J.D. Miner is a folk trio from B.C., now consisting of singer and songwriter Darryl Klassen, playing just about anything, Joe Worst on bass, and Chad Joiner on fiddle, mandolin, clarinet, and guitar. Honorary lifetime member Joel Klingler (who writes songs and plays mandolin and guitar) also joins them on their most recent album, Coal Train. Recently Darryl Klassen took the time to talk with Wanda Waterman about inspiration, revelation, and speculation. (Read Part I of this interview and the 2008 Voice interview with the group.)
?So listen now, Obama, there’s a thing I’d like to say,
If you can take it from a neighbor here, and in a good way,
You’ve been bailing out the banker?no responsibility!
Why don’t you throw them all in jail and let the poor go free??
from ??Hey Hey? Cowboy Rap,? Coal Train
Good Playin?
The banjo thing gets to be compulsive. I’ve bought, sold, and built probably six or so in the past half-dozen years. I keep buying and selling. I have a new Larrivee parlour guitar that I love.
Good Readin?
I liked Nomad by Aayan Hirsi Ali. The author’s a Muslim woman who fled from Somalia and became a Member of Parliament in Holland. She says stuff nobody else can say, and made me reflect on some things like culture. She argues passionately that Western culture, because of the Enlightenment, is simply superior (yes) to other Middle Eastern cultures, and that Christianity is likewise superior to Islam (although she professes to be an atheist). Plenty to think about.
I love The Storm, Son of Laughter, and Secrets in the Dark by Frederick Buechner. He’s the discovery of the last decade! I keep rereading his books, and I have two more on order. He’s an Episcopalian priest, but writes gritty fiction and non-fiction. No cliché here.
Everything by Donald Miller, but his best is Searching for God Knows What.
I’m re-listening to a CD series by Brennan Manning of The Ragamuffin Gospel, a book that literally changed my life.
I love . . . 19th-century Russian authors like Tolstoy, Chekhov, etc.
Good Listenin?
I’ve been listening to a lot of Old Time music. This is VERY different from bluegrass. Jens Kruger in The Bridge CD does what Mozart would have done if he’d had a banjo.
I’ve been listening to J.J. Cale for 40 years; he’s just part of my life. The guy is 70 years old and has just put out one of his best albums yet [Roll On] . . . But I’m becoming more sensitive to lyrics, and get uncomfortable at times. What do I want to put into my head and heart?
I listen to almost no ?Christian? music. Ninety nine per cent of it is just simply awful! Sorry.
Random Epiphanies
Hubble has photographed galaxies 12.4 billion [light] years away. When I go out into my yard on a dark night, some of that light falling on my hand goes back almost to the beginning of time.
God loves me just the way I am and not the way I’m supposed to be, because I ain’t ever going to be the way I’m supposed to be. Not in this life, anyways.
It’s impossible to transform myself. At most, and this ain’t likely, I can change my behaviour, an outside thing. God is transforming me as I just get out of his way. But he’s sure taking his time.
On the Horizon
We’ve got enough A-list material for another CD. Lots of water and boat stuff, so maybe a ?Water Songs? CD is in order . . .
