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Eric Nemeyer’s WWW.JAZZINSIDEMAGAZINE.COM November-December 2019 Interviews WyciffeWyciffe GordonGordon Dizzy’s Club, Nov 26--Dec 1 BillBill FrisellFrisell Jazz Standard, Nov 19--24 Comprehensive DirectoryDirectory of NY ClubS, ConcertS BobBob BaLDWINBaLDWIN Pianist,Pianist, Composer,Composer, Producer,Producer, Author,Author, InventorInventor To Advertise CALL: 215-887-8880 December 2015 Jazz Inside Magazine www.JazzInsideMagazine.com 1 COVER-2-JI-15-12.pub Wednesday, December 09, 2015 15:43 page 1 MagentaYellowBlacCyank ORDER THIS 200+ Page Book + CD - Only $19.95 Call 215-887-8880 To Advertise CALL: 215-887-8880 November-December 2019 Jazz Inside Magazine www.JazzInsideMagazine.com 1 Eric Nemeyer’s Jazz Inside Magazine ISSN: 2150-3419 (print) • ISSN 2150-3427 (online) November-December 2019 – Volume 10, Number 7 Cover Photo and photo at right of Bob Baldwin Publisher: Eric Nemeyer Editor: Wendi Li Marketing Director: Cheryl Powers Advertising Sales & Marketing: Eric Nemeyer Circulation: Susan Brodsky Photo Editor: Joe Patitucci Layout and Design: Gail Gentry Contributors: Eric Nemeyer, Ken Weiss, Joe Patitucci. 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CONTENTS 4 Bob Baldwin — The Language Of INTERVIEWSINTERVIEWS 32 Bill Frisell — It’s just about the commu- CLUBS, CONCERTS, EVENTS Music, by Ken Weiss 28 Wycliffe Gordon—“… always just striv- nication 13 Calendar of Events ing to … make it the best” 20 Clubs & Venue Listings Visit these websites: JazzStandard.com Jazz.org JJBabbitt.com PAY ONLY FOR RESULTS MaxwellDrums.com LIKE US PUBLICITY! www.facebook.com/ JazzInsideMedia Get Hundreds Of Media Placements — ONLINE — Major Network Media & FOLLOW US Authority Sites & OFFLINE — Distribution To 1000’s of Print & Broadcast www.twitter.com/ Networks To Promote Your Music, Products & Performances In As Little As JazzInsideMag 24 Hours To Generate Traffic, Sales & Expanded Media Coverage! WATCH US www.PressToRelease.com | MusicPressReleaseDistribution.com | 215-887-8880 www.youtube.com/ JazzInsideMedia 2 November-December 2019 Jazz Inside Magazine www.JazzInsideMagazine.com To Advertise CALL: 215-887-8880 To Advertise CALL: 215-887-8880 November-December 2019 Jazz Inside Magazine www.JazzInsideMagazine.com 3 that was my early influence and like I said, I’m picking up all this music at age five. So, it was INTERVIEWINTERVIEW a wonderful experience as a young child learn- ing how to pick up the music. And, of course, he taught me jazz theory and jazz harmony and scales and all that kind of good stuff shortly after that. Bob Baldwin Never give up what you really love! JI: What were some of the musical highlights as you observed the music around you in your early years? Interview by Eric Nemeyer Jazz.com can be heard weekly nationwide. BB: I didn’t meet Ella, But I do remember Bob Baldwin is a contemporary jazz pianist, meeting Hugh Masakela when he defected from composer, author, producer, and inventor who JI: Bob, you hail from a musical background, South Africa and Apartheid around 1968-69 began studying music at a young age, at home where your dad was a piano player in the New when he was coming into great popularity. in Mt. Vernon, NY with his father, Robert Bald- York area. Talk about how your inspiration and Hugh lived in Greenburgh, His escape from win, Sr., a jazz pianist who worked with bass how your interest in music got started when South Africa was a big deal and he was well legends Keter Betts and Art Davis. Bob was you were very young. respected in the community. Greenburgh was also a fan of his older cousin, pianist Lary Wil- this hip little town next to White Plains that had lis. Baldwin's recording career started in 1983 BB: I was born in Mt. Vernon, but lived in a great artistic pulse. Cab Calloway lived near and his debut album, A Long Way to Go, re- Yonkers. We moved to Peekskill in 1968. I there. Frank Foster. Atlantic Starr original leased in 1988. Among his notable releases are remember it like yesterday because not just a members Porter Carroll and Sharon Bryant. Bob Baldwin Presents Abbey Road and the few weeks later, [Dr. Martin Luther] King was Even Gordon Parks lived in that area. I met him Beatles; Never Can Say Goodbye: A Tribute to shot and my mom almost passed out from dev- once. He was a great man and photographer, Michael Jackson; MelloWonder: Songs in the astation. I was about five years old when I start- the first African-American to do photography Key of Stevie. An accomplished pianist, Bald- ed learning about jazz. I was just getting into for the cover of Time-Life. My dad was a pho- win has composed and or arranged music for kindergarten. Dad was a musician, a pianist, tographer and had some Hasselblad equipment. Regina Carter, The Four Tops, Grover Wash- had great ears, had great chops, but never had I learned how to develop film in his darkroom ington, Jr., Paul Brown, Richard Elliot, Marion the chance to tour worldwide because he was at next to the garage. It was there we bonded as Meadows, Ragan Whiteside, Lori Williams, home working a day job to take care of the well. He’d play all the hip jazz ‘cassettes’ while Tom Browne, Bob James, Will Downing, Pieces family. But at age five years old, I learned so figuring out chemicals and enlargers and f-stop of a Dream and others. Bob Baldwin's own much about Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum and settings on the camera. That was fun from recordings have featured an array of leading Errol Garner. Those are the guys that he lis- about 1965 to 1972. My dad was amazing be- artists including Gerald Albright, Noel Pointer, tened to. In Yonkers, I learned about jazz as cause he was the consummate student of left- Lenny White, Larry Coryell, Chuck Loeb, Russ young as I can remember. At age six, dad dis- right brain. He was a musician, an engineer, Freeman (Rippingtons), Najee, and more. covered I had perfect pitch and started me on and used to take a car motor apart and put it back together. He was the ultimate handyman. Between 1968 and 1972 when dad was in full health, he taught me about chords, scales and “finish your dream man. the fake book. He would pull out the book and have me learn chord progressions and teach me how to solo around the changes. It was this Don’t stop dreaming. Don’t period when I was learning all about jazz. I found my musical style leaning more towards a modal sound versus a bebop or an avant-garde ever stop dreaming. Continue vibe. Miles was just into his Cool Jazz vibra- tion and I found myself vibing off of that dur- ing that time. Kind of Blue with Bill Evans was to pursue the things that you very impactful. Also, dad was a big Oscar Pe- terson fan. He would take the turntable and run the record at half speed, and proceeded to tran- love doing and stay away scribe solos from the recording. I used to do that at a young age and try to figure out the solos of Peterson, Art Tatum. While I didn’t always execute the solos, I understood them from those bad deals, man.” and how they were impacted by the chord. Pe- terson was the master. His timing and his work Among his 25 career solo discs since 1988, he my way. It was age seven for seven years I took with Ed Thigpen and Ray Brown were breath- has had six of his singles chart in the Top 20 classical lessons. Those are the guys of his gen- taking. I remember West Side Story. Dad could- since 2011 (Billboard Jazz) and eleven of his eration.