Bob Baldwin (musician)

He attended Geneva College in 1978, and graduated in 1986, but to complete his degree, he would have to attend several 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, he further developed his broadcasting skills. He later founded the NewUrbanJazz radio program in 2008, which originally aired on WFSK, WNAA, WJAB, WVAS, and WVSU.

Baldwin is listed as a famous Geneva College Alumni, according to Ranker.[6]

Between 1978-1980, Baldwin discovered his love of radio at Geneva College at WGEV, where he minored in Broadcast Communications. It was there he learned radio production, and was a jazz jock on Sunday nights. At Geneva College, he also re-ignited his love for the piano.

Baldwin returned to New York in January, 1981 to utilize and further hone both his music and radio skills. He finished his college career at Concordia, Hunter and Iona Colleges while doing local gigs in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Westchester County.

In September 1981, Baldwin secured a radio internship at Inner City Broadcasting (WLIB/WBLS) in New York, NY, then owned by Tuskegee Airman Percy Sutton, where he studied news reporting, and honed other broadcasting skills under the tutelage of then News Director Pat Prescott, the late Carl Ferguson[7] News Director David Lampel, Larry Hardesty, and Mark Reilly.

In 1981-1983, he worked briefly at WINS, then-owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting, where he pulled news wire for the staff writers.

In 1984, he was a field news reporter in Westchester County for WVIP Radio, then located in Mt. Kisco, NY (now located in New Rochelle, NY). He covered the Jesse Jackson Presidential campaign that same year when Jackson came to Shiloh Baptist Church in New Rochelle.

Baldwin reunited with the aforementioned Prescott when she worked for CD101.9 in New York. Prescott introduced Baldwin's music there in the late 1980s. Between 1998 and 2004, he wrote, sang and produced the CD101.9 jingle, up to when they changed their smooth jazz format to "New York Chill" in 2004.

In 2004, he was hired by Tame Broadcasting[8] as the Music Director at WJSJ (Jacksonville, Fl.), and after that tenure, he helped to launch the first ever smooth jazz station in Bermuda (KJAZ - Trott Communications) from 2005 to 2006.

Baldwin then worked as the Music Director in 2007 at WCLK (Clark University), then later that fall at WJZZ, a Radio-One company. Radio-One's WJZZ became Urban AC “Magic 107.5” at 12:00am.[9]

In 2008, Baldwin started programming music at both WCLK and WJZZ, which he would later coin the programming sound as "NewUrbanJazz". He later founded the NewUrbanJazz Lounge, a weekly syndicated program.

In October 2008, Baldwin fused his musician and radio skills and 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's decision to launch NewUrbanJazz Radio Format was based on the sudden closure of CD101.9.,[10] and his show has expanded to stations in Springfield (WEIB), Atlanta (WCLK), and the U.S. Virgin Islands (WTJX), as well as some stations under the African-American Public Radio Consortium.

Between March and September 1986, Baldwin, along with New York-based guitarist Al Orlo, created the Bob Baldwin/Al Orlo Project, and they performed on Sundays at the Vinnie Pastore-owned Crazy Horse,[11] a now-defunct small rock and roll club (with a capacity of 50 people) in New Rochelle, New York. It was a workshop-based project to practice and perform live original material written by Orlo and Baldwin.

Baldwin opened up for the aforementioned trumpeter Browne at The Bottom Line, based in New York City, NY. From that performance, he played alongside Browne in his band, 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. He began his Contemporary Jazz music career with his first solo album release in 1988 ("I've Got a Long Way To Go") on Malaco Jazz Records. The project was submitted to the Sony Innovators Award[5] in 1989 and won first place. One of the top three finalists included the Detroit music group Straight Ahead.[12] 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.[13]

In 1997, Baldwin found the company, City Sketches, Inc., a production music house. It is now where Baldwin houses all of his self-owned recordings.

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).[14]

After recording two projects with the Chicago-based A440 Music Group, his solely-owned record label, City Sketches, Inc., purchased the rights from the A440 Music Group ("Brazil Chill" and "All in a Day's Work"), prior to their bankruptcy filing in 2005.[15]

In 2009, he signed with Trippin' n Rhythm Records and recorded "Never Can Say Goodbye" (2010), and "NewUrbanJazz 2/Re-Vibe" (2011). He severed the deal in 2012.

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.

In 2013, continuing the independent music ownership route, releasing his 20th original disc "Twenty" under the Distribution 13 (Lillian Industries) Music Distribution label. That deal was severed and settled out-of-court after Artist filed a lawsuit for not receiving contractually due royalties.

In 2015, his label has signed with Red River Entertainment, where they distribute the following physical discs of the Baldwin catalog ("MelloWonder - Songs in the Key of Stevie", "The Brazilian-American Soundtrack", "The Gift of Christmas", "Never Can Say Goodbye (A Tribute to Michael Jackson)" - Remixed and ReMastered. City Sketches, Inc. distributes digital recordings via a separate digital aggregator.[16] with The Orchard, which is wholly owned by Sony Music Entertainment, Inc.

In 2018, Baldwin was able to purchase the rights back from his Shanachie recordings ("Cool Breeze" and "The American Spirit").

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, Baldwin signed on with Baldwin Piano (owned by Gibson Guitar Corp.) as an endorser.[17]

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.

ADDITIONAL BILLBOARD CHART ACTIVITY LINK

• Bob Baldwin at AllMusic
• Photo session at Ford Piano, Peekskill, NY (Photo by Sacha Brezina, Augsburg Jazz Fest, Germany)