John Ferrara Releases Solo Debut Album, “A Harmony of Opposites”

John Ferrara has been releasing music with his trio Consider The Source for years and more recently his duo with percussionist Seth Moutal. For the past few years, he’s been crafting mind-boggling solo bass cover songs and originals. Now, Ferrara has unleashed his first solo album, entitled A Harmony of Opposites.

The eight-song collection is filled with five original tracks and three covers including Philip Glass’ “Glassworks”, Erik Satie’s “Gymnopedie”, and Stone Temple Pilots’ “Plush”. The covers alone help to paint a picture of the album’s expansive palette.

Ferrara’s style heavily incorporates tapping to create a wave of sound and mesh harmony with melody. He’s also known for an intense slap style with rhythmic roots in world music. The album’s title track encompasses a lot of Ferrara’s musical DNA with fingerstyle, tapping, and slapping sections that combine classical harmony with Indian rhythm.

“[‘A Harmony of Opposites’] is based on a Taoist idea that in every aspect of life there is the opposite of that very aspect contained somewhere within it,” the bassist writes. “This idea resonates with me deeply and I thought that the song and the album as a whole is a story of opposing yet complimentary moods. I always try to let my creative mind dictate what comes out but what unfolded as I was writing this was strongly influenced by both JS Bach and one of my bass heroes, the one and only Victor Wooten who was the first bassist I had heard who mixed classical music with an extended bass technique, exemplifying just how diverse the bass guitar can be in conveying music that is both harmonically and melodically dense all by itself.”

Watch Ferrara perform “A Harmony of Opposites“:

The only thing more impressive than all the stylistic technique is the musicality that flows on this album. His keen sense of phrasing and dynamics draw you in, from the introspective tracks like “Gymnopedie” and “Songer” to the whirling atmospheres of “Ben Franklin Hair” and “Pluto is a Planet.” If you want to hear a single bass fill out entire compositions, this is a must-hear album.

A Harmony of Opposites is available now through streaming and as a digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).

A Harmony of Opposites Track List:

1. Ben Franklin Hair
2. Glassworks
3. Gymnopedie
4. Pictures of Nothing
5. Plush
6. Pluto Is A Planet
7. Glassworks
8. Songer