Recording artist, keyboardist, producer, arranger and radio host. A native of Mount Vernon, New York, Bob Baldwin's early fascination with the piano was hardly a surprise, considering that the instrument was his creative lifeblood from the time he was a toddler. His father Robert, Sr., who taught the child prodigy with perfect pitch, to play the piano at the tender age of four, was himself a distinguished jazz pianist who performed with Art Davis, Keter Betts and Max Roach. Bob remembers going to his father's local gigs in Westchester County, NY, listening to and loving traditional jazz, sitting on the piano stool while his father performed.
Bob Baldwin earned a degree in business administration from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and worked for MCI and Sprint Communications for some years before launching his solo career in the late '80's with "The Dream Featuring Bob Baldwin" on Malaco Records. That was the album that led Roberta Flack to select the young keyboardist as the 1989 Sony Innovators Award winner.
After getting his college degree, he landed an internship with WBLS Radio in New York, where he met Pat Prescott, Vaughn Harper and the legendary Frankie Crocker. In 1989, he signed to Atlantic Jazz for his second and third recordings, "Rejoice" (1990) and "Reflections of Love" (1992), with the latter reaching #7 on the contemporary jazz chart. He then began his internet ventures in 1995. The music on his 1996 internet released "City Sketches I/Welcome To The Games" CD was a commemorative celebration of Atlanta's unique history during the year it played host to the Summer Olympics. He sold a remarkable 7,000 recordings over the web, prompting the tongue-in-cheek title of his 2000 recording, "BobBaldwin.com" that featured an all-star lineup of smooth jazz talent, including Gerald Albright, Marion Meadows, Dean James and Eric Essix, in addition to a tribute song for Grover Washington, Jr., Tom Browne's "Funkin For Jamaica," featuring Albright, Meadows, Average White Band's Fred Vigdor, and the original principals – Tom Browne and vocalist, Tonni Smith."
Bob called his 2002 solo release "Standing Tall," which debuted as the #1 most added on the smoothjazz.com chart and #2 most added on urban adult contemporary, to reflect the resilient spirit of Americans and, more specifically, New Yorkers, in the months after 9/11. Earlier that year, on July 4, 2001, he had performed for several thousand people at the World Trade Center as part of CD101.9's ongoing jazz series; and that led to the "Bob Baldwin Presents the American Spirit," which was released also in 2002. Though many genre artists dedicated live performances to the tragedy and the resulting patriotism, he was one of the few instrumentalists who came out with a full-bodied recorded response, including his rendition and recording of "America The Beautiful," and "God Bless America."
Baldwin then reached South of Mexico to complete his 2004 masterpiece, "Brazil Chill." On this project he worked with guitarist Torcuarto Mariano, saxophonist Leo Gandelman, percussionists Café Da-Silva and Armando Marcal, as well as Ivan Conte and Alex Malheiros, of the legendary Brazilian funk group, Azimuth. Says Baldwin, "I've always had Latin flavor in my music and always loved percussion, which has taken me to Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and then Brazil."
Bob Baldwin's latest release, "All In A Day's Work" embodies magical wonder and sheer musical genius! It debuted at #10 on the charts in the Fall of 2005, and was the featured CD of the month in January 2006 at smoothjazz4u.com. From the mesmerizing opening song, "A New York Minute," to the classic Baldwin title track, to the infectious foot-tapping "Can you Feel It," to the sensual, sultry sounds of "Day-O," "All In A Day's Work" exemplifies why Bob Baldwin is highly sought after as an artist and why he is considered a mainstay in the world of contemporary jazz.
Bob's plans for the future include re-issues of "Bobbaldwin.com" and "Brazil Chill" on 215 Music, live streaming of his morning drive radio program on KJAZ-Bermuda, the first-ever Baldwin DVD release on 215 Music, producing "Soul Providers," an urban jazz project (the first NY-based hip-hop jazz concept CD featuring Marion Meadows, Nelson Rangell, Dave Mann, Barry Danielian and others), the Fall 2006 release of a new Baldwin urban jazz recording, the launch of the New Urban Jazz radio concept …and more live performances.
"When all is said and done, my goal is to connect with people in any way I can," says Baldwin. "That means, getting out there and playing live for them and applying all my life experiences to the music I make."
Bob Baldwin has coined a phrase: "Take care of your reputation, because it's all you have." Clearly Bob Baldwin's music and spirit of community continues to confirm his reputation.................
