FLOW (feat. Will Ackerman, Fiona Joy, Lawrence Blatt & Jeff Oster)

Will Ackerman never ceases to amaze. This album is pure gold!

The Spirit of Windham Hill lives! Flugelhorn is remiscent of Bob DiVall's work on the WH 'Country' soundtrack. Acoustic piano/guitar/horn ensemble is sublime-- The music on this album will help your soul transcend the outer world and lift you to greater heights in your inner world :)

This album as a whole is one of the the most calming and soothing things I’ve ever heard.

Love the calming vibes from listening to this album! Such talented musicians!

This is an amazing album. Guitar, Piano and Horn - a beautifully mixed album ready for you to go on their musical journey. Each of these artists are topnotch on their own, but together they take the music to new heights. There is not ONE bad song on this album. HIGHLY recommended!

I loved all of Jeff Osters albums, therefore not surprised at how well all of these amazing musicians FLOW so well together. Congrats to you all for a great job and look forward to your next work. HIGHLY recommended.

Saw this group at Carnegie Hall in NYC. The music is awesome. The album is great but doesn't do them justice. I look forward to more.

FLOW is the debut album by new age super-group FLOW. The name of the group was formed with a letter from each member’s name - Fiona Joy, Lawrence Blatt, Jeff Oster, and Will Ackerman - each a multi-award-winning artist in his or her own right with well-established musical careers on their own. The group was formed out of long-term friendships and a history of working and playing together over the past eight years. The idea for the group was born in 2015 when Lawrence Blatt invited Fiona Joy and Jeff Oster to his San Francisco home to riff on some musical ideas. Blatt’s original idea was to create an album inspired by the iconic Windham Hill sound. They wanted Will Ackerman to produce the album and in the process of sharing some of their ideas with him, Ackerman became a full-fledged member of the group. Each of the four artists brought ideas for two or three pieces to the group, and then each added parts with the guidance of Ackerman’s production partner at Imaginary Road, Tom Eaton, who became “the fifth Beatle” for the project. Each artist has a very distinctive sound and it is easy to spot who is doing what on each of the eleven tracks, but I found it fascinating that all four are given composer credits for the entire album. Guest artists include Marc Schulman (guitar), Tony Levin (bass), Jeff Haynes (percussion), Sam Bevan (bass), Eugene Friesen (cello) and Tom Eaton (guitar and bass). I like Jeff Oster’s comment about the purpose of the group: “If you look back into any time of human existence, this need for peaceful breathing and listening has always and will always be deeply important. It’s not only New Age music, it is EVERY AGE music!” FLOW begins with “Arrival.” A solo piano prelude of sorts, Fiona Joy creates a peaceful setting as the other instruments make their entrances. The pace and spirit of the piece increase as it develops, but it seems to be Jeff Oster’s haunting horn that keeps it grounded and then sends it soaring. Although quite rhythmic, “Whisper Me This” is more ambient and atmospheric with nature sounds in addition to the instruments. The title track includes Fiona Joy’s ethereal wordless vocals and piano, the two guitarists (Blatt and Ackerman), and horn - warm, peaceful perfection. The more ambient “Free Ascent” feels a lot like sitting by a quiet stream, listening to the sounds of birds and the “flow” of the water - tranquil and refreshing. “Waiting For Sunshine” expresses a sense of relaxed well-being. Although it begins with a short horn introduction, “Waters Gather” is mostly piano and cello (Friesen) with guitars and horns adding tonal colors and depth. Darker and more dramatic than most of the tracks, it’s a favorite. “And the Sky Was” makes me think of puffy white clouds gently moving across a bright blue sky. Oster’s muted trumpet and the open, spare guitar are the perfect antidote to the frantic pace and stress of daily life - another favorite. “Tenth Life” keeps Fiona’s voice and piano in the lead with the other instruments (including Friesen’s cello) drifting in and out - dreamy and very soothing. Closing out this excellent album is the exquisite “For Rosita and Giovanni,” a mostly guitar piece with all four of the artists (plus some of the guests) adding their own unique touches while allowing the simple, open guitar melody to sing. If you are still feeling stress or tension, hit the “repeat” button and listen to this music again! FLOW is a unique project that received a lot of pre-release build-up. Those kinds of albums are often disappointing, but not this one! I predict it will likely receive lots of awards and nominations for 2017. Very highly recommended!

This is a great collaboration of four amazing artist. A Zen Master I followed once wrote about the benefits of meditation in regards to calming and clearing the "clutter" from our minds. He also stated that certain types of music could have the same benefits. Well, this is that type of music. Very highly recommended. Geary