6. John Ferrari Discusses David Sylvian, Brilliant Trees

Send us Fan MailGrowing up in Allendale, New Jersey, I spent countless hours listening to and talking about music with my friend, John Ferrari. On this episode, John – who is a drummer and percussionist with Tilted Axes, Meridian Arts Ensemble and New Millennium Ensemble – joins me for yet another discussion. This time around, we’re talking about one of his favorite albums, David Sylvian’s Brilliant Trees.At the end of this episode, I mentioned that John will be performing in a show entitled Centennial Vibes: Celebrating the Vibraphone, Invented in 1921. You can find information on how to view this performance via live stream at https://composersconcordance.wixsite.com/2020-21-season/concerts. You will need to scroll down to event no. 11.Check out John’s music!Tilted Axes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiltedaxesTilted Axes website: http://tiltedaxes.com/tiltedaxes.htmlMeridian Arts Ensemble on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/meridian-arts-ensemble/66272989New Millennium Ensemble on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/new-millennium-ensemble/145616329At the 34:00 mark, I made a reference to the Houston-based group Khruangbin. I asked “what’s the difference between David Sylvian and Khruangbin?”, but never followed up on the thought. The very short answer is that both have created music that is smooth and relaxing, but they have done it different ways. What I may not have made clear is that I LOVE Khruangbin. If you have not yet listened to them, here’s a great video to start with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4xKvHANqjk&t=383s.1:29 John joins the show2:00 John’s house was a formative place for my musical tastes5:08 John meets his biggest musical hero7:09 John meets Frank Zappa10:14 Why John picked Brilliant Trees for this podcast18:13 John’s favorite tracks from Brilliant Trees20:58 Al’s initial impressions Track by track breakdown28:09 Pulling Punches32:56 The Ink In The Well38:27 Nostalgia41:19 Red Guitar45:33 Weathered Wall48:00 Backwaters50:55 Brilliant Trees Support the show