Bob Baldwin is an American, New York State born, contemporary jazz pianist, music composer, author, radio host and creator of the NewUrbanJazz Lounge, and music producer. His staunch views on owning his own recorded masters has earned him the title from his peers ‘the Ray Charles of Independent Contemporary Jazz and Soul music’. He owns more than 26 of his own studio projects.
Bob learned music from his late father (Robert Baldwin, Sr.) when he was six, and his recording career started in 1983. His debut album, A Long Way to Go, was released in 1988, and his latest (and 31st) release entitled, Henna, his 31st release (2/7/20). All but seven discs in his solo recording catalog are owned by his label, City Sketches, Inc. (see ‘discography’ at bottom of this page)
He has released more musical full-album recordings as a lead solo artist than any other Mt. Vernon, NY-native or any Westchester-born musician, having released over 32 recordings since 1988 (see discography).
Baldwin has earned five SESAC Music awards, initially for his 2002–2003 airplay of "The Way She Looked at Me", followed by his 2008 airplay on NewUrbanJazz.com, one in 2010 for his Never Can Say Goodbye: A Tribute to Michael Jackson, in 2011 for NewUrbanJazz.com2 / Re-Vibe, and his 2013 album Twenty. His 2015 release, MelloWonder: Songs in the Key of Stevie, which honors Stevie Wonder, debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard Overall Jazz Chart.
He's also written and/or arranged for Regina Carter, The Four Tops, Grover Washington, Jr., Paul Brown, Richard Elliot, Marion Meadows, Ragan Whiteside, Lori Williams, Tom Browne, Bob James, Will Downing, Freddie Jackson, Rhonda Smith, Dee Brown, James "Crab" Robinson, Paul Brown, Joey Sommerville, Vaneese Thomas, Tiffany Bynoe, Howard Hewitt, Whistle, Michael Urbaniak, the Lisa ("Left-Eye") Lopez'-produced girl group Blacque, Steve Oliver, Mel Holder, Dee Brown, Dee Lucas, Canadian trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach and Pieces of a Dream.
In 1982, Baldwin was introduced to digital recording by way of MIDI, which he used on a PC Desktop from longtime friend and engineer Wayne Warnecke, and a software program created by Roger Powell called Texture, which he obtained from pianist Bob James in a studio in White Plains at Minot Sound Studios. From there, he began to write, produce and arrange music through this program. MIDI is the basis of how he first built his recording catalog.
In 1986, Baldwin performed briefly in Tom Browne's band, and in 1987, Browne asked Baldwin to participate on "No Longer I" for Browne on the Malaco Jazz Label. This Gospel-Jazz offering was only preceded by the groups Koinonia and the A&M group Seawind in the history of Gospel-Jazz, and Baldwin performed on, co-produced and co-arranged the disc for Browne.
In 2000, he co-wrote and co-produced two songs on Will Downing's All the Man You Need album, which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2000 (Best Traditional R&B Album). He has also contributed as composer, co-producer and performer on Ragan Whiteside's Treblemaker, which charted three top-40 Billboard Contemporary Jazz radio singles.
Featured artists on his own solo recordings since 1988 include; Eric Essix, Kim Waters, Gerald Albright, Phil Perry, Fred Vigdor, Atlantic Starr original members Sharon Bryant and Porter Carroll, Jr., Noel Pointer, Lenny White, Larry Coryell, Dean James, Jeff Kashiwa, Chieli Minucci, Chuck Loeb, Edson Da Silva, Leo Gandelman, Lil' John Roberts (drummer), James Robinson, Rohn Lawrence, Darren Rahn, Russ Freeman (Rippingtons), Dennis Johnson, Barry Danielian, Poogie Bell, Euge Groove, CeCe Peniston, Najee, U-Nam, Steve Oliver, Toni Redd, Nils Jiptner, Marcus Anderson, Walter Beasley, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Freddy V (AWB), Vivian Green, Brooke Alford, Torquato Mariano, Azymuth members Ivan Conte and Alex Malheiros, and Armando Marcel, as well as the aforementioned Sommerville, Robinson, Washington, Jr., Brown, Meadows, Whiteside, Williams, Downing, Browne, Thomas, and Jackson.
Bob has shared the stage with: Kirk Whalum, Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal, Gerald Veasley, Rick Braun, Peter White, Eric Darius and Adam Hawley.
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 1960s, including music by Motown, Stax record labels. These early musical experiences profoundly impacted Baldwin's musical path. He's also a fan of his elder cousin, jazz pianist Larry Willis, who played with Blood, Sweat and Tears, Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band.
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.
In 1980, he met his cousin, Pianist Larry Willis, who's claim to fame began with the pop group Blood, Sweat and Tears. They met later at the funeral of Bob's grandfather, Percy Willis in Norfolk, Va. They played at the elder Willis funeral, and a musical bond was created. Bob and Larry later played at the Savannah Jazz Festival in 2008, both opening for pianist Bob James. They maintained a musical and family bond since 1990.
Out of necessity to maintain creative control, he independently learned how to record music from engineers Wayne Warnecke, Dennis. In 1990, Baldwin worked briefly with producer/arranger/keyboardist Kashif, where he learned about the ‘wall of sound’ panning technique. In 1989 -1990, and was hired by Kashif to play keyboards and piano on a recording project by a new group called The Promise (Arista Records) featuring vocalist Joi Cardwell, but the project was never released.