Wise & Otherwise
Canadian bluesman Harry Manx makes what sounds like a recipe for disaster--acoustic covers of "The Thrill Is Gone" and "Foxy Lady" featuring the veena, a South Indian stringed instrument somewhat similar to the banjo--work surprisingly well. Manx comes by the Indian influences in his music honestly. He spent 25 years in India before relocating to Canada, where NorthernBlues (home of the equally accomplishedOtis Taylor) has presented his second album, a follow-up to 2001'sDog My Cat.Wise and Otherwisecontinues the unusual but highly successful mix of traditional acoustic blues and Indian music pioneered on Manx's first album, though the inevitable comparisons toKelly Joe Phelpsare still apt. It's a little different from what you'd normally expect out of an acoustic bluesman, perhaps, but certainly none the worse for that.--Genevieve Williams