Pieces of a Man

Pieces of a Man is the debut studio album of American recording artist Gil Scott-Heron, released in 1971 in stereo format on Flying Dutchman Records in the United States. It was also issued in the United Kingdom on Philips Records in 1972. Recording sessions for the album took place at RCA Studios in New York City on April 19 and 20 in 1971. The album serves as the follow-up to Scott-Heron’s live debut album, Small Talk at 125th and Lenox (1970), and it features compositions by Scott-Heron that were recorded in a more conventional song structure rather than the spoken word style of his previous work.

The album marked the first of several future collaborations by Scott-Heron with musician Brian Jackson. It is one of Scott-Heron’s most critically acclaimed albums and one of the Flying Dutchman label’s best-selling LP’s. Earning modest success upon its release, Pieces of a Man has since received retrospective notice and praise from critics. Music writers have noted Scott-Heron’s and Jackson’s musical fusion of soul, jazz-funk, and proto-rap styles on the album and its influence on subsequent dance and hip hop music. The album was reissued on compact disc by RCA Records in 1993.

Before pursuing a recording career, Scott-Heron focused on a writing career. He published a volume of poetry and his first novel, The Vulture, in 1970.Subsequently, Scott-Heron was encouraged by jazz producer Bob Thiele to record and released a live album, Small Talk at 125th and Leno It was inspired a volume of poetry of the same name and was well received by music critics.