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Pieces of Peace

Pieces of Peace

(Cali-Tex)

 

From Big Bill Broonzy to Kanye West, Chicago has been and will no doubt continue to be a hotbed of American musical activity. It’s no surprise, then, to find another group from the back pages of the Windy City’s best and brightest get a little spotlight thrown on their most soulful ’72 self-titled release, Pieces of Peace. From almost the time of their inception, Pieces of Peace took on the understudy role to another Chicago-based outfit, The Pharaohs, a forerunner to the hugely successful group later know as Earth, Wind & Fire. The little brother band gigged regularly all over ChiTown, defining their style and scene with high-energy shows heavy on rhythms and horns. Confident in their abilities as performers, an LP was the next logical step to broadening their fan base in tandem with their professional aspirations.

 

With songs like “Cease Fire” and “Pollution” (ending with the entire band loudly coughing over the din of a screeching guitar) providing the kind of feel-good slow jams and unabashed funk that makes a body groove while the message moves, there’s little doubt Pieces of Peace had what it took to get to the top. Why didn’t they get there? Well, the liner notes tell the tale of a talented group of guys that eventually came together to form a tight band and record a single mind-blowing LP, followed by a lengthy Asian tour that effectively tore them apart. This reissued album displays in full force what capable creators they were. Their unique blending of soul, funk and jazz over the longer arrangements is staggering, calling to mind the classic movie scores of Issac Hayes with a taste of Jimmy Smith or even a smattering of jazz daddy, Lalo Schifrin. The addition of instrumental bonus track takes on “Pollution” and “Yesterday’s Visions” only further convince that even the alternate jams were well worth including. It’s music of a time too far gone for me to know. If this stuff is any indication of what was going down, what a time it must have been.

 

— Sean P. Lambert

 

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