THIS WEEK I’M LISTENING TO…BALDASSARRE – Collinwood Yards (Carl Baldassarre Music)

Although by no means a household name Carl Baldassarre is a songwriter and guitarist of exceptional renown, with a track record that stretches back to Cleveland, Ohio’s Abraxas in the late 70s. The fact that he’s known on YouTube as The Professor Of Classic Rock gives you a heads-up as to what to expect, and ‘Collinwood Yards’ is ambitious and well-rounded progressive rock outing. The third in a serious of four albums (following on from ‘Deep Grooves’ and’ Retroduction’) it rounds up a lot of prog and classic rock nuances, edging into King Crimson and Jethro Tull territory at times, although the use of a lively horn section and several different singers does keep things fresh. Veteran drummer / vocalist Nick D’Virgilio is among Baldassarre’s talented backing band, and songs like ‘Coin A Phrase’, the instrumental ‘Dark Delusions’ and the Ravel’s ‘Bolero’-inspired ‘Onward’ are imaginative and executed with panache, while the guitarwork in ‘Secrets’ is pure dynamite.

John Tucker October 2026