Jesus by Jon Guerra
All these songs are in conversation with the words of Christ. A couple of years ago I felt I needed to be reacquainted with Jesus. And so I began cyclically reading through the Gospels, in different translations. The repetition became prayerful and then generative: little song fragments started coming. I was trying to really hear the words, to feel the stories again and so I’d write little tunes around certain phrases — “do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” “if anyone would come after me” “give to everyone who asks of you” “take this cup from me” “Lord, the one you love is sick,” etc. I didn’t record any demos or begin recording until most of the album was done. The tunes lived in my head a while before I heard myself singing them back on a recording. The songs are a portrait, and I can’t help but feel like I left important things out. But like John says, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
In museums there are little written blurbs on placards placed next to paintings. They tell the title of the painting, describe the artist, maybe the context in which the painting was created. For this album, the Gospels were the placard and the songs are the painting. My hope for you is that the songs would feel like an encounter with Christ, and that the feeling would be confirmed inwardly with who you’ve known him to be.
Speaking of paintings, the album artwork is by the amazing Daniel Domig. I hope his incredibly brilliant work aids in your reflection!
Tracklist
| 1. | In the Beginning Was Love | 3:23 |
| 2. | Who Is Greatest? | 3:34 |
| 3. | Take Up Your Cross | 3:18 |
| 4. | I See the Birds | 4:04 |
| 5. | The Lord Is My Shepherd | 3:24 |
| 6. | The Death of Lazarus | 1:55 |
| 7. | Reckoner (An Axe Laid at the Root) | 3:57 |
| 8. | Where Your Treasure Is | 3:27 |
| 9. | The Prayer God Always Answers | 3:05 |
| 10. | Love Your Enemies | 3:11 |
| 11. | Gethsemane | 4:23 |
| 12. | Jesus | 3:48 |
Credits
All songs written by Jon Guerra except:
"I See the Birds" written by Jon Guerra and Hank Bentley
"The Lord Is My Shepherd," "The Death of Lazarus," and "The Prayer God Always Answers" written by Jon Guerra and Valerie Strattan Guerra
Produced by Jon Guerra
Mixed by Phil Schawel
Mastered by Zach Kranz
Additional Vocals by Valerie Strattan Guerra and Winslow Guerra
Drums by Jacob Arnold (2, 4, 7)
String arrangements and performance by Valerie Strattan Guerra (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12)
Additional String arrangement by Cara Fox (7) and Jon Arndt (11)
Additional String performance by “FoxDen Strings”; Kristin Weber, violin Eleonore Denig, violin, Patrick Monnius, viola, Cara Fox, cello (7, 11)
Foxden Strings string engineer, Jared Fox
Recorded in Austin, TX at King Electric Recording, Thorndale Studios, The Cottage, and also at Laity Lodge
Engineered by Justin Douglas, Jon Guerra, and Valerie Strattan Guerra
Album Artwork by Daniel Domig
