About Edmond Baker, Jr.
Edmond Baker, Jr. aka “Uptown Saxman” has been 5 star rated, & the Top Saxophonist in the USA since 2009 by Gigmasters.com (the largest online entertainment booking agency in the Country). He has also received 2011-2025 5 Star Performer Awards for receiving 100% satisfaction reviews by all clients, & 2012-2025 Top Musician Awards.
He is a living witness that dreams really do come true.
Born & raised in Brazoria, TX, a small town in Southern Brazoria County, little did he know that at the tender age of 9 years old, he would have a date with destiny.
On a beautiful summer evening in 1980, he attended an outdoors gospel concert with his parents, Edmond, Sr. & Pauline Baker at the Brazoria Little League Baseball Field, & what he experienced, set him on the path to fulfilling his life’s purpose.
As he sat in the bleachers, he was mesmerized by the sounds coming from the instrument that the musician was playing.
Instantly, the seed was planted. He looked over at his parents as he pointed, & said, “THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO PLAY WHEN I GROW UP!!”
His parents just smiled & said, “ok son, that’s a saxophone”.
They didn’t really take him seriously at the time, but 2 years later, in the 6th grade, when he was old enough to be in band, the instructor asked him what instrument he wanted to play, & he immediately said, “THE SAXOPHONE!!”
A key component to this amazing story is, the only formal training he received was in the 6th - 8th grades, & for the 1st 20 years, other than when he was in band, all he learned how to play was gospel music because his father pastored a local church, & his mother was the minister of music.
Fast forward to January 2002, after going through a horrendous divorce, becoming a single parent, then remarrying & moving to Houston, he pivoted from playing primarily for church events, to primarily playing for corporate & private events, which was quite the challenge because he did not know how to play any “secular” music.
Although he had no role model to follow, or any connections in the industry, he took a leap of faith, & also relied on his expertise in sales, marketing, advertising, public relations, customer service, & “people skills”, to forge a path towards his dream of becoming a professional saxophonist.
* EDMOND IS THE ONLY FULL-TIME, INDEPENDENT, SOLO SAXOPHONIST IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS.
He currently has 7 albums to his credit, & his music can be found on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, YouTube Music, & other streaming services, including Sirius XM – Watercolors.
He says, “the road to success is often filled with twists & turns, & his story is no different.”
From the very beginning with the band teacher telling him his hands were too small & his fingers too short to play the saxophone, to being bullied by the “cool” kids at school for choosing band over sports, to falling flat on his face at 10 years old, in the parking lot of the same baseball field where he had attended the concert the year before, chipping his front teeth, bursting his top & bottom lips, requiring stitches, & leaving him with permanent nerve damage, to being told numerous times by family, friends & peers, to stop chasing a fantasy & get a “real” job.
Those were just a few obstacles he faced early on, but he held fast to his own motto which says, “NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS, BECAUSE NOBODY CAN STOP YOU, BUT YOU!!”.
Throughout the years, he has accumulated dozens of accolades, and he is a Voting Member of the Recording Academy for the Grammy Awards.
He is a prime example of what can be accomplished through faith, determination, perseverance, strong work ethic, staying focused on your goals, being yourself, perfecting your craft, & always maintaining a positive attitude.
He believes we all have God-given talents, & playing the saxophone is his.
He also believes that music is universal & it transcends cultural, ethnic, language, gender, age, religious, economic, & political boundaries.
He says every time he plays, he prays that his music will uplift & inspire all of the listeners, because he plays from his soul.
He also says his greatest joy comes from seeing others enjoying his music, & to be able to provide for his family while doing what he loves, is a blessing, & a dream come true.
"I want people to know that I absolutely LOVE what I do! And I play from my soul.” - Edmond Baker, Jr.
Check Out Some Of Edmond’s Performances!
Houston Rockets MVP VIP Event
Jammin' in Brooklyn, New York!
Indian Wedding Reception
National Anthem - Toyota Center
Uptown Saxman in New Orleans!
Motivational Speech at Concert 2009
Top Black Houston Entertainers!
Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs
