To his credit, Baldwin also contributed to the success of other established artists as he composed and produced material for saxmen Grover Washington, Jr. (Next Exit) and Marion Meadows (Keep It Right There). On one hot July afternoon, Bob was perusing the Billboard charts only to find his CD at #7 while Washington and Meadows were at #2 and #5, respectively. All three CD's sold in excess of 400,000 copies combined. Baldwin worked on Meadows' latest release, Body Rhythm BMG (1995) which to date has exceeded almost 100,000 units sold. He then supported the Body Rhythm album with Meadows on the road and has performed many sold-out Large City venues throughout the East and Midwest. The 1995 highlight was the performance at the Asbury Park Jazz Festival in New Jersey before an audience of 20,000 as well as sharing performance dates with vocalist Phil Perry and Chieli Minucci (Special EFX).

In addition, Baldwin has a love for humanity as he has given numerous benefit performances for African-American and Latino non-profit foundations in the New York City metropolitan area over the past ten years in the New York City Metropolitan area. Baldwin performed at the 1995 Special Olympics in New Haven, Ct.

This Keyboardist exhibits his writing skills from time to time. As a contributing staff writer for Strictly Jazz Magazine published in Atlanta, Ga., he has written stories on Herbie Hancock, Patrice Rushen, Yellowjackets, Rio Kawasaki, Will Downing, Ray Vega, Lennie White, Keiko Matsui, Ray Obiedo,  Marion Meadows, Joe Sample and George Duke. Baldwin also exercises his entrepreneurial prowess as he owns publishing company Are-Gee-Bee, Inc. Some of the company's writing, production and performing credits include George Benson, Grover Washington, Jr., Will Downing, Marion Meadows, Deniece Williams, Tom Browne, Norman Conners and Pieces of a Dream. He also owns a production company Chameleon Productions, which showcases his production portfolio as well as City Sketches. Inc., which he uses to house his own body of work.

 Bob Baldwin was born in Mount Vernon, N.Y. His father, Robert Baldwin, Sr., also an accomplished jazz pianist and upright bassist in his own right. His brief Pianist career including  working with Keter Betts (Ella Fitzgerald’s main bassist) and Art Davis (who performed For years with John Coltrane).   He later met Hancock at his Sony Innovators performance in Beverly Hills in 1989 whom inspired him during his formative years.

Baldwin draws his musical strengths from his spiritual source.  "God has been good to me and blessed me with a wonderful talent.  I look to him daily for direction and strength and give him thanks daily". His Gospel influences are Tramaine Hawkins, Helen Baylor, Yolanda Adams and Vickie Winans.  "When you sing from God's soul, you ultimately save souls".  Hence, the feeling you get from Baldwin's passionate playing comes from his spiritual source."

In 1986, Baldwin also exercises his entrepreneurial prowess as he owns publishing company Funky Onion Music and Are-Gee-Bee Music, Inc. Some of the company's writing, production and performing credits include George Benson, Grover Washington, Jr., Will Downing, Marion Meadows, Deniece Williams, Tom Browne, Norman Conners and Pieces of a Dream.

He also owns a production company, City Sketches, Inc. which he uses to house his own body of work. In 1996, he released “City Sketches/Welcome To The Games”, where he showcased the CD on the web. This is where Baldwin learned the true nature of the music business, from artwork to production to wholesaling and consigning his product. That led to his 5th CD on Shanachie entitled, “Cool Breeze”, which featured the top 10 single,  “Summer Breeze” in 1997. In 2000, he went independent again with Bobbaldwin.com, which to date is his best seller. He recorded a Tribute to the World Trade Center victims with “The American Spirit” and his 7th CD, “Standing Tall”. The latter charted top 10 in the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts and a top-3 single, “The Way She Looked At Me”. His deal with A440 Music is monumental as He looks to exhale and release several releases, including his8th CD, which he recorded in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and features Some very talented Brazilian musicians.  He continues to Innovate and bring new talent to the forefront, one of his core career goals. 

Since 2000, Baldwin has been developing the New Urban Jazz Radio Format, which is at it’s very early stages. NUJ fuses Urban Music with Contemporary Jazz in a way that only Baldwin can mix it up.  It is the future of Contemporary Jazz. He initial impressions have begun in Jacksonville, Fl. in 2004 before moving over to KJAZ in Bermuda, where he helped to shape the sound of that station.  He’s made the same impact and inroads at WCLK in Atlanta.

The Sony Innovator has now begun his NUJ format at WJZZ in Atlanta, which is a Radio-one Station.  It will be there will NUJ will spread throughout the country and will induce a new sound in Contemporary Jazz. In 2007, he also released “Memoirs From The Hudson”, a 70+ minute live set at the beautiful Croton Point Park in New York, which featured Marion Meadows on Sax.  In 2008, look for NewUrbanJazz.com in the stores, featuring Meadows, as well as Najee, Frank McComb, Phil Perry, Freddie Jackson, Joey Sommerville, Toni Redd, and others.  If he has it his way, Bob Baldwin will have his hands full with making, performing and sharing great music for years to come. –

"That's what l said when I heard the tape that Bob Baldwin submitted to the Sony Innovators Program. He's a Keyboardist, arranger, producer, programmer and songwriter all wrapped up in one which is why I chose him as this year's Sony Innovator in Music. Bob Baldwin is an inspired musician who fuses jazz, R&B and pop in a truly original way. With the Sony Innovators Program behind him, a lot of other people will have the chance to fall in love with his music, too."
Roberta Flack (1989)

Photography by Gary Berman , Fountaine Lewis , Portia Sibiya, Jewel Shears , Jerry Brooks, Glen Frieson, Al Russell, Gonzalo  and Rod Taylor and used by permission only. For Privacy Rights, please click here   © 1995 - 2005 Bob Baldwin/City Sketches, Inc. Where Innovation Meets Tradition Bob Baldwin President/CEO City Sketches, Inc. 2778 Cumberland Blvd., #309 Smyrna, Ga. 30080 914-548-9829 – Office 914-455-4726 - FAX www.bobbaldwin.com Web site maintained by Bob Baldwin This website is the only official website of Bob Baldwin and is © Copyright 'City Sketches, Inc'. Commercial reproduction, distribution or transmission of any part of this website or any information contained therein by any means whatsoever without the prior written permission of 'CSI' is not permitted.  For privacy statement and full terms of use of this website click here