PIECES OF A DREAM READIES FOR 40TH ANNIVERSARY IN THE BIZ WITH SPECTACULAR NEW CD – ALL IN
Once upon a time, a trio of teenage jazz prodigies began turning heads in Philadelphia. Hailing from the ‘City of Brotherly Love,’ the all-star unit Pieces Of A Dream stands alongside an impressive lineage of musical wonders who have made Philly proud including Gamble and Huff, Patti Labelle, Grover Washington Jr. Jill Scott and The Roots. Proclaimed a “tough act to follow” by the iconic Count Basie, Pieces Of A Dream was discovered while in High School and was mentored by Mr. Magic, pioneering saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. 2016 marks a milestone for Pieces Of A Dream as they will celebrate their 40th Anniversary. The all-star band has built an impressive legacy of their own with their melting pot of influences that have catapulted them to the top of the charts more than a few times. November 6, 2015 Shanachie Entertainment will release their 21st recording, All In, which beautifully illustrates why the band has stood the test of time.
Danny Weiss, VP of Jazz A&R for Shanachie states, “What really amazes me about Pieces Of A Dream is how fresh they are. They’ve been an iconic group for decades, yet this album has them at the very top of their game!” Founding members, keyboardist and producer James Lloyd (whose produced #1 hits for the likes of Walter Beasley, Najee and Eric Darius) and drummer Curtis Harmon (Ronny Jordan, Alex Bugnon, Sherry Winston), both use words like “thankful,” “blessed” and “grateful” to describe how they feel about their work and their fans, who have continued to make it all possible. Harmon shares, “We are grateful to our fans who give so much meaning to do what we are blessed to do.” Harmon composed the album’s title track and states, “Our new single ‘All In,’ is one of my favorites and one of those songs that was years in the making but that shows off our true funk ability.” Harmon also wrote album standouts “Caribbean Nights” and “UP Til Dawn.” Pianist James Lloyd states, “There is something for everyone on this album. ‘Human Interface’ delivers an energetic old-school feel reminiscent of the late great George Duke, while ‘Dream On’ is more of a sensual number and “Watch Your Step” is a grooving number for all the steppers out there!” Pieces Of A Dream enlists a little help from some friends on All In and is joined by Grammy nominated producer and keyboardist Chris “Big Dog” Davis (Kim Burrell, Maysa and George Clinton) and keyboardist Herman Jackson (American Idol, Aretha Franklin, Babyface, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder). Long time member and acclaimed bassist David Dyson (Meshell Ndegeocello, Lalah Hathaway, New Kids on the Block, Michael Franks), noted guitarist Rohn Lawrence (Will Downing, Boney James, Najee) and up and coming saxophonist Tony Watson Jr. also join the band to make a stellar ensemble.
James Lloyd and Curtis Harmon have been the nucleus of Pieces Of A Dream since its inception and played together as kids and members of the Ada Lewis Middle School jazz ensemble along with former member, bassist Cedric Napoleon. Danny Harmon, Curtis’ father and a jazz musician himself, became their manager and had the guys listening to the Modern Jazz Quartet, Ahmad Jamal and Oscar Peterson as they developed their unique sound, blending their jazz roots with R&B, soul and funk. Pieces released three albums in quick succession, establishing its place in the world of smooth jazz with the CDs Pieces Of A Dream (1981), We Are One (1982) and Imagine This (1983). Those albums include some of their biggest early hits, including “Warm Weather,” “Mount Airy Groove” and “Fo Fi Fo.” Pieces Of A Dream recorded their first Shanachie debut, In The Moment in 2013. With the release of All In and the band’s 40th Anniversary, the sky is the limit for Pieces Of A Dream. James Lloyd concludes, “All In is our best effort yet. Here’s looking forward to our 50th Anniversary!”
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