Pieces Of A Dream

Philadelphia's Pieces of a Dream emerged as a prominent force in contemporary jazz and R&B through their relaxed, inviting, and approachable style. As the initial signing to saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.'s production imprint, the ensemble cemented their identity and broad appeal via releases such as 1982's We Are One, 1984's Imagine This, and 1986's Joyride, which climbed to number three on Billboard's Traditional Jazz Albums chart. Beyond shared stages with George Benson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Patrice Rushen, Chaka Khan, and additional artists, Pieces of a Dream have sustained their chart presence by consistently reaching the Top 20 on contemporary jazz lists with projects including 1993's In Flight, 2006's Pillow Talk, and 2017's Just Funkin' Around. The band attained the number-one spot in 2019 via On Another Note.

Established in Philadelphia during 1976, the unit coalesced while its core members—keyboardist James Lloyd, bassist Cedric Napoleon, and drummer Curtis Harmon—were still attending high school. Although rooted in jazz, they incorporated funk, R&B, and electric fusion elements, frequently highlighting vocalists within their arrangements. Saxophone luminary Grover Washington, Jr. quickly took notice and placed them on his production roster, helming their opening trio of albums beginning with the 1981 Elektra debut Pieces of a Dream. Bolstered by Barbara Walker's vocals and the single "Warm Weather," that effort reached number 15 on the Billboard jazz chart while entering the R&B Top 40. Their sophomore outing, 1982's We Are One, fared stronger still, propelled by the single "Mt. Airy Groove" to number four on the jazz chart and number 22 on the R&B chart. The ensuing year brought their final Washington-produced album, Imagine This, which yielded the R&B hit "Fi-Fi-Fo" and peaked at number three on Billboard's Traditional Jazz chart.

During the 1980s the group performed regularly alongside Washington and further R&B and jazz figures such as George Benson, Earth Wind & Fire, Patrice Rushen, Chaka Khan, Jeff Lorber Fusion, and Angela Bofill. With 1986's Joyride they transitioned to EMI/Manhattan Records and collaborated with producers Lenny and Maurice White; the title-track single and "Say La La" helped drive the set to number three on the jazz chart and into the R&B Top 20.

Pieces of a Dream joined Blue Note in the early 1990s and notched repeated jazz Top Ten entries with albums such as 1993's In Flight, which added saxophonist Ron Kerber, 1995's Goodbye Manhattan featuring singer Eva Cassidy, and 1999's Ahead to the Past with vocalist Maysa Leak. To commemorate their 25th anniversary in 2001, they shifted to the Heads Up label for Acquainted with the Night, which landed at number 12 on the jazz chart and again spotlighted vocals from Leak alongside saxophonist Gerald Albright. Subsequent Top Ten jazz releases on Heads Up encompassed 2002's Love's Silhouette introducing vocalist Tracy Hamlin, 2004's No Assembly Required, and 2006's Pillow Talk with singer Ramona Dunlap, closing their Heads Up tenure with 2009's Soul Intent at number five on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Album chart.

After moving to Shanachie Records, the band secured three additional Top Five Billboard jazz albums via 2013's In the Moment, 2015's All In, and 2017's Just Funkin' Around. In 2019, Pieces of a Dream celebrated their 40th anniversary with On Another Note, which featured saxophonist Tony Watson, Jr., guitarist Chris Harris, percussionist Elec Simon, and keyboardists Bennie Sims and George Granville, ultimately topping the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart.