Search - Dreams :: Imagine My Surprise

One of the best jazz-rock bands ever.

06/20/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The amazing pop-funk-jazz-rock group Dreams was at the forefront of what was to become fusion music (a unique blend of jazz, rock and funk) but recorded only two albums before they broke up in 1971. Members of the band included some of the best improvisational soloists of the time: the funky Brecker Brothers (Michael on tenor sax and Randy on trumpet), Billy Cobham (drums), Barry Rogers (trombone), John Abercrombie (guitar) who was later replaced by Bob Mann (guitar), Jeff Kent (keyboards) who was replaced by Don Grolnick (keyboards), Doug Luban (bass) who was replaced by Will Lee (bass) and Edward Vernon (vocal).Unfortunately for the group, they were signed to the same label as Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago, so apparently Dreams didn't get the label backing that they deserved. After the release of their second album "Imagine My Surprise" they disbanded. Randy and Michael then formed their ground-breaking jazz-funk group "The Brecker Brothers Band," Billy Cobham joined guitarist John McLaughlin's "Mahavishnu Orchestra" (which also featured Jan Hammer on keyboards) and later played several sessions with Miles Davis, and Will Lee went back to being New York's premier studio bassist and eventually ended up in Paul Shaffer's band on the Dave Letterman Show, a gig he still currently holds."

MASTERPIECE

William L. Phipps | Tuckahoe, NY United States | 07/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To call Dreams an underrated band would be an understatement. This second

project "Imagine My Surprise" features musicianship of incomparable beauty

and a master class in jazz composition. "Just Be Ourselves" would alone

be worth the price of this cd/lp/8-track masterpiece and it has a lovely

vocal by bassist extraodinaire Will Lee, and now seems a haunting tribute

to the memory of its composer Don Grolnick. Highly recommended!"