Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster + Tom Eaton – ‘Brothers’ (2021)

The following review was published by S. Victor Aaron at somethingelsereviews.com

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During these stressful times, I find myself enjoying soothing music more than I ever did. Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster and Tom Eaton have been making those kind of sounds for years and now they’ve joined forces to proffer that serenity as a formidable group with their new collaboration Brothers.

Will Ackerman is such an imposing figure in the New Age universe, I wonder if I even need to mention that this gifted guitarist is the guy who started Windham Hill Records. Jeff Oster came on the scene later, and was given his big break as a recording artist by Ackerman over fifteen years ago, but the trumpet and flugelhorn maestro has since done nothing but improved on the New Age genre by making it groove and his horn’s pure, controlled tone adds poignancy to any subdued mood. On Brothers, his flugelhorn often functions as the lead voice.

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‘Brothers’ — in life and in music: Jeff Oster, Tom Eaton, Will Ackerman release new album

The following review was published by Victoria Chertok at reformer.com

When Jeff Oster arrived at Tom Eaton’s Newburyport, Mass., studio last year to begin recording the album “Brothers,” the first thing he did was walk across the parking lot.

Eaton had asked Oster, “What if we start with you?” and observed him to find the tempo in which Oster moves through the world. Once he found that, he believed they could begin recording their new release, “Brothers” (Resto Records 2021) which comes out Friday.

RECORDING ‘BROTHERS’The two award-winning musicians never thought of making the record without their closest friend and chosen brother, Grammy winning Southern Vermont producer, guitarist and founder of Windham Hill Records Will Ackerman.

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“Brothers” by Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster, and Tom Eaton

Album Review by Dyan Garris, New Age CD, New Age Notes Radio, Zone Music Reporter (ZMR), “Spirit Seeker Magazine,” and “Retailing Insight Magazine”

Straight from the heart of three musical legends collaborating as “one,” “Brothers” is the tender, touching, and profoundly poignant album from Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster, and Tom Eaton.  Each and every track will remain etched deeply into your soul long after the music stops.

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Even with the stratospheric pedigree of these three musicians – Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster, and Tom Eaton – and the expectations I held as a result, Brothers still stopped me in my proverbial tracks during my first playing. The album’s eight songs flow forth like a gentle breeze on a warm day, carrying relief in every note, but in this case, the relief is a palpable easing of stress, a wave of gorgeous melodies easing the listener gently into a state of utter peace and relaxation. The level of seamless simpatico between Ackerman, Oster, and Eaton on display here is just one of this album’s triumphs. When I’ve reviewed albums from these three artists, either as collaborators or solo artists, I often feared being accused of hyperbole, but trust me, you will not hear more sincere and ear-pleasing instrumental music any time soon.

Bill Binkelman – Wind and Wire

The following review is from Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews.

Amazing acoustic chill trio Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster, Tom Eaton – BROTHERS:  If you’re even the least bit familiar with sonic adventures that make your morning (or your evening) sweeter, you’ll know the players here already… this talented trio has put together an eight-song extravaganza of the most amazing acoustic chill you will ever listen to… to get an intimate look at how it came to be, I (most strongly) recommend that you watch this (long) video about the album…

To enjoy more live videos and performances from Jeff (and many others), be sure to SUBSCRIBE to Jeff’s YouTube channel… I’ve been there for a LONG time.

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Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster, Tom Eaton

The talented triumvirate of Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster, and Tom Eaton have created a new album of highly polished, very listenable contemporary music called Brothers. All three artists have shared more than an album or two with each other over the last decade. Legendary guitarist Will Ackerman, multi-instrumentalist and Master Engineer Tom Eaton, and session player and flugelhorn lead man Jeff Oster combine their substantial abundance of skills and vast experience to balance a work of eight calming, inspiring tunes. On this recording the trio always seems to find a way to musically complement each other without tripping over the next guy or grabbing the spotlight. In most songs there is a focus without an insistent lead and I like that about the music.

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The Windham Hill-esque cover of Brothers, a stunningly intimate and intricate collection by new age music veterans Will Ackerman (acoustic guitar), Jeff Oster (flugelhorn) and Tom Eaton (piano, keyboards, bass) says it all about the project’s timeless aesthetic.

Beyond the richly detailed, soul stirring sense of melody, harmony and spacious atmospheres of these eight tracks that harkens back to that gentle, era- defining vibe, Brothers is at heart a celebration of a longtime friendship and the vibrant spirit of collaboration between the principals.

The collection is best appreciated as a singular experience expressing the creative ebb and flow, tender energies and textures of three friends deeply committee to the process of sharing their hearts and baring their souls.