Syzygy

Syzygy News & Notes

December 2012: It’s here!!! Syzygy’s 3-disc, live DVD/CD entitled “A Glorious Disturbance” is in stock and ready to ship!!! See and hear why fans and critics are calling Syzygy, “…out and out heavyweights of progressive rock.”
Order this incredible package now…
Here is what’s included:

Three discs – 2 DVDs and 1 CD, nearly 5 hours of content!!!
DVD 1: Almost 2 hours from two different Syzygy concerts – 2009’s “Three Rivers Progressive Rock Festival” and 2010’s “A Day of Prog Festival” (Syzygy headlined)

Critics say Syzygy’s live performances “…vaulted them into the upper echelon of contemporary progressive rock.”
Both concerts in 5.1 surround sound with incredible aural imaging.
Track list includes a diverse collection of Syzygy compositions as well as an exciting encore set of two classic progressive rock covers!

CD: Over 72 minutes of live music. Several new and exciting interpretations of some of the band’s earlier work as well as pieces performed live for the first time. Incredible sound quality.
DVD 2: Over an hour and a half of special features:

In depth interview with Carl Baldassarre by Michael Heaton (the Minister of Culture for the Cleveland Plain Dealer). Carl discusses the history of the band with tons of behind-the-scenes footage dating back 30 years!
The Writing of Realms: An in-depth look at Realms of Eternity, the album that Steve Hackett (Genesis) called, a “masterpiece.” This feature includes a track-by-track breakdown in the studio of these great compositions. Musicians and audiophiles will love this!
The great Mark Boals discusses his perspective on working as lead vocalist and front man for Syzygy (both in the studio and live on stage).
Band Roundtable: Listen in as the members of Syzygy discuss the past, the DVD and Syzygy’s future. Lots of additional footage included in this roundtable discussion.

You will be hard pressed to find a more gorgeous looking DVD package. The color, design and graphics are beyond compare! The package comes with a pullout poster containing a lyric sheet and a photo montage of the band in action.
Be sure to check out Syzygy's YouTube Channel . Additional videos have been added in connection with the release of “A Glorious Disturbance.”

“We are very excited to bring you Syzygy Live: “A Glorious Disturbance.” We feel this is the definitive perspective of Syzygy from past to present. It frames our careers to this point and clears the palette for the new music which is to come. We hope you enjoy this release and that it brings you years of listening and watching pleasure. On behalf of the members of Syzygy, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.” Carl Baldassarre

April 2011: Happy Spring!!! We are slowly emerging from another hard winter in Cleveland, Ohio, but we are encouraged to know that the warm weather and sun are not far behind. Despite the inconvenience our winter has caused us, we are ever mindful of those who are enduring real hardships in Japan and the Middle East/Northern Africa. To all of them we extend our most earnest prayers and well wishes.

I’m happy to report that we continue to make progress on the production of our live CD/DVD (A Glorious Disturbance). We are also making great progress on composing our new studio album (it will be a real force). In addition, we will be unveiling our new website shortly - complete with new band logo which is very cool. So stay tuned to the news section for more updates. In the meantime, here is a little more detail on each of these updates:

New Release: Our new CD/5.1 DVD, “Syzygy Live in Concert: A Glorious Disturbance” is coming…but its release has been pushed back for good reason. We have decided to add audio and video footage from the 2010 3RP event (A Day of Prog). Now the package will be a comprehensive look at Syzygy’s two live performances at Three Rivers Progressive Rock events (2009 and 2010). This decision to expand the content gives us more music to draw from including; new pieces, never before performed pieces, in addition to our more standard repertoire. It will be released later this spring – specific date to be determined (sorry for the “head fakes” on previous release dates– most recently in Progression Magazine issue No. 61). To see the album art, click here.

Pre-Release Promotions: Leading up to the release of “A Glorious Disturbance” we have been placing some live video segments of Syzygy on YouTube (YouTube Channel - Syzygymusic1). The first two pieces we placed on YouTube (which are not on the live album) are our encore set from A Day of Prog (2010). Those of you there will remember we covered Deep Purple’s “Burn” and UK’s “In the Dead of Night”. We will add additional pieces in the coming weeks.. Here is the link. Syzygy Youtube Channel Enjoy! Send it to your friends and please let us know what you think! We would love to have you add your comments right on our channel.

