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| Bob Baldwin Set To Release 31st Album, "Henna" in January 2020 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 last release, Bob Baldwin Presents Abbey Road and the Beatles, honors the English pop group, the Beatles. Baldwin has earned five SESAC Music awards, initially for his 20022003 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, James Robinson, Joey Sommerville, Vaneese Thomas, Tiffany Bynoe, Howard Hewitt, Whistle, Michael Urbaniak, the Lisa ("Left-Eye") Lopez'-produced girl group Blacque, Canadian trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach and Pieces of a Dream. Featured artists on his own solo recordings since 1988 include; Eric Essix, Kim Waters, Gerald Albright, Phil Perry, Fred Vigdor, Sharon Bryant, Porter Carroll, Jr. (both of Atlantic Starr), Noel Pointer, Lenny White, Larry Coryell, Dean James, Jeff Kashiwa, Chieli Minucci, Chuck Loeb, Edson Da Silva (Brazilian Percussionist), Leo Gandelman (Brazilian Saxophonist), 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, as well as the aformentioned Sommerville, Robinson, Washington, Jr., Brown, Meadows, Whiteside, Williams, Downing, Browne, Thomas, Dee Brown, Dee Lucas, Mel Holder, and Jackson. Bob Baldwin grew up in a musical environment. His father, Robert Baldwin, Sr., (1926-2008) was a Jazz pianist who worked with bass legends Keter Betts and Art Davis. He's also a fan of his elder cousin, legendary jazz pianist Larry Willis (Blood, Sweat and Tears/Jerry Gonzalez & Fort Apache Band). Henna What is Henna? By definition, it is: The powdered leaves of a tropical shrub, used as a dye to color the hair and decorate the body Bob Baldwin's 31st offering is a truly natural and organic feeling. "The beauty of our earth produces so many great and prosperous things. In fact, people have actually lived off of the virtues of this beautiful earth for thousands of years, " says the native New Yorker. Bob's latest has layers of drums, percussion and his own organic keyboard and piano elements of the 1970's closes the deal. Tracks 1-6 feature his NY-based band of 30 years with Dave Anderson (bass), Tony Lewis (drums), and Cafι Da Silva (percussion). Other songs include flutist Ragan Whiteside, who has blazed the Top-five Billboard charts four times since 2017. She appears on the first single "Long Weekend (See You on Tuesday). The aforementioned DC vocalist, Lori Williams, lays her warm sultry tones on "No Longer Lost, " a Stevie-type throwback track with a simple pop edge seen through the jazz lens of Baldwin ala Quincy. The inspiration of the vibe of the project is from two of his favorite contemporary pianists, George Duke and Joe Sample, who both passed earlier this decade. He met both legends in his musical travels, and even spoke with them both just weeks before their untimely death. "We Pianists/Keyboardists have to stick together. Sample and Duke were great artists and great elders of the genre. I learned a lot from the fruit, " says Baldwin. "Piano is my instrument and has been so since I was 5 years old. I've listened to so many great pianists over the years, from Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, and in the current wave, Benny Green, George Duke and Joe Sample. This record is tribute to two contemporaries who I admired and personally got to know well, the aforementioned Duke and Sample. Piano was their thing, but they used keyboard elements to tell a deeper musical tale." The stunning track that evolved over the years is the one entitled "Club Life", written some time back, and recorded by Marion Meadows. As the evolution goes, he re-records the track and in doing so, creates a new community vibration, calling on his friends whom he's worked with over the years, and none of them disappointed. Contributions by Rohn Lawrence, Walter Beasley, Tom Browne, the aforementioned Meadows, Whiteside and Williams, Marcus Anderson, Brooke Alford, Joey Sommerville, Oli Silk (from across the pond), Barry Danielian, with West Coast guitarists Nils and U-Nam shine throughout the 10:00+ track. If you like blow-by-blow solos, this is your kind of tune for sure a Smooth Jazz jam for the ages. