The Pulse of Entertainment: After 50-Years Jazz Band Pieces of A Dream Says
‘We Got This' on New Album From Shanachie
(May 27, 2025) - "We wanted him to know we had his back," said drummer
Curtis Harmon, one of the founding members of the legendary Contemporary Jazz band Pieces of a Dream about
having to write their new album "We Got This" (Shanachie Entertainment) without fellow
member James Lloyd (keyboard) who had three strokes in one night. "That's where the title comes from."
"And
they did," James added. "The truly had my back. You can hear it and feel it on the album. God gave me a second chance.
He's not done with me."
Saxophonist Tony Watson, who has been with Pieces
of a Dream for 16-years, completes the group. This is chart-topping Pieces of a Dream's 26th studio album and next year they
will be celebrating 50 years as a band. Iconic!
When I asked about 50 years years as a band, Curtis explained with a slight laugh,
"I was 11 years old. I am a third-generation musician."
"And my parents played a mean radio," James added laughing.
Pieces of
a Dream, by the time they were teenagers they had the pleasure of meeting legend Grover Washington, Jr., who placed one of
their songs on the track of Spike Lee's School Daze movie. That soundtrack sold over three million albums, making Pieces of
a Dream platinum selling musicians. They also backed the iconic James Brown and performed as the opening act for Miles Davis
and Count Basie.
Twenty-six albums later with "We Got This," which offers 10 songs, Pieces of a Dream is iconic themselves,
helping other musicians make it to fame, such as labelmate Jazz keyboardist prodigy Justin Lee Schultz and the late Joey DeFrancesco.
"I'm just me," said James, who has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, when I called
them icons.
"To me iconic is Miles Davis...who set the groundwork for us," added Curtis, who is also a deacon
at Community Baptist Church in Plainfield, NJ.
I reminded them, as icons, that they set the groundwork for Justin Lee and Joey. Don't
you agree? www.PiecesofaDream.net
SYNDICATED COLUMN: Dr.
Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is
also a Business Management/Public Relations Strategist and Consultant at Freelance Associates and is Promotions Director (at-large)
for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENTS: "Uplifting
Minds II" Entertainment Conference (ULMII), founded by Eunice in 1999, is into its 26th year. Next events are coming
to Baltimore via Zoom Saturday April 19, 2025, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore
Times, and Los Angeles via Zoom Saturday, November 8, 2025. The ULMII event is a free entertainment
conference offering a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and National Talent Competition (vocal,
songwriting, dance and acting) where aspiring artists have a chance to receive over $20,000 valued in prizes/product/services.
Log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.com RSVP for Zoom Access at EventBrite.com or email info@thepulseofentertainment.com.
