Where to begin when describing the career of classical guitarist and composer Pat Coldrick. A mind that has composed such pieces as Lament, Antarctica, Cityjam, Elena, Tranquilo and many many more. A complex character who started in the rock and roll world as lead guitarist with rock band The Memories and Paul Ashford but after some time realised that classical was what he really wanted to do. A complete break from the music world for 25 years where he discovered other creative talents in cabinet making and bespoke furniture, losing his business in the face of a world recession and coming back again to his first love musicStarting back from scratch in his late forties and busking in Grafton Street where he caught a lucky break when an American tourist heard him play and invited him to the states to perform. But there is very little luck attached to Coldricks story. Single mindedness and single handed, sheer determination and hard graft, knocking on doors which led him to The Late Late Show, concerts in Slovenia, France, Germany, Russia, United States and his most recent invite India, performing at such diverse events as The Vibe for Philo in Vicar St. and to a full house at the NCH. Performing with the RTECO and at many festivals throughout Ireland. There is very little luck attached to the writing of his wonderful pieces. Lady luck isn’t capable of creating masterpieces… she can pave the way and ease our paths sometimes but that’s as far as it goes.But what Coldrick has apart from his skilful playing is the skill of visualisation and transferring that to the music score. Pieces like Elena where we can picture the story in our minds before we are ever told that story, Antarctica, where we can feel and breathe and hear it without ever having been there and pieces like Cityjam, where we can experience the hectic pace of life while sitting in our armchairs. A mastercraftsman telling his own stories and observations modern life, his own life and ours too. Add to the mix ,technology, superb production and finishes and we have an album which has an immediacy to it and warrants a place in every music collection.Coldrick has brought classical music to the 21st century. His arrangements of some huge well known pieces like Passacaglia and Sevilla are superb, but I think it is his own 21st Century compositions that have brought rock and roll to classical guitar. A meeting of the two which in a way defies genre. He has added something to the mix that is his own entirely www.patcoldrick.com