HARRY MANX & STEVE MARRINER

February 21, 2021

HARRY MANX & STEVE MARRINER

“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 played slide guitar for many years before meeting Bhatt in Rajasthan,in fact he had been living in another part of India for many years already, but he started at the beginning under Bhatt’s tutelage, unlearning most of what he knew about playing a slide instrument. He learned Eastern scales and eventually ragas, deceptively complex and regimented musical patterns that form the basis of Indian composition. Learning the voicings of Indian music is a subtle art that comes with time. Harry spent most of twelve years in India learning that. It was later on that Harry decided to explore the connection between Indian ragas and blues scales which eventually led to the Indo-blues hybrid that has become his style.

Born on the Isle of Man, Manx immigrated to Ontario with his parents when he was a child. He started working with bands as a ‘roadie’ at age 15 and gradually worked his way up to becoming the regular sound man at the well-known El Mocambo (blues) club in Toronto. There he worked with a slew of blues legends. Harry admits that blues is still at the heart of much of his work. “I’ve always had one foot in the blues from those days … what I got from those artists is a groove. That’s what I’m particularly interested in is the groove, and that’s the way I play blues”. “I went to Europe when I was 20 and started making money as a busker,” recalls Manx. “I’ve worked mostly as a musician since then, though I did some theatre work for a while. I was a one-man band with a drums and a cymbals for a time too. It was really a lot of fun”

Manx’s time in India has imbued his music with an intangible spiritual quality. “the song reveals who you are, it’s the vehicle for your message, your inspirational ideas or your story,” explained Manx. “Like many people I’m interested in my own development as a person and that’s represented in my songs, I’m searching for truth through art and spirituality. My songs are a synthesis of everything I’ve absorbed, all my experiences and I share that. I’m glad that it means something to people.”

“Indian music moves a person inward,” he explains. “It’s traditionally used in religious ceremonies and during meditations because it puts you into this whole other place (now, here). But Western music has the ability to move you outward, into celebration and dance. There are some ragas that sound bluesy, and there are ways to bend strings while playing blues that sound Indian. I may be forcing the relationship between the two musical cultures, but I keep thinking they were made for each other. That leads me to more and more experimentation. The journey has been great so far.” Manx is a prolific artist, releasing 12 albums in a 12 year span with no signs of stopping. He has received seven Maple Blues Awards, six Juno nominations, the Canadian Folk Music Award in 2005 for Best Solo Artist and won CBC Radio’s “Great Canadian Blues Award” in 2007.

His most recent original release, “Om Suite Ohm” was voted by the Montreal daily La Presse as one of only 4 CDs to watch for in 2013. Guitar Player Magazine called it “his most fully realized work to date”. Blend Indian folk melodies with slide guitar blues, add a sprinkle of gospel and throw in some compelling grooves. It’s a recipe that goes down easy and leaves you hungry for more.

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Steve Marriner, (born 1984 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and record producer based in Toronto, Ontario. He first garnered attention in the Ottawa blues scene in his early teens as a prodigy blues harp (harmonica) player. He also plays baritone guitar, electric guitar, piano, Hammond organ, upright bass and electric bass. Since 2008, he has been the frontman, singer, one of two guitarists and harmonica player for the Canadian rock'n'roll-blues group MonkeyJunk. The band's album To Behold won the 2012 Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year.

Early years (1996–2007)

Marriner began playing the harmonica at eleven years of age. He first studied the harmonica with Ottawa-based bluesman Larry "The Bird" Mootham. After a year of tutelage, Marriner began joining The Bird and his band on stage in Ottawa-area clubs. Before taking the stage for the first time, Marriner was bestowed with the moniker "Southside Steve," a reference to his home on the South end of Ottawa. This stage name was used for the next several years.

In the summer of 1998, at the age of thirteen, "Southside Steve" met guitarist Tony D, (Tony Diteodoro)[3] and would perform regularly with him at The Rainbow Bistro. The two would later form MonkeyJunk with drummer Matt Sobb in 2008.

