The first time Cindy and I saw Harry Manx was at the Folk Alliance Conference in 2001. That year the conference was held in Vancouver BC.
The Folk Alliance always introduced us to new artists from around the Globe and this one was no different. This conference it was “The Waifs” from Australia, the fiddle/step dancing of April Verch from Ottawa and launching some friends of ours, “The Waybacks”, into major festivals headline acts. Also wo many others who impressed us as well, far to many to list.
Even with so many outstanding perfroming artists, the most impressive that year was a blues artist who had very recently returned from 12 years in India, Harry Manx.
Harry brought back with him a Mohan veena, a modified Archtop Guitar with 20 strings, 8 main strings and twelve sympathetic strings. I had never seen an instrument like this nor one that sounded quite like it. It was a sitar/guitar played lap style with a slide. The blues never sounded quite like this. We were instantly taken with Harry and his style of acoustic blues.
Harry as a teenager worked in Canadian blues clubs as a sound man. He soon moved to Europe, Brazil and eventually Japan where he heard a recording of the Indian slide guitarist Rajasthani Indian musician Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Harry sought out Bhatt and soon became his pupil. As Harry put it, Bhatt asked him to play for him which he did for half and hour. Harry then asked Bhatt to play. The first thing Bhatt did was to run across the strings of the Mohan veena and Harry was hooked. He studied under Bhatt for seven years and received a gift from Bhatt of the guitar/sitar Bhatt had designed, the Mohan veena.
Harry’s debut at the Folk Alliance showcase would soon propel him into a sought after musician in Canada. He was an instant success which he later mentioned surprised him. Since that first year Harry has won a couple of Juno awards and for the third year in a row, the best Canadian Blues artist of the year award. The Juno is the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy and in my not so humble opinion much less tainted and based on quality than our US Grammies.
Recently Richie Havens asked Harry to play on his new album as well as open for him on tour. When Richie came localy to Nevada City, California, for that date few knew of Harry. After the show many I spoke with thought Harry easily stole the show. Later when we spoke with Harry he mentioned that Richie expected this may happen but wanted to introduce Harry to others who did not know of him. Richie had become a true fan of Harry.
Harry’s blending of India Raga’s and Blues is a much needed breath of fresh air in the blues. He doesn’t stray far from the foundation of the blues, but brings an international flavor which I feel many of those who were the fathers of blues would welcome. It is a unique style coupled with some great tasty playing.
I have to admit to having a prejudice against our California blues which appears to be more interested in power cords on the guitar than tasty blues guitar work. I have often termed it as white boys playing what they think is the blues but is really just rock and roll. The tasty aspect of the old time blues musicians is missing with so many of our younger blues guitarist. It is all about fast, powerful ripping cords that assault the ears with little soul or feeling. Harry is all about that tasty soulful feeling lost to so many white blues men. Take a listen and if you like then search for more of Harry. Believe me it is worth it.
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Comments
Appalachian/raga fusion, who'da thunk?
way cool, thanks for sharing
I would expect you to have somehow come familiar with Harry. He is a Canadian and Canada is a much more interesting music community that here in the US. After all you gave us Ian Tyson ( also Ian and Sylvia) Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Neal Young and so many other influential artists that are often thought of as US writers.
Roy,
You Tube videos are perhaps the best way to introduce and artist such as Harry, even if they are bad they can convey some idea of what the performer is all about. I am flattered to hear that you would look at the video because I put it up. I will say I have only scratched the surface of artist out there. I often find myself frustrated with those who continue to only focus on performers of the 60’s through the late 80’s and perhaps the early 90’s. There is more talent out there now than ever before and for the most part they are better than those who went before them, as they learned from them and have taken it that next step forward.
Middle Aged,
This for me is what I like to hear “I have never heard of him/her”. For those of us who are fortunate to have a local community radio station with people who seek out new talent we love to bring them to all of you. My wife as I have mentioned does a radio show and much of what she plays are newer artist in the Folk/Americana/Celtic/Bluegrass/Roots music variety. That would be a very large spectrum of what many people were caught up in that 60’s through 80’s era before commercial radio became so structured.
Monte
That's not right. No offense to Canada, but the blues could only have come from the U.S. Along with the jazz, soul, R&B, funk, fusion, and everything else that I recently have read blogs about. One blog is bragging about European Jazz.
We're not exactly irrelevant these days.
We're always going to be interesting, as the wellspring of any music that's good, truly innovative, and not some technically accurate, but sterile imitation.
Folkmuse, this is a great find. Rated.
I have to also thank many of those who I know who are well connected with their regions of the country in which music is blossoming for introducing me to so many new people over the years.
Zumalisious,
Perhaps I should have prefaced that comment regarding Canada being more interesting. For the most part Canada is more willing to experiment in music than we are. Yes, Jazz, Soul, Funk and R&B could only have happened here, I disagree though with Fusion which is a universal product for which Harry Manx is often included.
However our commercial radio and recording market in the US for the most part is not open to mixing cross genres nor is there that much support for musicians and the arts who are not “commercially viable”. Hence you see a far more vibrant music community to our North and even in Europe. Yes we did originate Jazz , Soul , Funk and R&B but we also have for the most part put it into a box to be marketed with a resistance to have too much change. Leave it to the rest of the world to inspire the addition of Celtic an Rock, Blues and Indian music, Polka’s and Americana Music and let’s not forget some of the best Cowboy music comes out of Canada.
Our concentration of Commercial marketing, sound the same radio everywhere. Program directors who pay more attention to the advertising dollar than keeping an ear to the ground for developing artists. Allen Freed and many other DJ’s of the ancient past once did that for the newest twist on music. Now DJ’s have set list from the program director which often are no more than 40 songs, a real eclectic mix is 100.
Satellite is not much different as they have pigeonholes most of the music into channels that often are repeating themselves after the 48th hour. I spoke with someone from one of the Satellite providers on guest programming about a year ago. When I spoke of what would be on my play list I was surprised to find that probably about half I could not play as one was Americana, another would be Bluegrass another Roots and through in something Celtic. It turned out that eclectic was not allowed as each of these were relegated to a dedicated channel and only Dylan from what I could listen to was allowed to move outside a specific genre.
This is why I support some community broadcast stations (not NPR, but “Community” owned non-profit stations) who do eclectic programming. You have mentioned to me how much you love KVMR in Nevada City which is a classic example of great radio. Unfortunately Community radio is far more prevalent in the West and particularly Northern California up to Washington and into Alaska than anywhere else in the US.
You missed him a couple of time as he was just up the road from you at the Strawberry Music Festival, twice. The first time in 2005 I believe, he blew everyone away. They second time the next year the buzz had already hit and again a huge encore.
Yes he is tasty in what he does but he also wanting to play with some of the best musicians even to the extent allowing them to upstage him if it works.
Deloris,
You caught that laugh, yes that personifies Harry. He spent part of the time in India with a guru, that also brings about a humility the many other artists don’t have, particularly in the blues world. Harry is about as much down to earth as one can ask for.
Cathy,
Harry often comments that of the time it takes to tune the instrument. He plays in concert a Martian guitar set up with a higher action so he can play it on his lap like a dobro. He also plays 6 string banjo and brings out the Mohan veena for only a few very special songs. It always impresses.
Will have to check out this Harry Manx. He certainly gets points for an original and humorous name.