New York by Dreams (1970)

A brief history of Dreams follows. For more about Dreams and much more, go to www.douglubahn.com and get Doug's book, "My Days with the Doors"

Dreams was one of the original prominent jazz-rock bands in the period of the late 1960s and early 1970s. 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.

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.

The principal difference between Dreams and most other brass-infused bands was, according to their album sleeve notes, that they didn't work from written arrangements but rather worked them out 'Trad' or 'New Orleans style', playing whatever came into their heads and waiting for something to gel. After the demise of Dreams, Grolnick, Lee and Randy and Michael Brecker formed The Brecker Brothers Band, but this time working from very tightly composed arrangements.