Review: The latest issue of Progression Magazine (No. 61) contains a concert review. Thanks to free-lance journalist Dr. David Wimer for his detailed account of the Day of Prog festival. I have also included herein a review of a Cleveland performance we gave last June by journalist Mr. Eric Harabadian which appeared in The Music Connection. Lastly, I have included another stellar review of Realms of Eternity.

Interview: With Norwegian Journalist - Ole Svela (March 2011) Read the interview

Support: Speaking of Realms of Eternity, I want to pass along two wonderful pieces of encouragement we received from Mr. Steve Hackett (Genesis) and Mr. Patrick Moraz (Yes, Moody Blues) last summer and fall.

Steve Hackett wrote:

“It’s beautifully written and recorded and easily the best I’d ever been given to listen to…I played it from beginning to end. I’m sure it was years in the making in one way or the other. I usually hope for a masterpiece every time I play an unknown quantity (to me) but this is the only time the dream has been fully delivered….”(Steve Hackett)

Patrick Moraz, upon listening to our album on the way back from Brazil (and under the weather), sent this communiqué to his publicist:

“Thanks for the sending of the CD by "SYZYGY"…it's a GREAT CD! All the music, "Progressive Rock" in the best sense of the term, feels exactly right and sounds really great! I'm really enjoying this CD very much and it has lifted my spirits

completely from the fog of the illness I just have been through! You can already tell these guys that I really enjoyed listening to their music and their new CD, "Realms of Eternity"! Master Musicians these guys are!!! The music they have composed and are playing is FANTASTIC and that's what Prog-Rock is all about!!! Thank God for that!! …5 STARS all the way! -- Patrick"

As much as we were gratified to have three Grammy submissions from past Grammy winners on our behalf for Realms of Eternity, we cherish most the encouragement from these two master composer/performers which we personally hold in the highest artistic regard. Thank you Mr. Hackett and Mr. Moraz – we are encouraged by your kind words and press on, aspiring to your shining example!!!

Merchandise: We have uploaded our new T-shirts. These new T-shirts are SPECTACULAR! Beautiful, wearable art commemorating our upcoming live release. You will love them.

Year in Review: 2010 was a great year for Syzygy. The band’s reputation and popularity has never been better. Buoyed in part by the fantastic reception of our latest release, “Realms of Eternity,” the band shipped records to every continent except Antarctica (and we’re working on that - seriously!) leading to a record year in sales of CDs and a staggering amount of downloads. Throughout 2010, the reviews of the band’s latest recording and live performances have been heart-warming as we have received imprimaturs from many music luminaries, critics and fans alike. We thank you and we are ever-humbled by your support. We are grateful for your continued interest in the band and the statement you make by choosing to spend your hard earned money on our music. We think about that with every note we write and play. We take nothing for granted.

New Music: 2011 will be the most important year for our music. Last spring we started to write new music. After taking a break for the live shows during the spring and summer, we have now returned to writing again and are making great progress. We are really inspired by the depth and majesty of what’s coming. We hope to write at least two albums worth of material – so this will take some time, but not nearly as long as in the past.
We currently have one album nearly written and hope to have it completely composed and arranged by June.
The band is now more singularly focused on writing than we have ever been in our lives. Collectively, we are also more equipped artistically than ever to make lasting, meaningful artistic statements. Syzygy is growing as composers/arrangers. We are resisting any tendency to limit our thinking or repeat ourselves. The only genre we think about is the genre of “great music.” The group is striving to write music which is memorable, beautiful and timeless. Fixated on only the best melodies, we are nurturing ideas which can make people think, feel and move. We are also being especially careful about the precious space between each note (as much as the notes themselves). This writing process requires that every new musical utterance be held to those standards (and we are growing as a result). So before this year is out, we shall see where this will all lead – what we have so far is very moving and exciting. Without your support and encouragement, we’d not be able to push forward.

Thanks again for your support. We love you, and pray that you and your families stay safe, healthy and strong throughout the year.

