Harry and His Mohan Veena

and a couple of jokes about email

A Biased Review

Harry Manx at the Playhouse Cinema in Hamilton, Ontario

April 4, 2025

I first saw Harry Manx perform in a club setting at the Tango Bistro in Stratford, Ontario.

It was 2003. My wife and I had seen Harry perform at the TBS Blues Summit Songwriters Circle, so we were excited to see him in this intimate setting. He played songs from the two albums he had at the time, Dog My Cat and Wise and Otherwise. He also played blues standards with a ferocity and precision not often seen.

We have seen him in concert many times since then. His repertoire of songs expanded as he released album after album. He excels at the art of collaboration, playing with individuals and ensembles with which he has an affinity. At that Bistro Tango show he was accompanied by a young Steve Marriner, who complemented Harry's music with his chromatic harmonica, to beautiful effect.

By the way, I refer to Harry Manx by his first name. It is not out of disrespect, but familiarity. His fans seem to refer to him by his given name universally. This suggests that Harry knows how to build community. When he comes to play, his fans come out, too. During the recent show at the Playhouse Cinema, he asked who had seen him in this venue last year. About a third of the audience raised their hands. Harry inspires people to come out and see him repeatedly. His music is transporting.

The show at the Playhouse Cinema was a wonderful experience. I had only been to the venue to see movies, which is what they usually offer. As a music venue, it was a surprise to me. The sound is great there. It was built for music, and it shows. Harry experienced some sound problems in the first half of the show, but he took a break and when he came back the problem had been addressed, and the sound was fine. It was deep and rich. The Mohan Veena sounded very present. On performances of Indian ragas, the sound was enchanting and hypnotizing.

Rather than rely on a set list that night he asked the audience to suggest songs. They would shout songs from his repertoire and Harry would listen long enough to get two or three, then he would play them, beautifully. Then he’d ask again, get more suggestions and he would play those. In his way, he was fostering community.

I always come away from a Harry Manx show with a feeling of gratitude. It feels special and I feel like I was lucky to be included, just by attending the show. His music truly has soothing qualities, along with a folksy humor that brings you into the event instead of distancing you from it. We laugh at the jokes we have heard before and their familiarity makes us feel warm. If he delivers a new joke or quip we laugh like it’s hilarious. It’s all in the timing.

Wherever Harry Manx travels, and he travels a lot, I encourage you to get out and experience his show. He is a master slide guitar player, a sensitive and original Mohan Veena player. His musical personality, along with his very real self, shines through the material, whatever instrument is in his hands. Plus, if you go see him, you’ll get to hear the email jokes yourself.

You can get to know Harry better by visiting his website. https://harrymanx.com/