James Lloyd has been touring the world for more than 40 years as a member of the jazz group Pieces of a Dream and traveling to work as a musician and producer with other artists.

Since 1999 the Philadelphia-born keyboard player has called the Mahoning Valley home when the touring stops. This is where his wife, Teresa Barron Lloyd, is from, and he has his choice of three airports an hour away to get to his next gig or recording session.

“I feel I’m an official Ohioan now,” Lloyd said.

Saturday his adopted home will get to hear Lloyd in action when he performs at Youngstown Wine and Jazz at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre.

“It will be nice to be able to perform here and see all the faces I see around at the supermarket and the dry cleaners coming to the show,” he said. “It’s going to be real special.”

Lloyd will be playing with Alexander Zonjic and Jessy J.

Zonjic is a Canadian-born flautist now based in Detroit and a 15-time Detroit Music Awards winner. His latest album, “Playing It Forward,” was produced by Jeff Lorber with the exception of the lead single, “Motor City Sway,” which was written and produced by Lloyd.

Saxophonist Jessy J has recorded with Michael Buble and Robin Thicke and toured with such artists as Anita Baker, Jeff Lorber, Gerald Albright and Peter White.

“What you’re going to get is a great hodgepodge of jazz,” Lloyd said. ‘We’re all good friends as well. It will be almost like a family reunion getting together on stage. It’s just going to be craziness. I’ve written and produced countless songs for Alexander Zonjic, a lot of top 10s, so I play with him often when I’m not gigging with Pieces of a Dream.”

Lloyd and Zonjic first collaborated on Zonjic’s 2004 album “Seldom Blues.” Zonjic also will be a part of Lloyd’s next solo project. It’s inspired by Quincy Jones’ 1981 album “The Dude,” which had Jones collaborating with a wide range of artists for a collection of songs that spanned genres. The album received 12 Grammy nominations and won three.

“I think ‘The Dude’ is one of the greatest albums ever,” Lloyd said. “I’ve been listening to that, first when it was out when I was younger, but then recently. What I wanted to do was kind of recreate the vibe that he had for that, this mixture of artists doing things and just, Wow! Just music, not one set thing or category, just a collection.”

He’s drawing upon several big names — Zonjic, Brian Bromberg, Marion Meadows, Will Downing, Wendy Moten, Kirk Whalum, Ray Parker Jr. and the Ohio Players — but Lloyd also tapped some local talent for the project.

Rapper Kenny Ali, who owns Youngstown barbershop In the Cut, will be featured on the record, along with a local choir and female singer / truck driver whose names he wasn’t ready to reveal just yet.

“The talent level here is just like anywhere,” Lloyd said. “It’s no different than Philly, New York, Cali, Atlanta or Michigan. There’s always going to be these little pockets where you find some of the best talent that are undiscovered. It’s just who hears them and who is willing to give them a shot. When I hear somebody special, I just want to help them in some kind of way.”

He plans to release a first single from the still-unnamed album later this year, and the full album in 2024.

“I’m trying to do something really special, something that’s not really done these days,” he said. “It’s my homage to what I deem as one of the kings of production.”

Lloyd still keeps busy with Pieces of a Dream, which has dates scheduled throughout the U.S. and in Mexico this year.

In 2026, it will be 50 years since Lloyd and drummer Curtis Harmon started playing together (along with Cedric Napoleon) and released their first album in 1981 when they still were teenagers after being discovered by Grover Washington Jr.

Washington not only gave the group its big break, but his attitude and approach continue to influence Lloyd decades later.

“It will be 47 years in October,” he said. “That’s a long time not to become jaded by events. I still have the love for it and respect for the people and the fans and try to bring others with you along the way. To me that’s the mission.”

If you go …

WHAT: Youngstown Wine and Jazz with Alexander Zonjic, James Lloyd and Jessy J

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, 201 S. Phelps St., Youngstown

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $25 and $10 and are available through Ticketmaster.