| After 25 years and 12 albums it's fair to say that the musical sound of
Pieces of a Dream has hit a comfortable stride-comfortable but not
predictable, never settled. On their 12th album "Acquainted with the Night"
the group continues to deliver a soulful blend of contemporary jazz laced
with a heavy dose of grove-oriented funk. This, their silver anniversary
release, features guest performers Ronny Jordan, Maysa Leak, Geral Albright
and Kenny Blake
"We're trying to move forward with our sound while keeping the original
Pieces of a Dream image," explained drummer Curtis Harmon, one of the band's
founding members. "Our sound has matured since the first album but we're
trying to keep the newness of it happening while keeping our personality in
the music," he told Metro Connection.
As one of the groups who helped to define the smooth jazz genre, Pieces of a
Dream has been able to successful bridge the gap between jazz and R&B. The
combination has been potently effective. And Harmon said the group remains
committed to maintaining the integrity of the music.
Harmon also said that when history looks back at the genre, Pieces of a Dream
will be favorably evaluated. "We have always been a versatile group and we
try to present as wide a scope as possible on our albums. We incorporate new
sounds, we try to musically push it to the edge and take chances. But you
don't always get to say everything you want to say on an album so our fans
definitely get to truly experience Pieces of a Dream in our live
performances," Harmon said.
The group has made its annual trek to Blues Alley (April 26-28) in support of
the new CD release. Harmon says members always look forward to performing in
DC, one of their strongest markets. There are two shows nightly with a
special midnight show added on Saturday, April 28. Tickets are $29.50. For
reservations and information call 202-337-4141. |
