Bob Baldwin Showcased; with Bob Bangerter, Wilton Felder, Stefán Dickerson, Alfonzo Blackwell, & Paul Ventimiglia

Featuring the Smooth Groove of Today's Jazz!
This Week at CaféJazz.ca

May 18th, 2008
Edition #484 Previously

This Week at CafeJazz.ca!
Keyboardist Bob Baldwin steps into the spotlight with his NewUrbanJazz.com release. Hour 2 brings the Back Trax segment and headlining this edition are Paul Ventimiglia and Wilton Felder, a founding member of the legendary Crusaders. Also appearing is Alfonzo Blackwell, while Stefán Dickerson and Bob Bangerter round out the feature. Then later in the hour, there's a snazzy assortment of current favourites with Dave Sereny, Jimmy Sommers, Chris Geith, and Rick Braun & Richard Elliot, while thruout are Herb Alpert, Norman Brown, Peter White, and Jeff Kashiwa!

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Caifox Radio out of the UK & Radio Net Eclipse based in Santiago, Chile.
For more info, check our affiliate list!

In This Issue:

SHOWCASE CD :
NewUrbanJazz.com - Bob Baldwin

BACK TRAX :
Drive Time - Bob Bangerter
Inherit The Wind - Wilton Felder
Pescadero Pointe - Stefán Dickerson
Passion - Alfonzo Blackwell
Weedy Wack - Paul Ventimiglia

AFTER HOURS : New Music

Showcase CD
NewUrbanJazz.com - Bob Baldwin:
With a career that stretches back to the 80s, Bob Baldwin is a veteran performer who's enjoyed several chart-topping and critically acclaimed efforts. His father Robert Baldwin, Sr. was an accomplished pianist and bassist in his own right who performed with Max Roach and others in the jazz community. Baldwin recalls attending some of his father's gigs as a youth and getting into the straight-ahead sounds he was hearing. Bob Jr. learned piano from his father and while studying classical music and jazz, his style was impacted by the likes of Stevie Wonder, with whom Robert Sr. had gigged when Wonder played their town, and by Patrice Rushen and Chick Corea among others. After earning a business administration degree, Baldwin for a time worked for MCI and Sprint Communications before forming The Bob Baldwin/Al Orlo Project in 1986. In due course, that led to the young keyboardist's selection as the Sony Innovators Award winner for 1989!

The following year, Baldwin released his solo debut while his '92 sophomore effort, reached #7 on the charts - thereby establishing Baldwin as a force in the contemporary movement. Over the years, the Mount Vernon, NY native has collaborated with many of the genre's top talents including Pieces of a Dream and the late Grover Washington Jr. In addition, after relocating to Atlanta, Baldwin embarked on a four-year stint touring with Marion Meadows while continuing to advance his solo career. The recent issue of NewUrbanJazz.com marks Bob Baldwin's official Nu Groove label debut while his personal catalogue has expanded and now rests at a dozen albums. Drawing on jazz and R&B, Baldwin adds touches of Hip-Hop and other fresh flavours, again affirming his course in music, a path that he's trodden successfully over the years, although perhaps not quite with the fullness of his present conviction! t's therefore with pleasure that we press Mr. Bob Baldwin and the NewUrbanJazz.com release into our showcase spotlight, beginning with the classy and elegant It Is What It Is featuring Joey Sommerville on trumpet!

Photo courtesy of
Bob Baldwin.com

She's All That with Marion Meadows and Ragan Whiteside on sax and flute respectively cracks open hour 2 of the show - the result is a genuine gem with the full potential to become a modern-day classic! While in the end, we have Third Wind, the lead single from the disc. Second wind is a phenomenon well-known to athletes who find the strength to press on beyond exhaustion - the phrase has come to be used metaphorically for continuing past the point thought to be one's prime, whether in sports, careers, or life in general. So now, Baldwin delves into that addition reserve, calling upon a heretofore-untapped well of energy, and in the process, he delivers one his finest outings!

