Collinwood Yards

The title ‘Collinwood Yards’ stems from my roots growing up in the gritty shadow of an abandoned railyard, once the most active of its kind linking the industrial centers of the Midwest and the Northeast. Against this backdrop, I found early artistic fulfillment by starting two Cleveland-area rock bands, Abraxas and Syzygy. Collinwood Yards is my debut solo album and represents an orchestral/progressive rock story of perseverance and self-discovery.

The plot follows my path of survival from the wrong side of the tracks, both literally and figuratively in terms of the personal tragedy and hardships that I endured, to a new personal and creative beginning founded on the occasional glimmers of hope that sustained me during the most difficult times. The writing and recording of these 14 tracks took me from Cleveland, Ohio to London (Abbey Road Studios) to Glasgow and to all points of the compass rose throughout the US. It gave me the opportunity to play with some of the world’s best musicians in both state-of-the-art and historic music studios. I hope you enjoy this musical journey of a train that left the station at Collinwood Yards and rolls on, ever seeking.

Carl Baldassarre