Bob Baldwin

Bob Baldwin is an American (New York State) - born contemporary jazz pianist, music composer, author, and producer, who learned music from his father, Robert Baldwin, Sr. Baldwin's recording career started in 1983 and his debut album, A Long Way to Go, released in 1988. His latest release, Bob Baldwin Presents Abbey Road and the Beatles, which tributes the legendary English pop group, the Beatles.

Baldwin has earned five SESAC Music awards, initially for his 2002–2003 airplay of "The Way She Looked at Me". Those were followed by 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, and one for his album Twenty. His 2015 release, MelloWonder: Songs in the Key of Stevie, which honors Stevie Wonder, debuted at No. 16 on the BillboardOverall Jazz Chart.. He's also written for Grover Washington, Jr., Paul Brown, Richard Elliot, Marion Meadows, Ragan Whiteside, Lori Williams, Bob James, and Pieces of a Dream.

Bob Baldwin grew up in a musical environment. His father, Robert Baldwin, Sr., (1926-2008) was a full-time Engineer, and a part-time pianist who worked local clubs throughout Westchester County, NY, just north of New York City. While his father was a fan of such jazz icons like Mikes Davis, Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson, his older sister, Deborah, was a fan of soul music of the 1960’s, including music by Motown, Stax record labels. These early musical experiences profoundly impacted Bob’s musical path. He's also a fan of his elder cousin, jazz pianist Larry Willis.

In 1987, Sony founded the Sony Innovator's Awards, an annual ceremony to award aspiring Afro-American artists who have shown outstanding talent in music and the visual arts. In his opening speech at the first ceremony held in 1988, music producer Quincy Jones stated that it was encouraging that a large firm like Sony was providing Afro-American artists a chance to be introduced to the entire nation. Baldwin was awarded the Sony Innovators Award in 1989 selected by Roberta Flack.

Career

Bob attended Geneva Geneva College in 1978, and graduated in 1986, but to complete his degree, he would have to attend New York-based Colleges, including Hunter, Concordia and Iona, transferring credits back to Geneva between 1980-1986. He majored in Business Administration and minored in Broadcast Communication.

It was at Geneva College where he discovered Broadcasting radio and hosted his first radio program at college radio station WGEV from 1979-1980, and after falling short on college funding at Geneva, he returned to New York in 1981, where he completed his college degree, and while in New York, further developing his broadcasting skills. He later picked up his love for radio when he launched the NewUrbanJazz radio program in 2008.

In 1988, he began his ascension in the Contemporary Jazz world with his first solo album release in 1988 ("I've Got a Long Way To Go") on Malaco Jazz Records.

Bob is listed as a famous Geneva College Alumni, according to Ranker Geneva College Alumni).

Radio

In 1981, Baldwin secured an internship at Inner City Broadcasting (WLIB/WBLS), where he learned in-depth about news reporting and honed other broadcasting skills, under the tutelage of Pat Prescott, the late Carl Ferguson, News Director David Lampel and Mark Reilly.

In 1981-1983, he worked briefly at WINS, then owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting.

In 1984, he briefly covered the Jesse Jackson Presidential campaign in Westchester County for WVIP Radio in Mt. Kisco, NY.

Between 1998 and 2004, he wrote and sang the CD101.9 jingle up to when they changed their format to "New York Chill" in 2004.

In 2004, he was hired by Tama Broadcasting as the Music Director at WJSJ (Jacksonville, Fl.), and after that tenure, he helped to launch the first smooth jazz station in Bermuda (KJAZ - Trott Communications) from 2005 to 2006.

He then worked as the Music Director in 2007 at WCLK (Clark University), then later that fall at WJZZ, a Radio-One company, before they folded their smooth jazz format in first quarter 2009. In 2008, Baldwin started programming music at both WCLK and WJZZ, which he would later coin as "NewUrbanJazz".

The NewUrbanJazz Radio Program

In October, 2008, Baldwin launched NewUrbanJazz Radio, which programs The NewUrbanJazz Lounge, a 2-hour program that is affiliated on over 40 stations in the U.S. WJAB (Huntsville, Al), WFSK (Nashville, Tn), WNAA (Greensboro, NC), WVAS (Montgomery, Al) and WVSU (Birmingham) were their initial affiliate base. NewUrbanJazz is a fusion of contemporary Jazz, fused with Urban and Brazilian flavors, but also spins music from independent artists. Baldwin decided to launch NewUrbanJazz Radio Format following the closure of CD101.9.

Music

In 1986, Baldwin, along with Guitarist Al Orlo, created the Bob Baldwin/Al Orlo Project, and they performed on Sundays at the Vinnie Pastore-owned Crazy Horse, a now-defunct small Rock and Roll club (with a capacity of 50 people) in New Rochelle, NY.

Baldwin opened up for trumpeter Tom Browne at The Bottom Line. From the performance, he began sideman work for Browne, and later collaborated with him on his disc No Longer I, a Gospel-Jazz recording 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 in 1989 and won first place. One of the top three included the Detroit music 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 (Rejoiceand Reflections of Love). Reflections charted top-20 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts.

Since 2000, Baldwin has charted other solo recordings (on various labels) 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).

His recordings includes collaborations with Chuck Loeb, Marion Meadows, Phil Perry, Kim Waters, Will Downing, Chieli Minucci, Eric Essix, Joey Sommerville, Ragan Whiteside, Dennis Johnson, Grover Washington, Jr., Najee, Dean James and Bo Valentine. 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, Tiffany Bynoe, Ragan Whiteside, Toni Redd, Lori Williams, Blacque, 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 production, and music event planning company. He has worked with city municipalities in an effort to improve locally produced jazz shows and venues. He has curated music series programs in conjunction with the cities/municipalities of Greenburgh, NY, White Plains, NY, Asbury Park, NJ, Riviera Beach, Fl., and Mount Vernon, NY.

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

In the historic 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.