Live at Soul Mama Islington in London: Pieces of a Dream

Pieces of a dream emerged out of Philadelphia's music scene in 1976. The group based their name on “Pieces of Dreams,” a cover 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 to a wide variety of artists, and that’s where jazz legend, the late 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, Pieces of a Dream hit the road performing in Grover Washington Jr.’s rhythm section and opening for him as Pieces of a Dream. “Mr. Magic” took Lloyd and Harmon under his wings and signed the band as the first group with his brand new production company, Elektra.

Pieces released three albums in quick succession, firmly 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.” From 1981 to 1984, Pieces of a Dream built their reputation with three albums on Elektra that would come to define the musical essence of the smooth jazz radio explosion. Soon after completing Joyride, their last effort for Elektra, Pieces of a Dream moved to EMI/Blue Note and went on to record seven more albums.