keyboard work, and Phil Keaggy, known for his guitar playing, have collaborated over the past 15 years to make five albums together. Their latest, Spinning on a Cosmic Dime, comprises eight tracks that are delicate and inspiring.
The music is gentle with Johnson’s synths and piano often giving the basic structure of the piece while Keaggy’s acoustic and electric guitars give the song its melodic shape.
The songs’ titles as well as the poem “Confluence and Co-inherence,” by Scott Cairns, give us a clue about the inspiration behind the album. Johnson also found himself concerned when his 2-year-old granddaughter needed surgery. He realized how fragile life is and remarked to a friend that “sometimes our lives just seem like we’re spinning around on a cosmic dime.” That sense of wonder and awe, informed by the Christian faith of both artists pervades the music on this album.
But one doesn’t need the backstory to enjoy the music. The collaboration between Keaggy and Johnson is less about each individual part and more about the tapestry of sound that they weave together. Spinning on a Cosmic Dime is a beautiful album that can serve as an excellent soundtrack to an evening but also has enough musical inventiveness to hold one’s interest when you listen closely. (Ark Records)
About the Author
Robert J. Keeley is a professor of education emeritus at Calvin University and leads music at 14th St. Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Mich.