07/10 - Greetings to all. Thanks to Jim and Rebecca Mileti from the Winchester Music Hall for hosting our June 5th concert. Above all, thank you, our fans, for supporting us with another standing room only turnout. We so appreciate everyone spending valuable time and money to come and see us. We are now turning our attention to headlining "A Day of Prog" on Saturday, August 14, 2010 near Pittsburgh, PA. This is a Howard Levy 3RP event so quality is guaranteed! This will be a very special show for several reasons as the band will be…
§ …joined by the incomparable Mark Boals on vocals
§ …performing it's most expansive survey of it's three albums to date including some pieces which have never been played live before
§ …performing a very special "encore" set you won't want to miss
§ …offering a special limited-edition, pre-release of the band's upcoming first live album, "Syzygy Live at 3RP 2009" (which was recorded at last year's 3RP festival). This CD will be a limited-quantity (and numbered) release at a very low 3RP-fan price which the band has personally autographed. Anyone who witnessed last year's show will tell you it was a memorable gig Not only will this be a wonderful collectible, the audio quality of the band performing live is like nothing you have ever heard. This unique release will also tide you over until the band officially releases its 5.1 surround sound DVD/CD to the public later this year. Check out the review of Syzygy's 2009's 3RP concert.
§ …likely performing Syzygy's last show for about a year as writing for the new album will commence immediately following the Day of Prog Festival.
§ Howard Levy and his 3RP team also have some amazing surprises for all of those in attendance.

All good reasons not to miss this event.

For more information go to http://3rprogfest.com/

4/10 Check out the WCSB Interview with Paul Farewether discussing performing with Syzygy on June 5th 2010 at the famous Winchester Tavern and Music Hall in Cleveland (www.thewinchester.net). Download the promotional flyer here.

3/10
First: There continues to be a growing buzz about SYZYGY and our latest release, “Realms of Eternity”. We hope to further this momentum with a release this spring/summer of our first live disc. It will be a CD/DVD bonus combo. The CD audio side is currently near completion and I must give a shout out to our engineer Chris Keffer. In addition to laboring over every note I have ever recorded for the last 20+ years, Chris ventures out on the road with us and runs sound. He recorded the 3RP show on 24 discreet tracks and it sounds incredible!! Listening back to the live tracks, I was really impressed with how the band communicates with such power. You can really hear the rock foundation supporting these mighty compositions. Chris, you are the best (we’ve nicknamed him Chrysygy!). The DVD bonus side will have some footage of our victorious 3RP concert last August and will be in 5.1 Surround Sound! Chris should win a Grammy for best engineer. He is the best out there. BTW- you can check out some of the live footage on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2UGovog_iw

Second: We are also starting to make some headway on our Midwest tour this summer, so stay tuned for more information on that. We are excited to report that the incomparable Mark Boals will be joining us again this summer, so if you missed him at 3RP you get a second chance (sort of like the Gospel :o)! Last, but certainly not least, SYZYGY will be performing live on Saturday, June 5th at the famous Winchester Tavern and Music Hall in Cleveland (www.thewinchester.net). We are excited to announce that local Cleveland singing legend, Paul Fayrewether, will be our guest vocalist that evening singing our material. Paul has never sung anyone else’s material that I am aware of and we are both excited and honored that he is willing to lend his unique gifts to the live Syzygy experience (we will have a few surprises to throw at you that evening so you won’t want to miss it!!). This is one performance only!!!!

1/10 - Check out the Syzygy Cover Story in Progression Magazine: Cover & Feature Article
1/10 - Download the MP3 Kweevak Radio interview

12/09 - Reflecting on the year 2009, we have much to be thankful for. Of course, our health and families are our most precious gifts and we come through 2009 in good shape. Syzygy had an exceptional year too. The release of Realms of Eternity in June and the live shows which followed were incredibly fun and memorable. We thank all of you for your support. We are also excited to receive the recent issue of Progression Magazine http://progressionmagazine.com/ which has a feature on Syzygy. If you didn’t get it, check it out. It is great. We are hoping that more people come to discover our music as a result. We have been advertising pretty hard lately so we hope that pays off as well. With that being said, 2009 has been a great year for me and the guys and we thank God and all of you for making it possible.

