In Conversation with Pat Chessell
b'In a country that loves its Celtic music, it\\u2019s no surprise that Vancouver\\u2019s Pat Chessell has become known as one of the most exciting roots artists in Western Canada. Equally skilled at delivering a dance-inducing, powerhouse East-coast tune as a quietly heartrending Irish-influenced ballad, Pat\\u2019s rootsy vocal style, charismatic stage presence and expert musicianship (guitar) are making for an ever-growing audience of enthusiastic fans. While his mostly original music falls solidly under the broad umbrella of \\u2018Celtic\\u2019, Pat\\u2019s range is prodigious and eclectic. It\\u2019s been variously described as straight-ahead \\u201cfolk\\u201d, \\u201cupbeat Celtic influenced Canadian folk/pop\\u201d, and \\u201cmoving mid-and-up-tempo contemporary Celtic\\u201d, among other labels. But, to cut to the chase, it\\u2019s all Pat\\u2019s music. Its music played and performed, and often written, in Pat\\u2019s distinctive and unique voice; strongly rooted in the Celtic tradition, but with an open-hearted connection to the place he calls home and the modern world around him. His lyrics are at turns profound \\u2013 or witty and high-spirited \\u2013 but always dynamic and relatable.'