Later in 1998, Marriner joined The Johnny Russell Band. The band played Chicago Blues and New Orleans music and performed around the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

In June, 1999, at the age of fourteen, Marriner won the Ottawa Blues Harp Blow-Off, an annual battle of harmonica players held at The Rainbow Bistro. With the win came an appearance on stage at the Ottawa Bluesfest and a recording sessions at Distortion Studios in Ottawa. The Johnny Russell Band used the studio time to record their album Whippersnapper. The album was released in December 1999, and is the earliest public recording of Marriner.

In 2000, Marriner began recording and touring with the JW-Jones Blues Band, contributing both vocals and harp. For the next three years, he performed with the band at clubs, bars, and blues festivals. During that time, Marriner played several shows with Fabulous Thunderbirds frontman, singer and harp player Kim Wilson when the band was backing up Wilson during his performances in Canada. Marriner left in 2003 to attend the University of Ottawa.

In 2004, Marriner joined Canadian folk icon Harry Manx at the Chicago Blues Festival. Following a positive response from the Chicago audience, Manx invited Marriner to accompany him on tour regularly. The two would tour the world together from 2004 until 2007, performing in Australia, France, England, the United States, and Canada. Other early supportive influences included George Pendergrast, Johnny Sansone and Rick Estrin.

Marriner's debut solo album, Going Up, was released in 2007 on Dog My Cat Records, a label co-owned by Harry Manx. The record was reviewed favourably despite low sales and no nominations.The BlogCritics review of the album states that "with only a couple of exceptions the majority of the music on the album follow[s] the standard rock/blues boy wanting girl theme". The review positively notes "Remember Me", with its "plea for the homeless" and the fourth song, which has "a nice rockabilly feel." The reviewer states that there are "glimmers of real talent on this album", such as Marriner's rare ability to play the "complexities of a Flamenco beat". Another review notes the album's "nods to harp legends Little Walter, Junior Wells and Kim Wilson, and states that Marriner's "tight band fan the flames of tradition with a scorching sound for the 21st century."The review states that "Marriner proves himself an adept singer/songwriter who writes highly melodic tunes that are energetic and full of catchy hooks, reminiscent of Delbert McClinton". The review states that "his lyrics stay true to the braggadocio tradition forged by past blues legends." Overall, the review states that the "highlight [is his] blistering harmonica playing", which has a "natural sense of blues phrasing with a down-home, gritty tone." Jazzreview.com states that with its "solid performances and slick production, Going Up is a strong premiere by a driven young blues maverick with crossover potential and all the makings of a star."

MonkeyJunk (2008–present)

Marriner is the frontman/lead singer and baritone guitar player of MonkeyJunk, a Canadian rock'n'roll/swamp/blues band signed to Stony Plain Records. The band's album To Behold won the 2012 Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year.

As a record producer

In 2014, Marriner produced Drew Nelson's The Other Side, on which Marriner also co-wrote a number of the songs. It was through Marriner's encouragement and support that Nelson released his first album in eight years.

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HARRY MANX AND STEVE MARRINER nos hablan de su primer trabajo discográfico como dúo :

GO : https://www.rootsmusic.ca/2019/03/29/harry-manx-and-steve-marriner-talk-about-their-new-album-and-long-time-friendship/

Two award-winning roots music giants are putting out their first album together on April 5.

Harry Manx and Steve Marriner (of MonkeyJunk) are calling their project Manx Marriner Mainline, and the album is titled Hell Bound for Heaven.

Produced by Harry and Steve, the album showcases the duo’s incredible talent and versatility throughout the 10 tracks: Harry on vocals, slide guitar, banjo, and his trademark Mohan Veena; Steve on vocals; electric, slide, baritone and 12-string guitars; harmonica; bass; Hammond organ and drums. Each contributed several songs to the disc’s repertoire, as well as covering some blues and gospel chestnuts, ranging from Charlie Patton’s “Rattlesnake Blues” and Reverend Gary Davis’ “Death Don’t Have No Mercy,” to Roebuck “Pops” Staples’ “Wish I Had Answered” and the traditional “This Little Light of Mine.” Joining the two on the recording sessions were Clayton Doley on Hammond organ and Moe Duella on drums, with background vocals supplied by three different aggregations, dubbed “The Gamblers,” “The Marrinaires” and “The Sahaja Singers.”