7/09 - FINALLY!!! It's here…Realms of Eternity…it took what seemed an eternity, but we believe the wait will be worth it. The compositions are so deep and textured, you will have lots to explore for some time to come. Be sure to experience this album under headphones too (we took great care to make that as fun as possible). You will notice that it's a single disc. In order to keep the retail price down during these very hard economic times, we found a way to put ALL 77 minutes+ of music on one CD without cutting one note! So as cool as it would have been to have presented this material in a "double" package, we felt it was best to make it as affordable as possible. Special thanks goes out to our engineer Chris Keffer who did an amazing job (again) throughout this project. I can't wait to hear from all of you about your experience with this album. With the release behind us, we have now switched gears and are rehearsing and playing some live shows. We had our first one a few days ago, and it went quite well. It was fun to feel the power and emotion (and challenge) these compositions uniquely possess in a live presentation. To that extent we hope to see you in the coming weeks at one of our shows. We are having our official CD release party on August 1, 2009 at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland http://www.beachlandballroom.com/calendar.asp?Page=5. We are also looking forward to playing at the 3RP Festival in Pittsburgh on 8/9/2009. http://3rprogfest.com/index.php?content=tickets. So, on behalf of all of us in Syzygy, thanks for your patience and support. Let us know what you think. Be Blessed, Carl

Carl 3/09 - It's with an abundance of joy that I am pleased to tell you that we should have our masters to the duplicators in mid-April. From there, it's just a few short weeks to get it into distribution. Realms of Eternity is really going to be released! 77 minutes plus! Surprises! What a project! People that have heard it have said, "No one is writing like this anymore." Well, that's our goal: to stand on the shoulders of the greatest progressive forefathers (and sisters) and compose music that honors that tradition without being derivative. I just know you all will like it very much. We are also toying with the idea of a 5.1 surround mix in a subsequent release. That would be so amazing. But, first things first...we will release the album and get that other stuff going shortly thereafter. Most importantly, I want to confirm the rumor that we will be promoting this album with some live shows! Stay tuned for more. In the meantime, be blessed! - Carl

7/08 - Greetings and blessings to all. We are rounding third and heading home. Most of the mixes are done. Not a wasted moment or any filler to be found. I won't announce a release date quite yet, but we are getting close. In the meantime I have included some pictures of a recent session where we brought in a cellist, violinist and flutist for some additional orchestration. These are students enrolled in the Master's Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music where I am on the Board of Trustees. It was their first exposure to "progressive rock", but they did a great job and had a lot of fun to boot. Hope you enjoy. Stay tuned for additional news coming shortly. Peace and blessings to you and your families for the rest of the summer. - Carl

1/08 Well, we finally have some photos to share with you of the group working on our new project (Realms of Eternity). Now, at least there is some verifiable, visual evidence that we are working! The photos include live shots of us at 1) the Winchester Club (where we premiered The Sea, Dreams and Vanitas), 2) in the studio recording our new epic piece, The Sea, 3) at our remote recording odyssey of the Dialectic and 4) my home studio doing some classical guitar work (love the shorts). I would be remiss if I didn't give a special thanks to Brian Misch of Misch Photography for his great work at the Winchester and at Magnetic North Studios. Lastly, we just finished mixing The Sea which is a 26 minute epic and it sounds great! We are on to Vanitas which is a much shorter piece and will be loads of fun because it has lots of counter point lines and a very cool symphonic arrangement. We'll keep you posted, but progress is definitely being made. Maybe we'll even be able to get a few sound bytes up on the website pretty soon. Hope this update finds you well and continued blessings to all of you. -Carl

12/07 Well I am officially out of the prediction business. What I can tell you is that we have had a several month delay due to technology - my pro tools rig simply can't handle 100+ tracks and 26 minutes of music of our major epic The Sea. So I have had to switch everything over to cubase and redo quite a bit of my studio in the process. I won't bore you with the details of transferring the information and debugging everything, but it was horrendous. Thankfully, we are back to mixing and looking for distribution at the same time. If anyone has any helpful referrals, we'd love to hear from you. I am also delinquent in my promise to post sound clips and photos of our recording sessions but maybe that will be forthcoming too. Thanks for hanging with us. Talk soon and God Bless - Carl Baldassarre

12/06 We are making steady progress on our new release, "Realms of Eternity". All basic tracks are complete. We are now tracking vocals and mixing. Sam, Paul and I just reviewed all the basic tracks recently ( 8 tracks spanning 70+ minutes) to take stock on where we are in the project and we were overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of this album. This is far and away our greatest work. I hope to shortly have some pictures and sound samples up here so you can see and hear what we are up to. Thanks for your patience. It will be amply rewarded. Take care and God Bless, Carl