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: BOB BALDWIN PRODUCED, ARRANGED AND MIXED BY BOB BALDWIN FOR CITY SKETCHES, INC. * MASTERED BY SCOTT HULL / MASTERDISK, NYC Mixed by Bob Baldwin at Funky Onion Studios, NYC and Smyrna, GA Recorded at Funky Onion Studios/Smyrna, GA * Peaceful Waters Studios/Pound Ridge, NY * Uppa Room Studios/Marietta, GA * Engineers: Wayne Warnecke, Dennis Johnson, Bob Baldwin. "Club Life" was recorded in the respective home studios of and by; Walter Beasley, Nils Jiptner, U-Nam, Barry Danielian, Marcus Anderson, Marion Meadows, and Oli Silk. Bob Baldwin is a Baldwin Piano Endorser Bob Baldwin and Dennis Johnson uses Yamaha Keyboards Tony Lewis uses Pearl, Paiste, Evans, and Vic Wirth drum products Dave Anderson uses NS Design Basses Layout Graphic Design Mr. Chris Drukker * Cover picture Dee Freeman/Dees Eyes 1) I Heard You Twice (The First Time) (Bob Baldwin) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC) Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards/Vocals Cafι Da Silva - Percussion 2) In The Print (Bob Baldwin) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC) Cafι' Da Silva - Percussion Tony Lewis Drums Dave Anderson - Bass Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards 3) Sorry (Not Sorry) (Bob Baldwin) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC) Cafι' Da Silva - Percussion Tony Lewis Drums Dave Anderson - Bass Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards/Vocals/Vocoder 4) Henna (Bob Baldwin) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC) Cafι' Da Silva - Percussion Tony Lewis Drums Dave Anderson - Bass Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards/Vocals 5) Food For Thought (Bob Baldwin) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC) Cafι' Da Silva - Percussion Tony Lewis Drums Dave Anderson - Bass Marlon Jones Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards/Vocals 6) A Brazilian Love Affair (For George Duke) (George Duke) Mycenae Music Publishing (BMI) Cafι' Da Silva - Percussion Tony Lewis Drums Dave Anderson - Bass Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards/Vocals 7) No Longer Lost Featuring Lori Williams (Lori Williams/Bob Baldwin) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC)/LoriJazz (BMI) Lori Williams Lead Vocals Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards/Bass/Drums 8) Long Weekend (See You on Tuesday) Featuring Ragan Whiteside (Ragan Whiteside/Bob Baldwin) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc., Randis Music (SESAC) Ragan Whiteside Flutes Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards/Bass/Drums Dennis Johnson Additional Drums 9) Keep Movin (Bob Baldwin) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC) Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards/Vocals 10) Club Life (Bob Baldwin/Marion Meadows) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC)/Sunsight Music (BMI) Bob Baldwin and the Groove Pact Featuring Brooke Alford, Marcus Anderson, Walter Beasley, Tom Browne, Barry Danielian, Rohn Lawrence, Marion Meadows, Nils, U-Nam, Oli Silk, Joey Sommerville, Ragan Whiteside Marion Meadows Sax Tom Browne - Trumpet Lori Williams Vocal Rohn Lawrence Rhythm Guitar Brooke Alford Violin Walter Beasley Sax Joey Sommerville Trumpet U-Nam Guitar Nils Guitar Ragan Whiteside Flute Marcus Anderson Talk box (on chorus) Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards/Bass/Drums/Vocals 11) Fly Breeze Featuring J-Fly (Bob Baldwin/Jorel Flynn) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC)/J-Fly Music (ASCAP) Jorel J-Fly Flynn Drums Tres Gilbert - Bass Chris Harris Guitars Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards Barry Danielian Trumpets Fred Vigdor Sax Ragan Whiteside - Flute 12) In The Moment Featuring J-Fly (Bob Baldwin/Jorel Flynn) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC)/J-Fly Music (ASCAP) Jorel J-Fly Flynn Drums Tres Gilbert - Bass Chris Harris Guitars Bob Baldwin Piano/Keyboards 13) Club Life (Smooth Radio Version) (Bob Baldwin/Marion Meadows) Funky Onion Music, a subsidiary of City Sketches, Inc. (SESAC)/Sunsight Music (BMI) Bob Baldwin and the Groove Pact Featuring Brooke Alford, Marcus Anderson, Walter Beasley, Tom Browne, Barry Danielian, Rohn Lawrence, Marion Meadows, Nils, U-Nam, Oli Silk, Joey Sommerville, Ragan Whiteside (same credits as Track 10) 14) Long Weekend (See you on Tuesday) (Radio Edit) Featuring Ragan Whiteside (Ragan Whiteside/Bob Baldwin) (same credits as Track 8) Walter Beasley appears courtesy of Affable Music Jorel Flynn appears courtesy of J-Fly Music Marion Meadows appears courtesy of Shanachie Records Joey Sommerville appears courtesy of Sojo Music Ragan Whiteside appears courtesy of Randis Music Lori Williams appears courtesy of LoriJazz Records write your comments about the article :: © 2019 Jazz News :: home page |