Harry and Steve share a musical chemistry that only comes from having spent many years, playing hundreds of shows and traveling countless miles on the road together. Both very

accomplished musicians in their own right, the two describe Hell Bound for Heaven as an elusive idea and blossomed into a beautiful reality. The two have shared hundreds of stages throughout their careers and have a friendship that has stood the test of time, but this is their debut collaboration on record. Hell Bound for Heaven can only be described as a true reflection of two phenomenal musicians joining forces to demonstrate their love of blues and gospel music.

Harry talks about Steve

“I’ve had the honor of knowing Steve Marriner for a long time,” Harry said about the genesis of their meeting. “It must have been around 2002 when he showed up at a club I was playing in Ottawa. He was with his father because he was only 16 and too young to drive (or drink). He asked me if he could sit in playing harmonica on a few tunes. I have to admit, I was taken aback by him because he looked so young and innocent. I remember being impressed at how nice a kid he was, and for a moment, I jokingly thought, ‘He’s too nice a kid to be playing the blues!’ Anyhow, I agreed to let him sit in for a song. When he started in on a solo, I was floored; so was the crowd. He played like he was channeling Sonny Boy Williamson or Little Walter. There was no insecurity or shyness – none of that; just pure belting out all the right notes with a power that didn’t fit his age. The crowd went nuts and stood up to applaud him. I was speechless. I even tried to hide the harmonica I had on my amp. No way I was going to play that around him!

“I hired him soon after to join me on tour. He tried to keep his school work going, but eventually he dropped it (with his parents’ blessings) and joined me full-time on the road. For the next five years, we toured Canada, the US, Europe and Australia. By the time he reached 21, he was a well-travelled blues master. Along the way, he also picked up the guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and killer vocals. I knew from the beginning that Steve was going to become a one-man blues storm, a legend in the blues scene. And he has. He’s probably won every award that you can win in Canada – and not just once, but time and time again. All this aside, I know him as a great person. When you listen to him sing or play, you’re listening to the man in the music. After many years of doing our own thing, we decided to team up again for this recording. What a joy. What an easy and effortless recording session. Easy is always right, and right is easy. We decided the theme for the recording would be gospel and blues. Hence we called it Hell Bound for Heaven. Moving from dark to light in the light of the blues; that’s our ongoing journey.”

Steve talks about Harry

“Working with Harry on Hell Bound for Heaven was the realization of something that has been coming for many years,” Steve said. “Before we were friends, I was a fan. I nearly wore his record Dog My Cat out! From the first time we met and played together nearly 20 years ago, Harry has been a mentor to me – a major influence. His unique synthesis of traditional blues and Indian classical music is so compelling, and his original songwriting is so profound. We’ve always had a special bond – musically and personally – and it’s been such a joy to see that bond take on the physical form in this new album. We share a deep appreciation for blues, spirituals and gospel. I think we’ve both always been interested in music that moves people. So, when Harry proposed that we make a blues and gospel record, of course I leapt at the chance.

“We both came into this recording with a couple songs written. I ended up writing two of mine, at least lyrically, after we began recording. I wanted to get a feel for the vibe before deciding what to say. It had been some time since we’d played together, and I wanted to see what it felt like, which direction it was going. Harry encouraged me to dig out some old ideas that had never been fully realized, so I did. I had one pretty cool progression that turned into “Hell Bound for Heaven,” the title track. It’s been very satisfying to watch a half-baked song with dust on it get some lovin’ and come out all shiny and new.

“The covers I selected are songs that I’ve been listening to for many years. ‘Death Don’t Have No Mercy’ is a Rev. Gary Davis song I first heard from the man who taught me to play harmonica. I’ve been listening to it almost as long as I’ve been playing music. I love what Harry added to our version – his iconic ‘Mysticssippi’ slide playing.

“‘Wish I Had Answered’ is a beauty of a Staples Singers song that I’ve always wanted to record. Pops Staples’ guitar sound is essentially the blueprint for my own approach to the guitar: big attack, heavy rhythm, with lots of tremolo and reverb. In fact, I first discovered their recordings while on tour with Harry in California, so there is some nostalgia there as well.”