CD: NewUrbanJazz.com
Label: Nu Groove Records
Site: Bob Baldwin ; Baldwin/NuGroove

Back Trax: Part One

Drive Time - Bob Bangerter:
A native of the San Jose area, Bob Bangerter moved to the isle of Maui just over 30 years ago. As a songwriter and guitarist, Bangerter performs locally with his trio called Earth, Wind & Bob while having written for The Doobie Brothers, fellow Hawaiian Michael Ruff and others. He's released four albums, three of which have garnered regional award nominations. Additionally Bangerter operates as a free-lance photographer, capturing the unique and powerful beauty of the The Islands thru the perspective of his lens. On this occasion, we're revisiting the '98 Playin' The Right Thing wherein Bangerter musically "hangs ten" with the album's opening track!

CD: Playin' The Right Thing (1998)
Label: Don't Stop Music
Site: Bangerter/Fat Tuesday

Inherit The Wind - Wilton Felder:
Beginning in the mid 50s, Wilton Felder spent over 30 years with The Crusaders continuing as a founding member thru until the late 80s. During this time, he also launched his own solo career and although there were many flashes of brilliance along the way, for the most part these projects were overshadowed by his work with The Crusaders - the possible exception being his 1980-sophomore effort entitled Inherit The Wind.

From that effort, we have almost seven-full minutes of the free wheeling title track with Bobby Womack guesting on vocals!

Note: Inherit The Wind also appears on Bobby Womack's '96 project chronicling his own years at MCA!

CD: Inherit The Wind (1980)
Label: MCA Records
Site: Felder/Verve ; Felder/HamptonRoads

Only Survivor
MCA Records
1996

Back Trax: Part Two
	Pescadero Pointe - Stefán Dickerson: Dickerson's prowess on piano earned him a pair of scholarships, first to the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and then to the famed Julliard School of Music. While focusing academically on classical music, Dickerson honed his jazz chops by playing the New York City club circuit. For several years, he commuted regularly, doing session work out West while completing his studies back East. Upon graduating, he relocated to LA where he embarked on a multi-faceted career. Releasing his debut in 1994, Dickerson has directed his efforts to conducting, scoring, and orchestrating while producing for everyone from Henry Mancini to Barbra Streisand; additionally, he's composed for a variety of TV and film projects. From his one and only solo effort, we have the moody Pescadero Pointe! CD: Románza (Themes of Love) (1993) Label: Heads Up International Site: Dickerson/Concord
	Passion - Alfonzo Blackwell: A Queens, New York native, Alfonzo Blackwell attended the NYC Performing Arts High School and then followed that with studies at Queens College and Five Towns College. Breaking on to the contemporary scene with his 1995 debut, Blackwell gained critical acclaim and subsequently coupled that with several top 10 hits. Meanwhile he composed for movies as well as for television and co-wrote the theme for Baywatch Nights. Readily identified by his layered sax lines, Blackwell delivers a distinctive blend of romantically flavoured urban rhythms - on this occasion, we're returning to the '98 Body of Soul release, for one of his prettiest and most moving selections in the track Passion! CD: Body Of Soul (1998) Label: Street Life Records Site: Alfonzo Blackwell
	Weedy Wack - Paul Ventimiglia: In the early 80s, Paul Ventimiglia (pronounced ven-tuh-meel-yuh) made his way to LA where he put his multifaceted talents to work on a broad range of projects - from commercials to film and TV soundtracks - and in that regard, he's been heard by millions. However, as a solo performer, Ventimiglia didn't get around to releasing his debut until 1997, with the issue of "Il Bacio". Meaning the kiss, the title could be just a bit misleading as romance sometimes takes a back seat to a pedal to the metal attitude that tests the assailability of the senses. With Ventimiglia quite willingly sharing the spotlight with the edgy guitar work of Carl Verheyen and in keeping with our of promise of providing "music to relax and energize", our choice in the track Weedy Wack proves one of the most invigorating ever aired on our humble show! CD: Il Bacio (1997) Label: Miramar Productions Site: Paul Ventimiglia

After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Site and Select Affiliates :

On this edition ... ... once again it's fresh listening with 14 selections totally new to the show. Included are the latest from Jim Adkins, Denny Jiosa, Ken Navarro, Eric Darius, Will Donato, and David Benoit. There's more from The Sax Pack, Gerald Veasley, and Matt Marshak as we explore each of their recent releases. New the show are the band Park Lane, keyboardist Brother Jay, bassist Sean Smith, and Dan Farrow, while Al DeGregoris in the clean-up winds down the hour!

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