Patrick James

Maybe he will be the next John Mayer.

Maybe not.
For Patrick James Guzzardi, though, these are heady, exciting times, as he begins a journey taken by so many musicians before him, but one that he knows ends in fame and fortune for so very few.

Pat started playing guitar when he was 9, about the time he moved from Glastonbury to East Hartford. He took lots of private lessons and played in the jazz band at East Catholic and enjoyed himself, but says his now-ambitious agenda took shape in a pretty innocuous way.

"I was home one day, just messing around with chords," he said. "Then I started writing words, and .."

And, well, that's how these things get started.

Pat made a video, which he shared with an older friend - an East Catholic grad named Greg Darling who was majoring in marketing in college. Encouraged by Darling's enthusiasm and support, Pat began seeking chances to perform. He dubbed himself Patrick James (because "it sounds catchier" when he drops the Guzzardi) and played a show at a club called the Space in Hamden in February. Since then, he's performed at the Hot Topic in both Buckland and Westfarms malls, and has played at a benefit concert in Cheshire that was headlined by Light the City - another popular local band.
Pat, whose style could be called a sort of pop-blues fusion, hasn't earned any money but he's trying to build an audience. His Patrick James trio - which includes bassist Matt Heard and drummer Tim Hepburn - played live on the UConn radio station recently.

"His style and creativity are beyond compare," Heard told me. "And Pat's an all-around great guy."

One nice thing about Pat's music - which you can hear at www.myspace.com/patrickjamesct -- is that the lyrics are thoughtful and well-crafted.

He's written about 10 songs, some taking a day and others kicking around in his head for weeks. In every case, though, he creates his melody first and then figures out his lyrics.

"A lot of it is just about personal experiences," he said.

Pat will be attending Manchester Community College in the fall, and hopes to eventually transfer to a four-year school and become a school music teacher.

Unless, of course, he makes it to the big time, as a professional musician. That's the dream, isn't it?

"Absolutely," Pat says. - The Hartford Courant