Consider the Source
Instrumental trio blending global traditions with rock and jazz.
Hailing from New York City, the instrumental trio Consider the Source came together in 2004. Their discography includes six studio albums, four live releases, and a compilation. The band has performed extensively across the US, Israel, Turkey, and Germany.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- New York City, New York
- Genre
- Jazz metal, progressive metal
- Years active
- 2004–present
- Label
- Independent
- Current members
- Gabriel Marin
- John Ferrara
- Jeff Mann
- Past members
- Justin Ahiyon; Louis Miller
Facts from the source article.
History
Consider the Source took shape in 2004 when Gabriel Marin and Justin Ahiyon found they clicked musically during a jam. John Ferrara had already been playing with Ahiyon since they were kids. Once the three met, their work together eventually became the band. At first, the group was almost entirely improvisational and not a full-time commitment. A demo EP came out in 2005, and their first album, Esperanto, made jazz critic Howard Mandel’s list of favorite records from 2007. Around that point, the trio decided to go all-in on the band. Over the next two years, they crossed the United States seven times on tour and started appearing at events like the 2008 NYC Fretless Guitar Festival. Their second full-length, Are You Watching Closely, arrived in 2009, and a third, That’s What’s Up, followed quickly in 2010. In 2012, Ahiyon left the group. Louis Miller filled in briefly before Jeff Mann took over on drums. The band then toured Germany and Israel. This new lineup kept writing fresh material, which they regularly debuted at shows, leading to two live albums. Around this same period, they also started playing fully acoustic sets at summer festivals. In February 2014, the band wrapped up a crowdfunding campaign to pay for their biggest studio project, World War Trio. Part one came out as a standalone piece in October that year. Parts two and three were released together as a double disc in June 2015.
Musical style and influences
Gabriel Marin plays a double-neck guitar outfitted with MIDI pickups and a fretless neck. He uses sweep picking and controls a range of synthesized instruments through three pedalboards. John Ferrara plays a Fodera five-string bass, incorporating slap bass, slide, and tapping techniques. Drummer Jeff Mann covers styles from heavy double-bass patterns to Indian tala rhythms. Marin and Justin Ahiyon studied chaturangui and tabla in India, and Indian music appears in the alap sections that open many of the band’s pieces. Marin describes their sound as a blend of Turkish, Bulgarian, North and South Indian styles with jazz and fusion, filtered through heavy rock and psychedelic elements. Balkan music inspires how they divide odd meters into danceable rhythms. Major influences include Pachora, Paradox Trio, The Bad Plus, Mahavishnu Orchestra, King Crimson, and Tool; in 2010 they opened for Victor Wooten, another key influence. The group also cites reading as a source of inspiration.
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