Bob Baldwin (musician)

Bob Baldwin is a New York-born contemporary jazz pianist, music composer, author, and producer, who learned music from his father, Robert (Bob) Baldwin, Sr. Baldwin's career started in 1983, and has earned four SESAC Music awards,^[1] initially for his 2002-2003 airplay of "The Way She Looked At Me," followed by one for his 2008 airplay on NewUrbanJazz.com, one in 2010 for his Never Can Say Goodbye: A Tribute to Michael Jackson, and one in 2011 for NewUrbanJazz.com2 / Re-Vibe. He also was awarded the Sony Innovators Award in 1989 selected by Roberta Flack.^[2]

Career

Radio

Prior to launching his first disc in 1989 ("I've Got a Long Way To Go") on Malaco Jazz Records, Baldwin's dabbled with radio career in 1979 when he broadcast as a student jock for the Geneva College station, WGEV. In 1981, he secured an internship at Inner City Broadcasting (WLIB/WBLS), where he learned news reporting and honed other skills under the tutelage of Pat Prescott. In 1984, he briefly covered the Jesse Jackson Presidential campaign in Westchester County for WVIP in Mt. Kisco, NY. In 2004, he was the Music Director WJSJ (Jacksonville, Fl.), and in 2007, he helped to launch KJAZ in Bermuda (Trott Communications). 2007 brought him to WCLK (Clark University), and later in the fall at WJZZ (Atlanta, Ga.) before they folded in early 2009.

Baldwin launched NewUrbanJazz Radio in October, 2008 with WJAB, WFSK, WNAA and WVSU as their initial affiliate base.

The NewUrbanJazz Radio Program

In 2008, Baldwin launched The NewUrbanJazz radio network, which currently airs on the PBS radio network through the Public Radio Satellite System. NewUrbanJazz is a fusion of contemporary Jazz, fused with Urban and Brazilian flavors.

Baldwin launched NewUrbanJazz Radio Format in on October 1, 2008 following the closure of CD101.9.^[3]

Music

In 1986, Baldwin opened up for Trumpeter Tom Browne at NY's Bottom Line. He later collaborated with Browne on his disc No Longer I, a Gospel-Jazz offering in 1987. Through that production, he met Danny Weiss, the then President for Malaco Jazz. They later co-produced Baldwin's first disc, I've Got a Long Way To Go together on Malaco Records in 1988 along with David Wilkes. The project was submitted to the Sony Innovators Award^[2] in 1989 and won first place over the group Straight Ahead. Roberta Flack was the finalist judge.

That award led to his artist signing to Atlantic Jazz, then presided by Sylvia Rhone. He produced 2 discs for in 1990 and 1992 (Rejoice and Reflections of Love). Reflections charted top-20 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts.

Since 2000, Baldwin has charted other solo recordings for the Billboard Jazz top-20 charts, including "BobBaldwin.com" (2000), Brazil Chill (2004), Standing Tall (2002), "NewUrbanJazz.com" (2008), "Never Can Say Goodbye", a Tribute to Michael Jackson (2010) ^[4]

His recordings include features from Chuck Loeb, Marion Meadows, Phil Perry, Kim Waters, Will Downing, Chieli Minucci, Eric Essix, Joey Sommerville, Ragan Whiteside, Dennis Johnson, Grover Washington, Jr., Najee, and Dean James. He's played or produced on records recorded by; Rhonda Smith, the aforementioned Sommerville, and Meadows, Pieces of a Dream, Freddie Jackson, the aforementioned Washington, Jr., Howard Hewitt, The Four Tops, Melba Moore, Rohn Lawrence, Regina Carter, Tene Williams, Whistle, Tom Browne, John Dukich, and Michael Urbianiak.

In 2012, he authored a book, entitled, "You Better Ask Somebody," which speaks about his over twenty-five years of experience in the music business.

Other Work

In 1997, Baldwin founded City Sketches, Inc., which is a music event planning company. He has worked with city municipalities in an effort to improve locally produced jazz shows and venues. He has done shows in conjunction with the cities of Greenburgh, NY, White Plains, NY, Asbury Park, NJ, Riviera Beach, Fl., and Mount Vernon, NY, to name a few.

He has also Curated the NewUrbanJazz Music Series for Arts Westchester, an Arts Council based out of White Plains, NY

In 2006, Bob signed on with Baldwin Piano (owned by Gibson Guitar Corp.) as an endorser.^[5]

In the momentous The Jazz of the City Atlanta portrait taken by Art Kane in April 2007, Baldwin stands tall—at the height of the stairs of the Atlanta City Hall Atrium—with over 100 fellow jazz musicians surrounding Mayor Shirley Franklin.

Discography

References

External links

• Bob Baldwin at AllMusic
• Bob Baldwin MySpace page