A smooth route for jazz pioneers

Pieces of a Dream didn't intend to be a pioneer in the smooth jazz movement, James Lloyd says.
YOUNGSTOWN -- If James Lloyd's marriage to Teresa Barron mirrors his musical commitment, their union will be long-lasting.
Lloyd, 37, and drummer Curtis Harmon have been the constants in Pieces of a Dream's 25-year history. One reason for the band's longevity may be that "we were so young when we started," Lloyd says. "It wasn't a career, just something fun. It turned into a career."
Pieces of a Dream is partly credited with the creation of smooth jazz, which rose to prominence as jazz fusion died. Genre-shaping wasn't the band's intent.
"It was just what we felt within us, what we liked to play," Lloyd said of the group's early music.
Asked to define smooth jazz, it's "just not as traditional as straight-ahead jazz," Lloyd said. Electronic instruments and different acoustic production techniques separate smooth jazz from the rest.
Current climate: The pioneers of smooth jazz have it easier these days. There are more radio stations and performance opportunities to support the group's music today than when the band began. "It's like a blessing," Lloyd said.
That keeps the members of Pieces of a Dream going, as does a desire to keep their music fresh, which "keeps us from getting bored," Lloyd said.
"Trance," which Lloyd wrote, is one of his favorite songs on the new CD, "Acquainted With the Night": "It's my version of smooth jazz meets R & amp;B [and] hip-hop."
In addition to original material, Pieces of a Dream recorded its own versions of two songs made popular by someone else with remarkable career longevity -- Diana Ross. "Theme From 'Mahogany' " is the first single to be released to urban radio stations.
Special touch: Lloyd's philosophy on remakes is to add something to the song. If it's going to sound the same as the original artist's version, "why bother?" he asked rhetorically.
The "James Lloyd touch" on songs means inserting passion and energy, he said. The latter is clear on the remake of Ross' already-perky "Upside Down," which is sung by new vocalist Maysa Leak.
The late saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. remains a guiding force for Pieces of a Dream. Washington sat in one night with the then-teen-age musicians at the Bijou in Philadelphia. When Washington later started his own production company, he took Pieces of a Dream as his first act. A string of successful albums on Elektra and EMI/Blue Note Records followed.
Lloyd remembers "what he taught me about letting music breathe ... don't play like you're getting paid by the note," he said, calling Washington his "musical dad." He also admired Washington for the humble, personable way he treated people.
Pieces of a Dream will celebrate the release of its silver anniversary CD on May 4 at Fat Fish Blue in Cleveland. A performance in Youngstown is also a possibility, Lloyd said.
Lloyd sees no reason why Pieces of a Dream can't reach its 50th anniversary. "As long as we keep our finger on the pulse, that's possible," he said.