Flow (stylised as FLOW) is an American

New Age music New-age is a genre of music intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management to bring about a state of ecstasy rather than tr ...

group consisting of pianist/vocalist Fiona Joy from Australia, guitarist Lawrence Blatt, trumpeter and flugelhornist Jeff Oster, and guitarist

Will Ackerman William Ackerman (born November 16, 1949) is an American guitarist and record producer who founded Windham Hill Records. Career Early years Ackerman was born in Palo Alto, California. His adoptive father was a professor of English at Stanfor ...

, all from the United States. The band's name is an anagram of the initials of their names.

History

In 2015, Blatt invited Joy and Oster to record with him at Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studios to create an album emblematic of past iconic

Windham Hill Windham Hill Records was an independent record label that specialized in instrumental acoustic music. It was founded by guitarist William Ackerman and Anne Robinson (née McGilvray) in 1976 and was popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The label was ...

ensembles, with Ackerman and Tom Eaton serving as co-producers. Once the trio began recording, it became clear that Ackerman could be an essential part of this group as an artist as well as producer. The group was launched as a four-piece group when Ackerman agreed to take a more foundational role. The formation of Flow was cited by New Age music expert Stephen Hill as an example of renaissance in the genre: "in the last few years, the New Age genre has seen a critical reconsideration, with carefully curated compilations of historical material, while both veterans and descendants of the genre are creating new music that merits serious attention. A good example is the group FLOW, which includes none other than steel string guitarist Will Ackerman, in a kind of New Age 'supergroup.'" Flow released its debut album on October 6, 2017. Accompanying Blatt, Joy, Oster, and Ackerman on the album were Marc Shulman,

Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 1 ...

, Jeff Haynes, Sam Bevan,

Eugene Friesen Eugene Friesen (born 1952) is an American cellist and composer. Early life Friesen was born in 1952 to Russian Mennonite parents. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Music. Career Friesen has been a member of the Paul Winter Consort since ...

, and Tom Eaton. The album has received critical acclaim by Zone Music Reporter, Contemporary Fusion Reviews, World Music Central, All About Jazz, and Ambient Visions. Coincidental with the album's release, Flow debuted the album at Carnegie Hall's

Weill Recital Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built by ...

. Performing with Flow were

(cellist), Vin Downes, guitarist, Jeff Haynes, percussion, and Eaton on bass and keyboards.

Inaugural tour

Flow's 2018 tour Arrival included performances at The New Orleans Jazz Museum, the 14th Annual ZMR Awards show, in Seattle, Oregon and Marin, California and concluded at Los Angeles' Grammy Museum.

Awards and honors

The album received New Age Album of the Year at the 16th annual Independent Music Awards show at Lincoln Center in New York City on April 3, 2018. The album held the No. 1 position on the ZoneMusicReporter's (ZMR) Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart for two months, was nominated for and won two ZMR's awards, Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, at 14th Annual ZMR Awards show on May 12, 2018 at Loyola University's Roussel Hall in New Orleans. In 2019, the group's song "Last Light" was nominated as the Best New Age Song by the Independent Music Awards. It also released the album ''Promise.''

Discography

* ''Flow'' (2017) *''Promise'' (2019)

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control 2017 establishments in the United States American musical groups