August 2019

The JW Vibe Review of “Promise”

on August 30, 2019September 19, 2019 By FLOW

The following is a review of “Promise” from Jonathan Widran of the JW Vibe. Click here to read the review on the JW Vibe website.

That’s the thing about promises. They capture our imagination as we’re grounded in the present and turn our attention to hopeful moments in the future. I felt it 2017, when I first heard that veteran composer/musicians Fiona Joy (piano), Lawrence Blatt (guitar), Jeff Oster (trumpet/flugelhorn) and Grammy winning guitarist and Windham Hill founder Will Ackerman were combining their unique individual vibes as FLOW.

Promise was in the musical air, and – capturing the imagination of countless global new age/contemporary instrumental fans – they delivered splendidly on their self-titled debut. The sensual, easily rhythmic tapestry of their combined spirit-transportive sounds translated to great critical acclaim, numerous tour dates (including shows at Carnegie Hall and the Grammy Museum), and Album of the Year honors at both the ZMR Awards and IMA Awards.

2indya Review of “Promise”

on August 19, 2019September 19, 2019 By FLOW

The following is a review of “Promise” from Vivek Kumar of 2indya. Click here to read the review on the 2indya website.

What happens when a cluster of celebrated musicians come together, bringing together their individual brilliance to fuse something unique that blends every aspect of their art to create something unique and different from the usual? Well, the answer is this album–Promise. I am sure you have heard their debut album as a group too–FLOW–a rare experiment that was lyrically beautiful and successful. Like me, if you have been expecting more of such soulful music from this collaboration and looking forward to some new tunes, ‘Promise’ fulfills them.

Ambient Visions Review of “Promise”

on August 18, 2019September 19, 2019 By FLOW

The following is a review of “Promise” from Michael Foster of Ambient Visions. Click here to read the review on the Ambient Visions website.

As I was listening to FLOW’s new album called Promise the one thing that immediately crossed my mind was that I wasn’t listening to 4 musicians each doing their own solos showing off their individual skills but instead I was hearing a group playing. There’s a fine line between a group of individuals who play music together and a group of individuals who blends their unique talents into creating music that is perceived not as individual efforts but as a shared movement in the same direction, with the same mind and with the same heart as to where they want to go. Listening to the music on Promise is more of an experience of hearing the music played by FLOW as opposed to hearing a guitar played by Will or Lawrence or the piano played by Fiona or the horn played by Jeff. The lines blurred and it simply became great music played by FLOW the group and that’s the distinction between a group of individuals playing music together and a group of musicians who move and think as a group in their composing, recording and performing of their music.