IN CONCERT
What: Harry Manx with the Yaletown String Quartet
When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
Where: University Centre Farquhar Auditorium (3800 Finnerty Rd.), University of Victoria
Tickets: $40 at tickets.uvic.ca or in person at the UVic Ticket Centre (250-721-8480)
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Salt Spring Island musician Harry Manx is at a point in his career at which many artists begin to lose their mojo, but he鈥檚 still willing to try new things.
鈥淚 feel like most of my big goals are probably behind me, but I still keep moving forward,鈥� says Manx, 62. 鈥淚鈥檓 less ambitious, but I enjoy things more.鈥�
The six-time Juno Award nominee is not quite reinventing himself on his 12th studio release, Faith Lift, but he comes close. Manx enlisted a string quartet to help put new paint on his signature 鈥淢ysticsippi鈥� sound.
His sound on the album is a fusion of classical and blues, a first for the chameleonic Manx. 鈥淗aving the strings brings some new life into what I鈥檓 doing. It lifted everything up a little bit.鈥�
Known primarily for his work on the banjo, slide guitar and sitar-sounding Mohan veena, a 20-string modified archtop guitar from India, Manx felt somewhat out of his element on the sessions for Faith Lift, which he recorded in Australia with the Sydney Lyric Quartet. But he adjusted well.
The former busker, who can鈥檛 read music, plays strictly from memory, which impressed his new colleagues.
鈥淚 learned on the street from guys who showed me this lick and that chord. A lot of what I鈥檓 doing, if you asked me what chord it was, I really couldn鈥檛 tell you. Which proves the point that you don鈥檛 really have to be up in your head to play 鈥� you can just go with your gut.鈥�
The idea of working with a string quartet came from one of his many drives across sa国际传媒.
He was listening to a lot of classical CBC Radio programming, and had the idea for his next project by the time he returned home. 鈥淚 never had much of a connection with classical music in my life, but the sounds of those strings was very interesting. That鈥檚 where it started, a little glimpse of something.鈥�
Manx enlisted the help of Clayton Doley, his former keyboardist, to write the string charts for the experiment. On the tour to support the album, which includes a stop on Saturday at the Farquhar Auditorium at the University of Victoria, he handles the guitars, Mohan veena, foot drums, vocals and harmonica. Everything else is left up to the string quartet 鈥� on Saturday, the Yaletown String Quartet.
鈥淲hen you play on stage with those guys, it鈥檚 like having wings. They can really bring the melodies forward. As much as I like to do everything myself on the stage, I can鈥檛.鈥�
Manx returned last week from Europe, and has been to India and across sa国际传媒 several times this year in support of the recording. During his January trip to India, where he lived for several years, he shot videos for Summertime, The Point of Purchase and Death Have Mercy, three highlights from Faith Lift. It was these videos, more than anything else, Manx said, that best encapsulated what he was trying to accomplish with the record.
鈥淭he music starts to take on a different feel, or becomes alive, when you see the context. You can hear the Indian lines coming through, and you see the visuals and think: 鈥極h yeah, that鈥檚 where he鈥檚 coming from.鈥� 鈥�
He will play all 12 songs from the new album in concert on Saturday, preceded by a set in which Manx will play solo on a few songs.
鈥淚鈥檓 my own opening act, if you will,鈥� he said with a laugh.
Being solo 鈥� or alone 鈥� is generally how Manx likes to keep things as a musician, though he has collaborated with Toronto guitarist Kevin Breit on a pair of recordings. But he has found new inspiration playing the songs from Faith Lift in concert. Perhaps the way forward for Manx is with others on board.
鈥淚 always feel so thrilled every time [the strings] come out and start playing. It鈥檚 something I鈥檒l probably never take for granted.鈥�
