Returning to artsPlace after a sold out show last season “Mysticssippi” blues man Harry Manx has been called an “essential link” between the music of East and West, creating musical short stories that wed the tradition of the Blues with the depth of classical Indian ragas. He has created a unique sound that is hard to forget and deliciously addictive to listen to.
Harry forged his distinctive style by studying at the feet of the masters, first as a sound man in the blues clubs of Toronto during his formative years and then under a rigorous tutelage with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt in India. Bhatt is the inventor of the 20-stringed Mohan Veena, which has become Harry’s signature instrument.
Harry had played slide guitar for years before meeting Bhatt in Rajasthan, but under Bhatt’s guidance, he started over, unlearning much of what he knew. He studied Eastern scales and ragas—complex, structured patterns central to Indian music—and spent twelve years mastering their subtle voicings. Later, he began exploring links between ragas and blues scales, creating the Indo-blues fusion that defines his style.
