In 1990, his fanciful funk keyboard action on Rejoice was masterful; when he later played with Marion Meadows, he became part of smooth jazz consciousness. This follow-up to his debut is a pop, jazz, and soul collection that rivals the first one in likeableness and simple adventure. Most of the cuts convey an easygoing sense of R&B rhythms, along with a propensity by Baldwin to improvise over the tastiest grooves imaginable. His version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" is so perky, you might not recognize it. The bounciness of "Billy's Funk" and "It's Not Enough (Enuf)" are indicative of the party flavor apparent throughout. And as if Baldwin wasn't impressive enough with his keyboards and occasional bass playing, he adds the sax talents of Grover Washington, Jr. and Meadows and the vocalese of Dwight Sills. A horn section is also used to great effect on "Everything You Want (In Time)." There are a few serious moments, such as "In a Sentimental Mood," but for the most part, this is a fun spirited, let your hair down kind of listen.
The smooth jazz format has lent itself to an unfortunate trend towards sugary and fluffy generic album titles that hardly characterize the grit and energy of the music they represent. Boney James went the route with Sweet Thing and now Bob Baldwin's blandly titled but explosively executed Cool Breeze makes a strong case for not judging a disc by its cover. As with his independent City Sketches earlier this year, the keyboardist never quite approaches the free-for-all soul-fusion jam sessions which marked his early Atlantic albums, yet he throws enough aggressive, improvisational punches into these uptempo romps to remind his old fans of the way he once pounded. Rather than crazed earthquakes, he gives us thoughtful, slickly produced tremors that lean towards gospel every so often. He also twists familiar pop hits like "Summer Breeze" and "Walk On By" into funky blue knots. His artful, no frills jazz trio spins on "Cool Wind Blowing" and "I Give Unto You" make many of the other tracks seem overproduced and machine generated by comparison. While Baldwin knows how to balance electric and acoustic currents to great effect, he should consider stripping down like this more often in the future. Why hide behind smoke and mirrors when you have this much emotion to offer?
A rookie of the year in 1990, superfunk keyboardist Bob Baldwin had plenty to be happy about with his sizzling Atlantic debut.. A sure candidate for the R&B crossover chart, Baldwin assembled immediately likable and upbeat synth grooves with some fancy acoustic interludes to form an eclectic hybrid of styles which he calls "PBJ Music" -- as in pop, blues, and jazz. Having grown up with both jazz and R&B influences, he writes and co-produces bouncy material which proves to be the best of both worlds. While his original material is a marvel, Rejoice is that rare album where the cover tunes bear the most repeated listening. His get down jam on Joe Zawinal's "Mercy Mercy Mercy" is the best example, but his light hearted medley dedicated to Motown legend Marvin Gaye is as sweet as tributes come.
Bob Baldwin wasn't the first artist to name a project after his website -- Fattburger and Jethro Tull both beat him to the punch -- but the funk-jazz keyboard whiz's Bobbaldwin.com devotes its liner notes to reminding us to enjoy technology but not let it take over for our heart and soul. Baldwin puts his music where his words are, using his synth rack to create numerous busy, often retro-soul textures, but, at heart, his graceful yet punchy melodies shine through at all times. He has a good time with titles, moving from the cool hip-hop of "eSmooth" (which features his trademark high-register swirling solos between revisits to the sax-driven hook) through "Westchester Online" (with a playful cat and mouse game between Dean James's soprano and Joey Summerville's bouncy trumpet) and then on to the album's most unusual piece, "Overtime (In the Chatroom)." As if to make a point about what too much cybertalk can do to one's sensibilities, Baldwin offers no defining pop melody, instead darting in and out with percussive avant-garde synth lines, clicking wah-wah guitars, and an occasionally smooth soprano line from Marion Meadows, over floating, hypnotic atmospheres. Most of the other material is smartly played and very in-the-pocket, from the opening cover of "Never Can Say Goodbye" (with crackling guitar passages and harmonies by Chuck Loeb) and the brassy party tune "Funkin' for Jamaica," featuring trumpeter Tom Browne and the harmonic blend of the saxes of Gerald Albright, Marion Meadows, and Fred Vigdor.
Are You Ready?
Bob Baldwin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did I leave your mind when I was gone?
It's not my thing trying get back
But this time let me tell you where I'm at
You don't have to worry cause I'm comin'
Back to where I should have always stayed
And now I've heard the maybe to your story
Can it be I stayed away too long?
Did I leave your mind when I was gone?
It's not my thing trying get back
But this time let me tell you where I'm at
I wanna, wanna be where you are, oh oh
Anywhere you are, oh oh
I wanna wanna be where you are, oh oh
Everywhere you are, oh oh
Please, don't close the door to our future
There's so many things we haven't tried
I could love you better than I used to
And give you all the love I have inside
(Oooh!!)
I wanna, wanna be where you are, oh oh
Any, any, anywhere you are, oh oh
I wanna wanna be where you are, oh oh
I gotta be where you are, oh oh
I wanna be...
I wanna be... oh, oh
Yeah yeah, baby now
I wanna be...
I wanna be... oh., oh
Oooh
I wanna be...
I wanna be... ohoh
Now, now, yeah baby
Oooh
I wanna be...
I wanna be.. ohoh
Yeah, yeah, baby now
Oooh
The lyrics to Bob Baldwin's song "I Wanna Be Where You Are" depict the singer trying to make amends with a lover who they have been away from for too long. The opening lines, "Can it be I stayed away too long? Did I leave your mind when I was gone?" suggest that the singer is aware of the time they have spent apart and worries that their absence may have caused the person they love to forget about them. The lines, "It's not my thing trying to get back, but this time let me tell you where I'm at" signify that the singer is not one for going back on their word to leave but wants to reassure their lover that they are back and committed to being there.
The chorus, "I wanna, wanna be where you are, oh oh, anywhere you are, oh oh," shows the singer's strong desire to be with their lover no matter where they are. The verse, "Please, don't close the door to our future, there's so many things we haven't tried" suggests that the singer wants to work towards a better relationship by exploring new avenues and possibilities with their lover.
The repetition of the phrase, "I wanna be" shows the intensity of the singer's emotions and their determination to make the relationship work. Overall, the song is about the singer's regret for leaving but is now sure of where they belong, which is with their lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Can it be I stayed away too long?
Could it be that I have been apart from you for too long?
Did I leave your mind when I was gone?
Did you forget about me when I was not there?
It's not my thing trying get back
I am not used to trying to come back
But this time let me tell you where I'm at
However, this time I would like to explain where I am emotionally
You don't have to worry cause I'm comin'
Do not worry, I am returning
Back to where I should have always stayed
To where I should have never left in the first place
And now I've heard the maybe to your story
I have now listened to the reasons you gave for why our relationship may not have worked out
And it's enough, love, for me stay
But hearing your story was enough for me to want to stay anyway
I wanna, wanna be where you are, oh oh
I want to be exactly where you are
Anywhere you are, oh oh
I want to be with you wherever you are
Everywhere you are, oh oh
I want to be with you every step of the way
Please, don't close the door to our future
I am asking you to not give up on our future together
There's so many things we haven't tried
There are so many things we have yet to do together
I could love you better than I used to
I know I can love you more deeply than before
And give you all the love I have inside
I am willing to give you every ounce of love in my heart
Now, now, yeah baby
Right now, right now, my love
Oooh
Expressing deep emotion
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Arthur Ross, Leon Ware
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind