Northeast Ohio-based guitarist/composer Carl Baldassarre has established himself as one of the area’s premiere progressive rock musicians, performing with bands such as Syzygy and Abraxas. Recently he’s been leading an ensemble that performs interpretations of Led Zeppelin tunes, exposing more music fans to his outstanding guitar skills.
Now he’s released an album under his own name titled Grand Boulevard, available in multiple formats including vinyl, CD and a USB drive in an old-fashioned cassette case, containing two hi-def audio formats, MP3 files and a nine-page digital booklet with photos, lyrics and liner notes. It’s available to order now.
Baldasarre wrote the material mostly during the pandemic shutdown, then tapped Phil Naish to co-produce with him. He recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, Soultrain Sound Studios in Nashville and Sweetwater Studios in Fort Wayne.
In addition to writing the tunes for the album, Baldasarre used his pandemic time to create a YouTube channel on which he breaks down and demonstrates famous guitar riffs from groups such as Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple and Rush — and even the recognizable riff from the 1976 disco hit “Play That Funky Music” by Ohio’s Wild Cherry. Post-pandemic, he’s been performing sold-out shows regionally. He’ll headline a CD release show at the Beachland Ballroom on June 17, but you can order the album now.
Learn more about the album and what he’s up to at carlbaldassarremusic.com.