JAMES LLOYD

James Lloyd, whose classical training intersects with jazz influences, first earned recognition as a founder of the smooth jazz ensemble Pieces of a Dream. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he started piano lessons at age six. Jazz entered his experience near age twelve, after which his technique developed further at Philadelphia’s High School of Performing Arts. By graduation he had already assembled the trio Pieces of a Dream alongside fellow Philadelphia natives Cedric Napoleon on bass and Curtis Harmon on drums. While still teenagers, the group impressed listeners through an inventive fusion of jazz, funk, and R&B. Lloyd remained with Pieces of a Dream for more than thirty years of performances and recordings, issuing the albums Pieces of a Dream in 1981, Imagine This in 1983, Joyride in 1986, In Flight in 1993, Pieces in 1997, Acquainted with the Night in 2001, Pillow Talk in 2006, and In the Moment in 2013. His first full-length solo release, Here We Go!, appeared in 2015 and featured saxophonists Najee and Gerald Albright.