In the world of jazz, commodities are fleeting. Styles come and go. Artists at the top of this week’s charts could be history by the end of next month. Words like “staying power” and “longevity” are for anyone or anything that sticks around for more than a couple years.

But then there are those rare few, gifted with the right stuff, who hang in for the long haul – musical collectives that continue to explore and evolve album after album, year after year, decade after decade, eschewing fashion and fad and reaching instead for something much more permanent. This is the story of Pieces of a Dream, a contemporary jazz band that opens the next chapter with their 40th anniversary and the release of their new album Just Funkin’ Around. Pieces of a Dream live at the AC Jazz Fest!

The career of Bob James is long, varied and continues to evolve at every turn. From his first days in Marshall, Missouri,the music of Bob James has captivated audiences throughout the world.

Discovered by Quincy Jones at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1963, James recorded his first solo album, Bold Conceptions, that year
for Mercury Records. 58 albums and innumerable awards would follow through five decades. He honed his skills working with Creed Taylor, working on albums for artists like Hank Crawford, Grover Washington, Jr, among others.  While with CTI, James found great popular success overseeing significant hits for Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, Maynard Ferguson, and Kenny Loggins.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Albright was already an accomplished saxophonist by the time he enrolled at the University of Redlands, but he switched to bass after he saw Louis Johnson in concert. A few months after graduating from college, he joined jazz pianist/R&B singer Patrice Rushen, who was in the process of forming her own band. Later, when the bassist left in the middle of a tour, Albright replaced him and finished the tour on bass guitar. Playing both sax and bass, he became the consummate session and touring musician in the 80s, working with everyone from Anita Baker, Ray Parker, Jr., Atlantic Starr, The Temptations and Maurice White to Les McCann, Teena Marie, the Winans and Whitney Houston.

Marion Meadows is a tenor saxophonist, soprano saxophonist, composer, and smooth jazz recording artist of Native American, African American and Caucasian descent. Meadows has released a total of 11 albums to date.

Alex Bugnon has been a prolific, energetic force on the contemporary music scene for almost three decades. A renowned musician, composer and bandleader, Bugnon hales from the picturesque town of Caux, Switzerland – 4 miles above Montreux, site of the world famous Jazz Festival.

Justin-Lee Schultz was born on February 8, 2007 in Johannesburg South Africa. He moved with his family to Michigan in 2015. Justin started playing piano at the age of 5 and received an endorsement from Yamaha, South Africa that same year. His first stage performance was with his dad in East London just two weeks after he started playing. 

Justin plays all genres of music from Jazz, Blues, R&B, and Gospel. He is currently taking piano lessons from Professor Jeremy Siskind from Los Angeles.

Justin’s hobbies are: biking, golf, PlayStation games, swimming and doing magic tricks. He loves listening to his favorite musicians: Bob James, David Benoit, Chick Corea, John Coltrane, George Duke, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.

Justin currently plays piano in his local church, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is in a band with his dad and sister called “ The JLS Experience”.