Pieces of a Dream first started playing throughout the Tri-State area, and were soon featured on Temple University’s pioneering jazz radio station, WRTI-FM. Long before the “Young Lions” era of Wynton Marsalis, Lloyd and Harmon were swinging so hard as teenagers that the great Count Basie once proclaimed them “a tough act to follow.” But it was another jazz legend, the late Grover Washington Jr., the sax man who made Philadelphia his home, who helped Pieces of a Dream become the internationally known stars they are today.
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 Washington 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.” Soon Washington announced that he was starting a production company and that Pieces of a Dream would be his first act. Lloyd was only a senior in high school when his first record came out.
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: Pieces of a Dream, We Are One and Imagine This. Those seminal records yielded some of their earliest hits, including “Warm Weather,” “Mount Airy Groove” and “Fo Fi Fo.” 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. During this period, the group amicably parted ways with long time friend Cedric Napoleon.
In 2001, Pieces of a Dream signed with Heads Up International and celebrated their 25th anniversary with what was undoubtedly their best album in years, Acquainted with the Night. The group’s silver anniversary release featured guitarist Ronny Jordan, vocalist Maysa Leak, and saxophonists Gerald Albright and Kenny Blake. Highlights included compositions from Albright and Michael Bearden, along with remakes of “Mahogany” and “Upside Down.” Acquainted with the Night generated two top-five singles on R&R's NAC chart. The follow up album Love's Silhouette also scored top radio chart positioning and Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart top 10 status. Their April 2004 release, No Assembly Required, is sure to be another hit album in their long and illustrious career.
One of their former singers Norwood Young is now a cast member on the E! Cable channel's TV show High Maintenance 90210.
Addition - May 9,2009
Formed: 1975 in Philadelphia, PA
Styles: Crossover Jazz, Urban, Smooth Jazz
Group Members: Curtis Harmon, Ron Kerber, James K. Lloyd, Cedric A. Napoleon
Biography
Comprised of bassist Cedric Napoleon, drummer Curtis Harmon, and keyboardist James Lloyd, Pieces of a Dream were founded in 1975 in Philadelphia when the principal members were all teenagers. Originally somewhat jazz-oriented, Pieces of a Dream have mostly emphasized R&B, although they usually include a few jazz numbers in their performances. Grover Washington, Jr. produced their first three albums (all for Elektra during 1981-1983); they have since recorded for Manhattan and Blue Note. Saxophonist Ron Kerber became a member in the 1990s, preceding the four varied releases that appeared throughout the decade. A collection appeared at the turn of the century, but the band proved to still be going strong with 2001's Acquainted with the Night and 2002's Love's Silhouette. No Assembly Required was released in 2004 on Cleveland's Heads Up label, followed by 2006's Pillow Talk, also on Heads Up. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
You
Pieces Of A Dream Lyrics
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Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Where are you going to, do you know?
Do you get what you're hoping for?
When you look behind you there's no open door.
What are you hoping for, do you know?
Once we were standing still in time,
And you knew how I loved you but my spirit was free,
Laughing at the questions that you once asked of me.
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Where are you going to, do you know?
Now looking back at all we planned,
We let so many dreams just slip through our hands.
Why must we wait so long before we see
How sad the answers to those questions can be?
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Where are you going to, do you know?
Do you get what you're hoping for?
When you look behind you there's no open door.
The song "Do you know where you're going to?" by Pieces of a Dream, emphasizes the importance of introspection and self-reflection. The lyrics urge the listener to question their choices and decisions in life, while also highlighting the importance of appreciating the journey rather than just focusing on the destination. The song asks the question "Do you know where you're going to?" which is a question that many people ask themselves at some point in their lives. It reminds the listener that sometimes, the path we think we're taking in life turns out to be something entirely different.
The lyrics paint a picture of two individuals who were once together, chasing their dreams and fantasies together. However, somewhere along the way, they lost their way and allowed their dreams to slip through their hands. They now look back at all that they planned and realize that life is not always about getting what you hope for, but about coming to terms with what you have, appreciating it, and making the most of it. Despite the sadness that can come with the answers to life's tough questions, the song offers hope and encourages people to never stop searching for what makes them happy.
Overall, the song is a beautiful reminder to the listener to take time to reflect on their choices and decisions in life, and to always remember that life is a journey, not just a destination to be sought.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you have a clear sense of direction or purpose in life?
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Are you content or satisfied with how your life is unfolding?
Where are you going to, do you know?
Do you have a plan or strategy for achieving your goals, or are you just wandering?
Do you get what you're hoping for?
Are your expectations and dreams being fulfilled, or are you constantly disappointed?
When you look behind you there's no open door.
Are you stuck in the present, with no clear path back to the past, or forward to the future?
Once we were standing still in time,
There was a time when we had no clear sense of direction, and were not moving forward.
Chasing the fantasies that filled our minds.
We were pursuing unrealistic or impractical dreams, without a plan or strategy for achieving them.
And you knew how I loved you but my spirit was free,
Although we loved each other, we both had different priorities and goals in life.
Laughing at the questions that you once asked of me.
We did not take each other's concerns or aspirations seriously, and instead found them amusing or trivial.
Now looking back at all we planned,
Reflecting on our past goals and aspirations that we had hoped to achieve.
We let so many dreams just slip through our hands.
Many of our aspirations and goals were not achieved, and instead we missed many opportunities.
Why must we wait so long before we see
Why it take so long before we realize our shortcomings and missed opportunities.
How sad the answers to those questions can be?
It can be sad to realize how much we could have achieved if we had taken our goals and aspirations more seriously.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gerry Goffin, Michael Masser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind