Pieces Of A Dream

Pieces of a Dream performs on 31 October 2026 at Soul Mama Stratford. Doors 6:30 pm. Performance 8:00 pm.

Pieces of a Dream emerged from Philadelphia's music scene in 1976. The group based its name on "Pieces of Dreams," a tune by Stanley Turrentine that the group performed. After quickly becoming popular around Philadelphia, the trio landed a spot as the house band for a local television show called City Lights.

Their experience widened as they played backup on the broadcasts for a wide variety of artists, and that's where jazz legend Grover Washington Jr. first heard them. One day, while the teenagers were playing at the Bijou (where Grover had recorded his Live at the Bijou album), he sat in with them to play "Mr. Magic." Not long after, Grover Washington Jr. hit the road with them, with Pieces of a Dream performing in his rhythm section and opening for him. He took Lloyd and Harmon under his wing and signed the band as the first group with his brand-new production company for Elektra.

The band released three albums in quick succession, establishing its place in smooth jazz with Pieces of a Dream (1981), We Are One (1982) and Imagine This (1983). Those albums include some of their early hits, including "Warm Weather," "Mount Airy Groove" and "Fo Fi Fo."

From 1981 to 1984, Pieces of a Dream built its reputation with three albums on Elektra during the smooth jazz radio era. Soon after completing Joyride, their last effort for Elektra, Pieces of a Dream moved to EMI/Blue Note and recorded seven more albums.