All In A Day's Work

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- Bob Baldwin -

Bob Baldwin
All In A Days Work
[215 Records]
Reviewed by Rob Young
Date: Oct, 2005 [13 Tracks; 63:44 Total Spin Time]

Bob Baldwin - "All In A Day's Work" CD is OUT!!!!

Mount Vernon, NY native Bob Baldwin is unquestionably an unsung hero when it comes to the Contemporary/Smooth Jazz genre. Why, you say? With each project released, Baldwin promptly delivers the goods with his debut “All In A Days Work” on 215 Records (His 10^th overall) is certainly no departure from his winning formula as a composer, arranger keyboardist and producer. Fortunately, this journeyman was blessed to be taught to play the piano by his father (Robert Baldwin Sr.). Meanwhile, we should seriously consider his musical influences as a youngster with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Patrice Rushen, Chick Corea, EWF, Joe Sample and Ramsey Lewis, Miles Davis and George Duke, as their voicings can distinctively be heard in his music. Yes, it’s obvious this cast of prominent players had a profound impact on Baldwin’s musical journey.

The opening track sets the pace with an infectious groove appropriately titled “A New York Minute” featuring Ragan Whiteside on flute, which is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the CD. Baldwin interweaves his signature Urban Jazz sound in optimum motion, while switching gears flawlessly with the flexibility which only a seasoned player can accomplish. The groove merchant Baldwin keeps the flavor in sync with the title cut “All In a Days Work,” this time he adds a twist of Scat-vocals to accent the piece, which reminds me of his “Brazil Chill” release from his A440 Records debut last year.

Baldwin’s keyboard artistry and compositional stylings are custom made with a flavorsome hint of enchanting backing vocals on Track 3, titled “Day-O,” featuring guitarist Phil Hamilton. This time Baldwin wraps his voice around this breezy mid-tempo jewel that fits perfectly into the mode of a dreamy stroll in the park or cruising’ the city with the sunroof back on a warm summer night! Baldwin’s intuition of masterminding just the right “hook” is simply mesmerizing! That said, “Third Time’s The Charm” featuring saxophonist David Mann does the trick calling out for yet another spin! With several selections neatly sandwiched in between the set of songs, along comes the refreshing “Sunrise” at the eight spot featuring vocalist Zoiea, which he humbly admits is dressed up from his Rio De Janeiro venture.

The Brazilian-flavored “The Very Last Night in Rio,” drops in at the eleventh position. Baldwin effortlessly works the keys with reverie on this steamy piece featuring trumpeter Barry Danielian and Armando Marcal on percussion. “Don’t Get it Twisted” is up next in rotation, which happens to be one of my faves on the CD. Ironically, this track reminds me somewhat of a George Duke vibe.

“All In A Days Work” by the multitalented Baldwin is 13 tracks deep, this compilation of music contains three “interludes,” several tracks with backing voices and a couple of lead vocals which adds up to be over an hour of vibrant, yet refreshingly gratifying collection of jazzy, urban nuances that will undoubtedly satisfy even the most discriminating smooth jazz & urban music aficionados. Baldwin’s understanding of his craft makes him at the top of game as a player, in the midst of his compositions laced with the talented cast of musicians makes this project a rewarding listening experience and it should do very, very well for Mr. B!!

Keyboardist Bob Baldwin remembers advice from his jazz pianist father early on in his career, "Get your props from your body of work, not some sad hit that was pre-determined by some power-hungry exec." Bob's latest album, ALL IN A DAYS WORK, is the embodiment of that philosophy. Instead of one or two standout tracks and a lot of mediocre filler, this disc is loaded with compelling, memorable tunes from first note to last... Every one of which would sound awesome coming out of a radio or your player. Bob emphasizes percussion on this collection, so there's plenty of movement to this music. I've always liked Bob Baldwin's style of playing, and I'm especially pleased with the results he's gotten on this one, as he moves smoothly from piano to Rhodes to all the other sonic colors in his keyboards. I enjoyed his previous release, BRAZIL CHILL immensely, and ALL IN A DAYS WORK picks it up right where he left off, in Rio, and evolves stunningly from there back to his home base, New York City. The selections on this disc are all originals I might add and they range from a Brazilian vibe ("Day-O" and "The Very Last Night In Rio") to the ultra-funkiness of "Can You Feel It?" featuring the fine vocal work of Tonni Smith. ALL IN A DAYS WORK is tight, crisp, and more than worthy of your time and ears. This one goes into my music collection in the "essentials" category. May I suggest the same for your Smooth Jazz library?

~SCOTT O'BRIEN

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