Harry Manx

Harry Manx, a composer and multi-instrumentalist, earns recognition as a vital bridge connecting Eastern and Western musical traditions through his blend of longstanding blues forms and traditional Indian ragas. Born on the Isle of Man, Manx relocated to Canada alongside his family during childhood. As a teenager, he departed for extended stays across Europe, Japan, India, and Brazil, where he refined his captivating stage presence through performances in public spaces, cafes, and taverns prior to gaining festival bookings. During his adolescent years, blues captured his interest, leading to road crew experience alongside Willie Dixon, John Hammond, and additional artists. He toured extensively throughout Europe, securing solo engagements on banjo, harmonica, and guitar at any available venue.

His move to Japan occupied the second half of the 1980s with performances across that nation. Exposure to Vishwa Mohan Bhatt's music prompted his departure from Japan toward India. In 1992, Manx approached Bhatt directly and dedicated the subsequent five years to studying the 20-string Mohan veena under the master's guidance. A standout moment from this apprenticeship involved sharing the stage with Bhatt before thousands at a Taj Mahal concert. Though prominent in India at the time, Bhatt later reached broader American listeners via the 1994 Grammy-winning "Meeting by the River" alongside Ry Cooder. George Harrison, the late Beatle, stands as the sole additional player to have conquered the intricate Mohan veena.

Despite long-term residence in Canada, Manx journeyed to Brazil, his wife's homeland, delivering his singular fusion of American and Indian blues in Sao Paulo establishments. Upon his 2000 return to Canada, he promptly produced a demo that served as his first Northern Blues Music album, Dog My Cat, following an introduction at a North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance conference that secured his contract with the label.

Toronto's blues community immediately acknowledged Manx's debut, resulting in two 2001 Maple Blues Award nominations for Best Acoustic Act and Best Recording. His 2002 Northern Blues Music follow-up, Wise and Otherwise, emerged from a single-day recording session. This second album earned a Canadian Independent Music Award as "Blues Album of the Year" and attracted acclaim likening his approach to that of Kelly Joe Phelps and Ry Cooder. Jubilee arrived in 2003, again via Northern Blues Music, as a joint project with session specialist Kevin Breit.

Manx has issued Road Ragas in 2003, West Eats Meet through his personal imprint in 2004, and Mantras for Madmen in 2005 since the start of 2001. Spring 2007 brought another strong partnership with Kevin Breit, In Good We Trust, issued by Stony Plain Records. Throughout the following ten years, he maintained consistent output, primarily independent efforts, though he rejoined Breit for 2011's Strictly Whatever and partnered with the Sydney Lyric Quartet on 2017's Faith Lift.