Dreams (band)
Encyclopedia
Dreams was one of the original prominent jazz rock bands in the period of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and recorded for Columbia Records
. Dreams was formed by Jeff Kent and Doug Lubahn
, who together wrote and arranged all their original songs. The band began as a trio and evolved into a horn-based band over time. They were later joined by others such as Will Lee
, Don Grolnick
, Bob Mann, and Eddie Vernon.
Dreams selected as their producer, composer and sound engineer, Fred Weinberg, whose work included albums for Eddie Palmieri
, Tito Puente
, La Lupe
, Mongo Santamaria
, Celia Cruz
, Illustration (Alan Lorber
's group), Little Anthony and many others. Phil Ramone
, another highly respected producer and studio owner, for whom Weinberg worked at the time at a studio named A & R in New York City, gave his blessings to Weinberg to record and mix the Dreams LP with former Atlantic A-1 engineer Jim Reeves at CBS Studios in New York City. The album received a full page ad and a favorable review in Billboard Magazine.
Dreams' second and final album Imagine My Surprise was produced in Memphis by Steve Cropper
. Cropper wanted to "help the audience to better understand the group" so in his production he put "funkier, more commercial rhythms behind [the band]" while trying to "keep jazz up front at the same time."
While Dreams did not achieve the commercial success of either Chicago or Blood Sweat & Tears, they did serve as a launchpad for eventually prominent jazz fusion
artists Billy Cobham
, Don Grolnick
, and Randy
& Michael Brecker
(later known as the Brecker Brothers
). Other prominent band members included guitarist John Abercrombie
, trombonist Barry Rogers
, guitarist Bob Mann (who later joined Mountain
) and bassist Will Lee
.
One of the principal differences between Dreams and most other brass-infused bands was Dream's emphasis on spontaneity. The horn section would "work up spontaneous arrangements by jamming, always leaving them wide open to interpretations from night to night." Their first album Dreams was
Dreams contributed to the soundtrack
of the cult 1974 film
, The Groove Tube
, with their theme for the "Dealers" skit.
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Dreams was formed by Jeff Kent and Doug Lubahn
Douglass Lubahn
Douglass Lubahn is a psychedelic-rock/jazz-rock bassist who has played with some internationally famous bands. His work is featured on several albums recorded by The Doors.-Brief History:...
, who together wrote and arranged all their original songs. The band began as a trio and evolved into a horn-based band over time. They were later joined by others such as Will Lee
Will Lee (bassist)
Will Lee aka William Franklin Lee IV is an American musician and bassist, best known for his work on the CBS television program The Late Show with David Letterman as part of the CBS Orchestra....
, Don Grolnick
Don Grolnick
Don Grolnick was an American jazz and pop pianist and composer, most noteworthy for his work with artists such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Billy Cobham, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Bob Mintzer, Dave Holland and Steely Dan...
, Bob Mann, and Eddie Vernon.
Dreams selected as their producer, composer and sound engineer, Fred Weinberg, whose work included albums for Eddie Palmieri
Eddie Palmieri
Eddie Palmieri , is a Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican pianist, bandleader and musician, best known for combining jazz piano and instrumental solos with Latin rhythms.-Early years:...
, Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
, La Lupe
La Lupe
La Lupe , was a Cuban-American singer of several musical genres: boleros, guarachas and Latin soul in particular...
, Mongo Santamaria
Mongo Santamaría
Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez was an Afro-Cuban Latin jazz percussionist. He is most famous for being the composer of the jazz standard "Afro Blue," recorded by John Coltrane among others. In 1950 he moved to New York where he played with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All...
, Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
, Illustration (Alan Lorber
Alan Lorber
Alan Lorber was the leading arranger in the USA in the early 60s having created hits for many of the top artists of the day which amounted to 60 million dollars in sales. He is also a prolific music producer and composer. He was especially active in the 1960s and produced a wide variety of music....
's group), Little Anthony and many others. Phil Ramone
Phil Ramone
Phil Ramone is a South-African violinist, composer, recording engineer, and record producer.-Biography:As a young child in South Africa, Ramone was a musical prodigy, beginning to play the violin at age three and performing for Queen Elizabeth II at age ten...
, another highly respected producer and studio owner, for whom Weinberg worked at the time at a studio named A & R in New York City, gave his blessings to Weinberg to record and mix the Dreams LP with former Atlantic A-1 engineer Jim Reeves at CBS Studios in New York City. The album received a full page ad and a favorable review in Billboard Magazine.
Dreams' second and final album Imagine My Surprise was produced in Memphis by Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
. Cropper wanted to "help the audience to better understand the group" so in his production he put "funkier, more commercial rhythms behind [the band]" while trying to "keep jazz up front at the same time."
While Dreams did not achieve the commercial success of either Chicago or Blood Sweat & Tears, they did serve as a launchpad for eventually prominent jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
artists Billy Cobham
Billy Cobham
William C. Cobham is a Panamanian American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, who has called Switzerland home since the late 1970s....
, Don Grolnick
Don Grolnick
Don Grolnick was an American jazz and pop pianist and composer, most noteworthy for his work with artists such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Billy Cobham, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Bob Mintzer, Dave Holland and Steely Dan...
, and Randy
Randy Brecker
Randal "Randy" Brecker is an American trumpeter and flugelhornist. He is a highly sought after performer in the genres of jazz, rock, and R&B, and has performed or recorded with Stanley Turrentine, Billy Cobham, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Sandip Burman, Charles Mingus, Blood, Sweat & Tears,...
& Michael Brecker
Michael Brecker
Michael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane," he has been awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer and was inducted into Down Beat Jazz...
(later known as the Brecker Brothers
Brecker Brothers
The Brecker Brothers was the musical duo of Michael and Randy Brecker , who recorded commercially successful jazz fusion albums together in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. They had a notable hit single with "East River" in 1979...
). Other prominent band members included guitarist John Abercrombie
John Abercrombie (guitarist)
John Abercrombie is an American jazz guitarist, whose work often explores jazz fusion and post bop. Abercrombie has played with Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker...
, trombonist Barry Rogers
Barry Rogers
Barry Rogers was a salsa musician and jazz fusion trombonist.Born Barron W. Rogers in The Bronx, he descended from Polish Jews who came to New York City via London and was raised in Spanish Harlem...
, guitarist Bob Mann (who later joined Mountain
Mountain (band)
Mountain is an American hard rock band that formed in Long Island, New York in 1969. Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Leslie West, bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer N. D. Smart, the band broke up in 1972 before reuniting in 1974 and remaining active until today...
) and bassist Will Lee
Will Lee (bassist)
Will Lee aka William Franklin Lee IV is an American musician and bassist, best known for his work on the CBS television program The Late Show with David Letterman as part of the CBS Orchestra....
.
One of the principal differences between Dreams and most other brass-infused bands was Dream's emphasis on spontaneity. The horn section would "work up spontaneous arrangements by jamming, always leaving them wide open to interpretations from night to night." Their first album Dreams was
Dreams contributed to the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of the cult 1974 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, The Groove Tube
The Groove Tube
The Groove Tube , written and produced by Ken Shapiro, was a low-budget comedy film. It satirized television and the counterculture of the early 1970s. The film was originally produced to be shown at the Channel One Theater on East 60th St...
, with their theme for the "Dealers" skit.