cktimes.ca Archives for Glass Onion Folk Club


Glass Onion Folk Club

With John Gardiner

Glass Onion crowd enters the "Harry Zone"

Tuesday, October 29, 2002

Those who attended the most recent edition of the Glass Onion Folk Club, held last Tuesday at the Jeanne Gordon Theatre in Wallaceburg, were in for a special treat as Harry Manx was in town with his unique brand of traditional and original blues tunes.
Manx was last in Wallaceburg in February just one week before walking off with Best Blues Album at the Canadian Independent Music Awards for "Dog My Cat", his first CD. Since earning the award, he has been much in demand as a performer, both in Canada and internationally.
Manx plays lap slide guitar, banjo and harmonica and brings a truly unique approach to all, but it's when he picks up the Mohan Veena and adds that instrument's very special sound to the mix that he is really at his unique best.
Mixing Indian ragas with traditional blues seems so totally natural when Manx does it that it's almost as if one were written for the other. They mesh together wonderfully, drawing the listener in like an exotic, addictive elixer, so mellow, so very mellow.
The Glass Onion crowd was in for an added treat for the Harry Manx show as Manx brought popular Toronto bluesman Brian Blain along as an opening act. Blain delighted with his own original tunes, written with a thought-provoking but humourous style that drew some serious applause.
Manx played a mix of tunes from his first CD and his latest offering, Wise and Otherwise, which is receiving considerable airplay on Canadian radio. The hauntingly beautiful "Only Then Will This House Be Blessed" and deeply thoughtful "Death Have Mercy" were warmly received, while a rendition of the Jimi Hendrix hit "Foxy Lady" was wonderfully different.
Traditional tunes included BB King's "The Thrill Is Gone" and "Reuben's Train" – terrific stuff done in a way that was distinctly Harry.
Brian Blain, who also accompanied Manx on his first visit to Wallaceburg, calls the atmosphere when Manx plays the "Harry Zone". And there are few who would disagree that what the British Columbia-based musician creates is something that is almost trance-like and makes the word "magical" come to mind.
If you have the chance, check out Harry Manx, one of Canada's rising music stars, and get yourself into the "Harry Zone" – it's a place you'll want to stay.



John Gardiner is a 25-year-veteran of the community newspaper business, but he is also a prolific writer of moralistic short fiction he refers to as "emotional thoughtscapes" or "adult fables". Samples of his fiction can be found at:

He has also produced a noteworthy piece of humanist philosophy which can be found at: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aboiten/ad502.htm He welcomes comments on his work.