Flow, Part I

Over a delicate backdrop of percussion, spare bass lines, and vivid electronic washes, trumpeter Terence Blanchard’s pronounced tone soars, effortlessly sketching elegant melodic phrases with a steady ebb and flow. With its catchy tune, the title track of Flow—an apt descriptive—manifests on three separate occasions over the course of the album. The overall vibe is cool as tundra. Yet the band’s performance radiates enough confidence to melt the permafrost. But no worries, listening doesn’t contribute to the problem of global warming.

—RN