8th of 12: Harry Manx – September 24, 2005

When Harry Manx arrived at The Barnstormers Theatre back in 2005, it was one more stop on a long musical path that has seen him through Canada, Europe, Japan, India and Brazil—including five years studying with master Rajastani Indian musician Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.  The music Harry brought was at once American Blues, but taken to a whole ‘nother level. He played guitar, dobro, banjo, a broomstick strung with piano wire, and a Mohan Veena – a 20-stringed sitar/guitar that was a gift from his Indian Master.  He removed his right shoe and tapped his stockinged foot just so, on a wooden block with a guitar pick-up mounted on it, to produce the lowest sound I’ve  experienced in the Barnstormers.  Harry was able to thumb extremely low notes, and let them drone toward feedback while playing higher stuff on top, and then catch it just before it screamed.  In that way he played the hall itself, taking advantage of the old-school acoustics,  and truly enveloped us in his music.  This is a very nice recording, but the sounds we felt that night can’t be replicated here. -DQ

Listen to part one:

Listen to part two: